This music education nonprofit wants its musicians to teach your students

“Around the Corner” is a PhillyCAM show that offers local social impact leaders the opportunity to share what impact their work is having on the Philadelphia area. 

Joyce Drayton has a rather heart-warming story of the origin of the Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music, the music education nonprofit she founded on Allegheny Avenue 17 years ago.

The organization’s namesake is her mother, Georgia E. Gregory, who was known as “The Pied Piper of Nicetown” because she gathered the neighborhood’s children to sing in her congregation’s choir. Drayton has been singing with that church for 59 years and now serves as ministry of music.

Upon retiring, she and her husband, Stan, decided to pass on that gift of music to children in her North Philadelphia community by opening GEGISOM, where about 2,000 youth have taken lessons regardless of their financial means.

“I want to help our young people to be able to tell their story through the music,” Drayton said.

Sweet, right? (Maybe it’s just her soothing voice.)

Soon, GEGISOM’s musicians will be available to instruct at other local organizations — Boys & Girls Clubs, schools, senior citizen facilities or any other arts organizations that might not have a music component.

“This is something new for us,” she said. “We’re trying to make sure we embrace our community through the arts.”

PhillyCAM is Comcast channel 66/966 HD/967 and Verizon FIOS channel 29/30 in Philadelphia.