About ChiME

We provide an exceptional music education to a diverse community as a path for social, emotional, and character development.
Since 1981, the Suzuki-Orff School of Music has helped thousands of children lead more effective lives through music education. In 2013 we began a process to assess our role within the community and our ability to meet the needs of the community. As a result of this process we developed plans to begin expanding our programming in order to improve our ability to provide meaningful and impactful programs to our community.  In order to provide greater program diversity, we felt as though we needed a broader umbrella under which to operate, an umbrella where people will look to find a diversified menu of music programs for all ages.  Thus, in July 2014 the Suzuki-Orff School of Music began doing business as the Chicago Center for Music Education.

Statistics

  • We serve nearly 2500 children every year.
  • 50% of the children we serve come from low income families
  • 30% of the children we serve in Chicago Public Schools have special needs
  • Through contributions we provide nearly $100,000 of funded programming to public and private pre-school and elementary schools each year
  • Through contributions we provide approximately $40,000 of funded programming to students in our instrumental program each year.
  • Through our in-schools music and academic integrated programming we provide over 5000 books to children each year.
  • We need to raise approximately $325,000 each year.

Milestones

1981 The Suzuki-Orff School of Music was established by founder Peggy Wise, teaching 15 diverse families in the shadows of Cabrini-Green.
1983 Suzuki-Orff began providing programs to a number of Chicago Public School partners.
1985 The school was selected by the National Guild of Community Schools for the Arts as a model program.
1986 Our Project IMAGE® curriculum, integrating music and academics, we developed and implemented into our in-schools program.
1996 Our Clap, Sing and READ!®, curriculum, Suzuki-Orff's signature literacy through music curriculum, was launched in our in-schools program.
2000 Music LEAPS!®, Suzuki-Orff's in-schools curriculum for pre-kindergarten students, was developed and implemented in our in-schools program.
2008 Suzuki-Orff was chosen by Northwestern University School of Communications Auditory Neuroscience Department as sole collaborator in ground-breaking research study investigating the impact of early childhood music education on academic learning skills into adulthood.
2011 The Suzuki-Orff School of Music celebrated 30 years of success.
2012 Suzuki-Orff developed Aplaude, Canta y LEE®, a Spanish version of Clap, Sing and READ!®, through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
2014 Suzuki-Orff School of Music changed its name to Chicago Center for Music Education.