BROOKLYN — The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BCM) is one of nine arts education organizations in the country that were awarded technical assistance and grants totaling more than $90,000 by the MetLife Foundation Creative Aging Program, funded by MetLife Foundation and administered by the National Guild for Community Arts Education. 
 

Research shows that professionally led arts education programs can have extremely positive effects on the general and mental health of older adults.
 

BCM Executive Director Karen Geer said, “As a member of the National Guild, we are pleased to receive this grant that benefits our community. It will enable us to expand our free senior choral program for older adults at Prospect Hill Senior Services Center and at the Park Slope Seniors Center.” 
 

The conservatory will increase the number and length of sessions offered, create additional performance opportunities, and conduct two recording sessions at a professional studio which will culminate in the production of a CD of the Prospect Hill Senior Choir.
 

“MetLife Foundation is committed to making quality arts programs accessible to people of all ages,” stated Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. “As we embark on our fourth year of supporting and expanding the Creative Aging Program, we are pleased with its success and positive impact on the lives of older Americans.”

“Through the MetLife Foundation Creative Aging Program, we will continue to enhance our members’ capacity to develop, evaluate and sustain successful creative aging programs, and share what they learn with the field,” said Jonathan Herman, executive director of the National Guild.
 

The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is a thriving community center where music is open to everyone. There are classes, ensembles, and individual lessons for students from 18 months to adults. Students learn the basics, and more, of jazz, rock and classical music. The school is located in a five-story Victorian Gothic mansion in Park Slope, and its student body reflects the cultural diversity that is the essence of New York. Its faculty members hold advanced degrees from first-rate conservatories and universities and lead engaging master classes and educational workshops.