Listening to Brandon Butler perform Bach’s “Suite No. 1 in G Major”, you would never know the 10th grader has only been playing the cello for 18 months. 
“Sometimes students pick their instrument,” said Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts orchestra director Steve Smith. “And sometimes the instrument picks the student.” From his performance it is clear - Brandon could not hide from the cello.
Brandon’s talent flourished through his involvement in the Musical Bridges Program, a pilot project supported by PREP-KC, between the Kansas City Middle School of the Arts (KCMSA), Paseo Academy of Fine & Performing Arts and the UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy. The Musical Bridges Program was created to increase the number of urban students successfully completing college music degrees by offering seven students from KCMSA and Paseo Academy weekly, private instruction from UMKC professors during the 07-08 school year. The program culminated in a student/instructor recital on May 8, 2008.
“We are thrilled with the outcome of this pilot program,” said Academy Director Dr. Mara Gibson. “For students to perform individually in a recital is an incredible accomplishment.”
Why a musical bridge program? KCMSA and Paseo students exude musical passion and potential. As part of the pure arts focus at KCMSA and Paseo, they participate in numerous musical ensembles. But acceptance into college music programs almost always depends on individual nurturing through one- on-one lessons.
“These students are bursting with talent and potential,” said Cheryl Melfi, assistant director of the Community Academy and clarinet instructor. “But you can’t get into collegiate music programs on potential. That chance becomes available through private instruction.”
Private musical instruction, however, comes at a prohibitively high cost, which creates a barrier for urban students to earn acceptance into college music programs. A school year’s worth of weekly private instruction through UMKC’s Community Academy typically costs a family over $2200.00.
PREP-KC saw the strategic opportunity in fostering a partnership between the UMKC Conservatory and Paseo that has grown into a deep partnership between two vital arts organizations in KC. PREP-KC, along with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and the Francis Family Foundation, provided funding to bridge the financial gap for Kansas City’s musically gifted urban students. This financial support was the final piece that made the Musical Bridges Program a reality.
"This is just the kind of strategic investment PREP-KC seeks out," said Dr. Kathleen Boyle Dalen, PREP-KC vice president. "It's a great example of how high caliber organizations can join together, within the Achievement First framework, to better prepare Kansas City's urban youth for college.”

The program is already making an impact on the rates of post-secondary musical study with these student musicians. After gaining acceptance at every music school to which he applied, Paseo senior Michael Turbo chose to attend the Baker University this fall as a violin major. He said his instruction through the Musical Bridges Program helped him to improve his technical skill on the violin, but also to relax and enjoy the music. “I didn’t realize how tense I was when I played until my teacher pointed it out,” said Turnbo.
The Musical Bridges Program is an expansion of PREP-KC’s ongoing relationships with Paseo and UMKC to improve educational outcomes for students in Kansas City’s urban school districts. PREP-KC supports Paseo’s implementation of the Achievement First reform framework and its return to a pure arts focus.
"PREP-KC has been a critical partner to us in refocusing on the arts,” said Paseo principal Dr. Juanita Hempstead. “The depth and speed of our progress in strengthening and supporting the arts would not have been possible without our PREP-KC partnership."
PREP-KC also works with UMKC on several shared strategic priorities, including the launch of Southwest Early College Campus, a new math/science focused small school in the KCMSD and the Urban Teacher/Leader MA degree designed to help retain and develop well prepared urban teachers and principals.
About PREP-KC
Guided by the belief that the quality of education for Kansas City’s urban youth impacts the quality of life throughout our region, PREP-KC works with the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools and the Kansas City, Missouri School District to develop, leverage and deploy resources to improve outcomes for all of Kansas City’s youth. PREP-KC’s goal is to increase college-going and access to high-quality employment for the over 47,000, mostly low-income students served by these two Kansas City districts.