Building Expansion Project
Harmony Capital Campaign
In Pursuit
of a new kind of education
The Kanack School of Musical Artistry is more than just a wonderful music school. Through Creative Ability Development (CAD), a visionary educational method annually drawing teachers from all over the world, the Kanack School is a leader in the field of creative artistic education. On a local level, the Kanack School is committed to “nurturing musical brilliance while bringing out every child’s unique voice.” At the same time, it continues its mission of guiding the direction of the CAD movement worldwide.
Our expansion project is nearing the finish line of our largest fundraising campaign ever. You can support our expansion project by helping us jump over the finish line, cementing an innovative legacy of forward-thinking education.
Where we started
The Harmony Capital Campaign began with a desire to create a “forever home” at the Kanack School: a place capable of sustaining itself and bringing our unique educational opportunities to as many people as possible.
Our building expansion is a sign that our programs are creating the lasting change we want to see. We are pursuing a new kind of education which explores:
The character traits of genius
Creativity at advanced levels
The creative process across music, art, dance, theater, storytelling, literature, and so on
A cure for “phone culture”
A society a step ahead of artificial intelligence (AI)
What it looks like
The design of our “forever home” includes the addition of a multi-use performance hall, a green room, multiple teaching studios, a lobby, an office, adequate parking, and all-accessible facilities. It will also include reconfiguration, enlargement and soundproofing of existing spaces within the school.
The capital improvement project will:
• Make the school all-accessible, allowing the development and implementation of programs for challenged individuals from all walks of life.
• Allow the school to open a multi-genre CAD-based pre-school to develop programs for use around the country in general education and beyond.
• Allow the school to be self-sustaining, potentially more than doubling current income from music lessons, and creating the space necessary to house our programs in appropriate settings.
• Allow the school to provide more scholarships and to further develop outreach programs. The school currently offers financial assistance to all who request it and recently presented a CAD multi-genre pre-school program in 5 Rochester City School District pre-schools thanks to a generous grant from the William G. McGowan Foundation.
• Create space for community performing groups, lectures, masterclasses, dances, and more. Even small events quickly overwhelms our current space with eager family and friends.
How Can I Help?
We are at the finish line of a major capital campaign!
Supporters of the Kanack School are helping to build an innovative legacy in forward-thinking education.
We are expanding our current building to create our “forever home” here in Rochester, New York. The expansion will more than double the size of the school building, opening doors to multiple facets of development in brand new programming such as:
Enhanced CAD programs for art, dance, theater, and literature
Programs for individuals with physical and emotional challenges
A CAD-based preschool, exploring general education through the creative process
The Performance Hall
The beautiful architectural design of the expansion also includes a large, state-of-the-art, multi-use performance hall with a cozy fireplace at one end and an all-accessible stage at the other. Open seating will allow for art exhibits, dance productions, collaborative programming, and many more local community possibilities.
How you can help
The entire shell of the building has been built and we are in need of final financing to finish the project. To date, we have raised over $1.5 million of the $1.8 million we need. Naming rights are still available at this time.
More than just another music school…
The whole picture
Zoomed In: the local view
In addition to providing an excellent musical education, celebrating each student’s unique voice, the Kanack School also collaborates through outreach, and has previously served pre-schools in the Rochester City School District, created community programs for senior citizens, and done classes for local programs like ROCmusic, Strings for Success, and Garth Fagan Dance.
The Big Picture: CAD International
The Kanack School is the epicenter of CAD International, a connected non-profit organization represented by teachers in over 15 countries, many of whom journey to Rochester every year to train in the CAD Method.
The Vision
Students trained with CAD are accomplished individuals whose creative facility helps them stand out. Over the years, several graduates of CAD have won Grammys in folk music, classical performance, and original composition. Beyond music, CAD graduates have gone on to creative careers in multiple fields, including engineering, medicine, scientific research, visual arts, and more.
CAD music and book publications, available since 1995, are an ever-expanding library of materials, available through Creative Ability Development Press and Alfred Publishing, providing a resource for students here at home and throughout the world.
