Each year, BNI groups choose a local nonprofit to support, and this year's beneficiary is Beat 4 Beat, our group's nonprofit member!

Mission

Beat 4 Beat’s mission is to develop confidence and community for underserved youth in Central Texas through after-school music education. Taught by local musicians, our curriculum is inspired by students’ interests, providing opportunities for expression and empowerment.

Beat 4 Beat is an Austin-based nonprofit that offers after-school music classes to underserved students in low-income schools. We provide local musicians with a well-paying side job, mentoring and teaching classes in music, production, and songwriting. In the past year students have shown a strong interest in podcasts, so we created a curriculum for producing a podcast (with music, of course!).

Beat 4 Beat has been a constant in Austin ISD, Del Valle ISD, and other after-school programs for the past decade. Our teachers and staff have built relationships with students and their families, and we look forward to returning to our regulars each year.

Though school districts are usually able to pay for program fees through federal grants, many can no longer afford the same after-school programs, as budgets have changed following the pandemic. We wish to fully fund our program, so that we never need to charge program fees again.

Our programs offer a unique opportunity for students to build confidence. Our classes create a safe space for creative self-expression, an outlet that has massive mental and emotional health benefits. This program has even been shown to reduce rates of recidivism in students by more than 90%.

It is heartbreaking to imagine a year without any of our precious students making music with our teachers and performing their new creations at the end-of-year showcase concert.

Beat 4 Beat’s after-school class costs approximately $5,000 per school year, and we typically serve about 40-50 classes across 20 school campuses each year. In addition to Austin-area school districts, we serve educational and community centers, such as the Jewish Community Center, YMCA locations, and groups of homeschool students.

We are reaching out to the community to help fund a portion of the 2022-2023 school year, as several districts have contracted for fewer programs due to budget cuts. With the generosity of our community, we can continue positively impacting the lives of our most underserved student populations and their families.

For $5,000 per class, Beat 4 Beat can provide its programming as normal for the 2022-2023 school year. Music has a profound effect on our students, and the impact we can collectively make on the next generation is immeasurable because there is no limit to the positive. Please, consider joining us in our mission, and give these kids a “voice” they never even knew they had.