Lewis Prize for Music Announces Inaugural Music Education Grants

“The Lewis Prize for Music, a recently established philanthropic program dedicated to increasing access to music education, has announced inaugural grants totaling $2 million.

Established by philanthropist Daniel R. Lewis, whose father co-founded Northeast Ohio-based Progressive Insurance, the program invests in musical leaders working to build community, foster engaged citizens, and support the growth of young people through musical learning, performance, and creative opportunities. Over the next five years, the organization plans to award at least $15 million in grants.

Inaugural grants announced by the program include multiyear Accelerator Awards of $500,000 each to Sebastian Ruth and Community MusicWorks in Providence, Rhode Island, to foster more egalitarian and inclusive musical practices by rethinking the Euro-centric norms of classical music; Ian Mouser and My Voice Music in Portland, Oregon, which works to heal young people in lockdown facilities through songwriting, recording, and performance; and Brandon Steppe and the David's Harp Foundation in San Diego, California, in support of the Beats Behind the Wall program, which helps incarcerated men and women develop job skills in demand by the music industry.”