ArtSmart aims to transform the lives of young people in underserved communities around the United States through tuition-free music lessons and mentorship from paid, professional artists. The program offers private voice lessons, where mentors and students meet weekly for the entire school year. Their music mentorship program aims to give young people a pathway to academic, financial, and emotional stability. They enable their students to thrive in all areas of life by providing them with the resources and deep connections necessary for their creative and personal development.
As part of the Local Impact Grant program, NBC10, Telemundo62, and the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation have given nearly $35,000 in grant funding to ArtSmart to support the programmatic operations of their One-To-One and Vocal Theater Music Mentorship Programs in Philadelphia. This includes funding four music mentorship studios for an entire 28-week program year in 2024-2025 which will ensure that more under resourced youth receive arts education and mentorship to become empowered leaders in their communities.
ArtSmart was founded by operatic tenors Michael Fabiano and John Viscardi, who met at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and have been friends for over a decade. They shared a vision of making a difference in the world of music. Acknowledging the impact of their voice teachers, they recognized that many students struggle to access quality mentorship due to the high costs of private lessons. They also wanted to provide a pathway where singers had an opportunity to make good money doing something directly related to their area of expertise. This shared passion led to the creation of ArtSmart.
ArtSmart begins each year with auditions for students interested in the program. Those who are accepted are paired with a mentor. After an orientation, they start their lessons, developing a strong relationship with their mentor and collaboratively setting goals. The program concludes in an end-of-year performance and a national competition for all ArtSmart participants. Each year, ArtSmart offers 20,000 free voice lessons to support these aspiring artists.
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To identify schools most in need of their programs, ArtSmart maintains close partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia. Within those school partners, ArtSmart collaborates with designated Site Ambassadors who serve as liaisons between students, mentors, and program staff, helping to identify students who would benefit most from participating in ArtSmart.
ArtSmart’s success is largely due to students building strong, positive relationships with adult role models, allowing them to use artistic expression to communicate freely within that connection. The program equips students with essential skills, such as setting and achieving goals, navigating challenges healthily, and gaining the self-confidence to advocate for their beliefs.
