Bernie Williams Joins Young At Arts To Celebrate Fifteen Years Of Arts Education

Young at Arts, Westchester's most impactful performing arts educational organization that connects children from all backgrounds through music, will host its annual gala, From Centerfield to Centerstage - Young at Arts Salutes the Artistry of Bernie Williams, Friday, March 27, 2020. Celebrating 15 years of championing inclusion, diversity and community through arts education, the evening will feature performances by celebrated Yankee center fielder and Grammy nominee Bernie Williams alongside students of Young at Arts.

 

The evening will salute the artistry of Williams and serve as a benefit to actualize the greater mission of the program and continue to provide need-based scholarships to students throughout Westchester and The Bronx. With missions so closely aligned, Williams is a staunch crusader for arts education, working to revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S public schools. Last August, Bernie joined 40 of Young at Arts' teen students in his hometown of Puerto Rico to play in a benefit concert to raise money for local villages devastated by Hurricane Maria. The students, who spent the previous week installing water purification systems and solar panels in the Quinta Tranquila Mountains, performed standards alongside Williams ranging from jazz, pop and Broadway, as well as a touching rendition of William's own arrangement of Take Me Out to the Ball Game, which will have its encore performance next month at this celebratory event.

 

 

Additionally, the evening will also announce the inaugural Bernie Williams Scholarship to be awarded to a deserving student that represents an unwavering dedication to their own arts education and community. A recent generous donation to Young at Arts made by Williams has initiated this new scholarship and is primed for impact the lives of many more students in the years to follow.

 

 

"It has truly taken a village to build Young at Arts over the last fifteen years," explains Sharyn Pirtle, the organizations founder and Artistic Director. "I moved to New York with a dream to bring children from all backgrounds, cultures and means together under the same roof to share in the power of the arts, and the more than 800 students that pass through our doors every year is proof that what we are doing is leaving a lasting mark on the community," she continues. "To have an incredible artist and advocate like Bernie Williams not only resonate with our mission, but to give his time and leadership to our students both on stage and off is the best way I could have ever imagined to celebrate this milestone birthday."

 

"Music has been such a transformative part of me since I picked up my first guitar at 8 years old, accounts Williams. "It connected me to my family, to my culture and played a role in my life that has influenced so much of who I am," he continues. "I am thrilled to align with an organization like Young at Arts that is so clearly committed to arts education, and I looking forward to performing once again with their incredibly talented students on stage at this important event."

 

Young at Arts serves students aged 7-18 county-wide and from The Bronx, with nearly thirty-five percent of the program on need-based scholarships. With classes offered in Musical Theater, Vocal Performance, Instrumental Studies, Rock Band and Dance, the program is funded primarily through private donations, grants and tuition.

 

Tickets are available at www.youngatarts.org