Cleveland Magazine Highlights Councilman Conwell's Play it Forward Program

Feb 01, 2021

Councilman Kevin Conwell changes students' lives through music with a new collaboration between the city of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, Severance Hall and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Early in life, Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Conwell (Ward 9) knew he wanted to make a change and decided he could do it as a musician or as a U.S. senator. A nun at St. Martin de Porres Family Center learned of his aspirations and made him a deal. “She told me if I help her in the Glenville food pantry, she would cover my [music] lessons,” says Conwell.

Conwell and the nun both lived up to their ends of the bargain. 

Because being a drummer afforded him a wonderful life, he wanted to pay it forward. He wrote an emergency ordinance in June 2019 that led to Cleveland investing $200,000 annually into an initiative titled Play It Forward Cleveland.

Play It Forward Cleveland is a collaboration with the city of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, Severance Hall and the Cleveland Orchestra that will change CMSD students’ lives. The taxpayer dollars cover instructors’ costs, so lessons are free for students in grades six to 12. The community donates the instruments.

The free, small group lessons include two 90-minute sessions per week for 10 to 12 weeks. There is one day of direct instruction and another day of guided practice. It is a yearlong, ongoing project. Violin lessons are held at Cudell Recreation Center, while guitar and drum lessons take place at Glenville Recreation Center. Once the students complete the lessons, they get to keep the instruments.

George Beard’s children are in percussion classes at Glenville. His sons, George Jr., 14, and Gavin, 9, also play the drums at church, and his daughter, Lael, 11, sings and wants to play bass guitar. George Jr. and Gavin have been playing since they were 3 years old.

“With the kids being shut-in with not a lot to do, music provides an outlet,” says Beard, a Ward 9 resident. He learned of the program through Conwell. “When programs like this become available, a lot of people don’t participate. I take advantage of the opportunities.”

George Jr. says he’s enjoying it. “It’s very fun. I get bored in the house, and schoolwork drains my energy. Doing this motivates me.”

Terewell Tankeng, a downtown resident, drives her daughter to Glenville for the lessons. “There’s not much to do with school closed. This is our only outlet,” says Tankeng. “My daughter enjoys it.” 

Kraig Brock is the instructor at Glenville. He teaches the fundamentals of music and percussion, theory, technique and history. “It’s coming along really well,” he says. Brock’s hope is to develop an ensemble. “We want the kids to be able to play together and work cooperatively.”

There are plans to provide scholarships in the future, as well, Conwell explains.

“There’s a lack of arts in the schools,” Conwell says. “The children said they needed it. You have to give the children what they need.”

Marsha Dobrzynski, president and CEO of Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, calls the program a success. “We knew the program was successful because we heard it from the parents and students,” she says. 

Dobrzynski loves that CMSD music teachers and lifelong musicians teach the classes. She also notes that

Conwell shows up at lessons and plays alongside students. 

“Kids need to see this. It lets them know they can do this and be successful,” she says.

She thanks Conwell for the vision. “He’s such a powerful, wonderful advocate for young people and the arts.” She continues, “It’s what kept him focused and got him where he is.”

Read the article at Cleveland Magazine.