Students at PS 8 on Briggs Avenue at Mosholu Parkway are currently enjoying a robust music education program, thanks to the elementary school’s new partnership with a non-profit organization that caters to schools lacking resources to provide school-wide music programs.

Education Through Music (ETM), the non-profit partnering organization, worked with the school to eliminate the problem by providing funds and support to hire an additional music teacher who works part time in assisting Shoshana Kaye, the school’s full time music teacher.

Kaye, an experienced music teacher and band director, recently worked at a high school in Harlem, but was excessed before being hired by PS 8’s Assistant Principal Stephen DiPaola. Even with the help of the new teacher hired through ETM, Kaye still teaches six classes of about 30 students each for 42 minutes, five days a week. That means she’s responsible for some 800 students for the 2015 academic year. “It’s tough gig and it comes with high expectations but with little time,” Kaye said. “I see each class once a week and I can’t afford to miss any day of the week.”

In a school with an enrollment of over 1,200 students, providing quality music education across the board has been challenging, according to the school’s principal Claudia Tahiraj, who has been working there for 18 years. “It used to be that only half of our students are able to take music classes in a semester,” explains Tahiraj. “We’ve had to move the teacher to cover the other half the following semester.”

Emily Feinberg-Hofier, the part time music teacher hired directly by ETM picks up the remaining 400 or so students working three days a week.

Typically, ETM links up with schools that don’t have music programs, with the aim of jump starting one by hiring and paying the teachers themselves. It also provides the school with a curriculum the organization claims meets national standards.

In speaking about PS 8, Tim Lemberger, ETM’s communications and marketing director, said, “This school is unique in a sense since they already have a music program. Most of the schools we work with don’t have any music programs. We hire and provide the teacher salary, a music curriculum and teacher development.”

ETM partners with schools with the aim of developing a sustainable long term music program with the school according to the organization’s mission posted on their website. Teachers hired through ETM remain on the organization’s payroll for a couple of years with the aim of integrating them into the school’s system and philosophy. “The goal is that these teachers then get hired by the school through the New York City Department of Education after developing a well-rounded music program,” said Lemberger explaining the goal of the partnership.