School Programs

Latin Music Project

The Latin Music Project (LMP) is a community-centric, heritage-based, music program that is dedicated to ensuring that every student receives a strong musical foundation; a foundation that is balanced, comprehensive, and based on a curriculum that focuses on sequential learning through a diverse collection of Latin music repertoire and instrumentation. LMP programming follows Illinois Arts Learning Standards and National Standards for Music Education – which includes: creating, improvising, performing, composing, responding, and connecting.

The LMP also carefully coordinates music content standards with our Chicago Public Schools (CPS) partner sites, universities, and distinguished music educators from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico to ensure an equitable, congruent, and coherent alignment with every student’s music education and academic progress – this results in reducing, or eliminating, barriers to a quality music education and provides readily accessible music resources to all students.

With Over 50 music classes taught each week by credentialed conservatory and university trained music instructor, in combination with our engaging programming, the LMP offers students the opportunity to learn the Puerto Rican cuatro (a mid-sized guitar like instrument and Puerto Rico’s national instrument), guitar, and violin in an exciting, impactful, and supportive environment. Classes are held throughout Chicago’s west south side neighborhoods, which include in-school and after school instruction in public schools (CPS), charter schools, neighborhood centers, a paid-summer music internship for teens through After School Matters, and our community school – the Latin Music Project Center – located in the dynamic neighborhood of Avondale.

Instructors

Zabdiel Santiago – Music Instructor, Guitar
Benjamin LaBoy – Music Instructor, Violin Esther Figueroa – Music Instructor, Guitar/Cuatro
Jose Carrasquillo – Music Instructor, Cuatro