Our Primary Mission. Despite the proven advantages and importance of quality classical music in the lives of children, public school funding for classical music is minimal, if not non-existent. Many talented low income and disadvantaged youth never start music instruction because their families cannot afford strings or piano lessons in their early years. Once the opportunity is lost, it can almost never be regained. The Foundation attempts to bridge this gap.

 

The Pratt Music Foundation has as its primary mission the encouragement of musical development of children in the Bloomington-Normal area. The Foundation identifies children who have talent to excel in music, but who have not had the opportunity to pursue that talent. These children are selected to enroll in the Illinois Wesleyan University Preparatory Music Program

 

Our Goal. Our goal is to be a model for classical music promotion that other communities can emulate. We believe that the benefits of classical music instruction enhance perceptions about school and community and provide our scholarship students skills and attitudes that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

 The focus of the Foundation is our long-term endowment strategy: funds raised are placed in an endowment and scholarships are awarded based on endowment earnings. We want the Foundation to continue to support classical music instruction for decades to come, and the endowment strategy ensures that the funds will be there to support this work.

 

Origins. The Foundation was organized in the spring of 1997 in memory of Dr. T.A.E.C. Pratt. Dr. Pratt, who died on October 30, 1996, was a nuclear physicist with a love for classical music. He shared that love with his children and was their first music teacher.

 

Organization. The Foundation is an Illinois not-for-profit 501c3 corporation that consists of a Board of 16 Directors, the majority of whom are residents of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The Foundation takes responsibility for raising funds for the endowment, and for establishing and implementing policies to further its mission of exposing children to classical music. All Directors are volunteers and contribute to fundraising costs.  Illinois Wesleyan University contributes overhead costs, printing, and postage.  Funds raised go directly to the Foundation’s endowment.  All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.

 

What does the Pratt Music Foundation Program do?          Provides scholarships for lessons at IWU Preparatory School of Music.          Provides guidance, assistance, and nurture to parents and guardians whose children show talent and motivation.          Restores and sustain an appreciation of classical music in the schools.          Accepts donations of high quality instruments (used or new) to support the Share The Music instrument loan program.

Who do we serve?          School children levels (K through 12).          Residents of Bloomington and Normal area.          Children who have demonstrated musical talent and motivation.          Children with an economic need.          Children recommended through public and private school music teachers, private music teachers, social service agencies, churches, and other agencies that come into contact with children.

What continuing commitment do we have?          To promote classical music education in our communities.          To search for prospects who meet our criteria, evaluate them, and to provide support (within our resources) in classical music education.          To re-evaluate (on a continuing basis) our programs and the children we support to ensure we are being effective and that the children we help are benefiting.