Read on to learn about Powers Music School’s new Mission, Vision, and Strategic Plan!
Powers offers caring, talented teachers, lessons in many instruments, a variety of ensembles and recitals, and a “built-in” community to help you reach your goals. And these are all important.
But for our 60th anniversary, we wanted to go further.
in a Spring 2023 survey, we asked our students and community – what do you value most? What do you want to accomplish? What do you love about Powers? What can we do better?
Here’s what we learned.
What’s most important to you is:
– enjoying and expressing yourself through music
– developing work ethic, critical thinking and risk-taking skills
– and ultimately, building self-esteem
Your goals are:
– to experience and appreciate different types of music,
– to become competent at playing, and
– to enjoy music with others
In short…You come to Powers to pursue your goal, work hard, feel supported, and enjoy the journey.
We also learned the two things that set Powers apart:
1. Flexible, customized learning
You want to learn the concepts and skills you’ll need to join your school band, compose a song, prepare for a conservatory audition, or play alongside your son or granddaughter. But you’re also looking for the resilience and personal skills to push past mistakes, to communicate well with others, to challenge yourself, and to feel truly valued. Our faculty brings the best of those together to craft a path that’s custom-made for you.
You also love the diverse range of offerings that Powers is always dreaming up! Lessons are the foundation of learning, but it doesn’t – and shouldn’t – stop there. Our staff and faculty work together to identify and create whatever would help you reach your goals. This might mean a recital with multiple studios, a group class to work on improvisation, or a week-long summer immersion of your instrument.
2. A collaborative culture that values every person
We believe that every person is different, and every person has worth.
This means that the way we each learn is unique. That all of our perspectives and opinions count. And that when we solve problems and make improvements, we do it together.
As we move forward, we’re striving to make Powers a place where including and valuing each person – students, parents, faculty, board members, volunteers, donors, and more – is not just what we want, it’s the norm.
The Path Forward
With all these things in mind, we crafted a new Mission and Vision to guide Powers through the foreseeable future:
Mission
We inspire and empower people of all ages to strive for excellence in their unique musical goals. We do this through the expert, personalized instruction of caring, supportive teachers, ensembles and performances that push us to take risks, and shared experiences that open our minds to what’s possible when we lift each other up.
Vision
Our vision is for every person to realize their self-worth through their own personal journey towards excellence. We aim to create a safe, encouraging space to freely express ourselves, develop resiliency, and cheer each other on.
Values
At Powers, we aim high, stay the course, and are there for each other.
We believe in…
Pushing ourselves to grow
Accepting and facing challenges
Empathy and open-mindedness
Kind encouragement for others
In January 2024, we’ll be sharing our new Strategic Plan. Our 2023 committee (made up of Powers Board, staff, faculty, parents, and students) took your thoughts and feedback and helped identify the “next steps” for our organization. The plan will help you continue to strive for excellence, will help us to support you as best we can, and will take steps to make the Powers community one where every person matters.
Until then, let’s aim high, work hard, and be there for each other this season.
Send Us Your Story!
You (the students and people who make up the Powers family) are the most important part of this organization. We’d love to put the mic down now and hear more from YOU, highlighting your goals, progress, and joyful moments in music.
- What do our new Mission, Vision, and Values mean to you?
- What personal music goals do you have? How are you working towards them?
- What risks are you excited to take this year?
- How is music helping you feel valued or connected with others this year?
We’ll feature some of your stories on the Powers website, emails, social media pages, and in our buildings, but if you’d rather keep it private, that’s fine too!