By Julia (Maurer) Gregory Toward the end of the Spring 2022 semester at Arcadia University, The Presser Foundation staff graciously extended an internship offer to me for the role of the Special Projects Intern for this summer. My time here has provided me with rewarding experiences like creating an archive from scratch. As I…
By Joseph Richards This is the 2nd post in a 2-part series about The Presser Home for Retired Music Teachers. Read Part 1 here. Love in the Home At times, the Presser Home celebrated more than camaraderie and an appreciation for music; it celebrated love as well. At times, married couples who were…
By Joseph Richards Designed by Henry E. Baton, The Presser Home for Retired Teachers was built in 1914, next to Theodore Presser’s personal home. The two properties were then altered, into the three story, H-shaped building seen in many photographs. That building still stands today. Casa di Riposo per Musicisti Inspiration in Creating a Home…
Pictured, from top left clockwise: Terell Stafford, Lei X. Ouyang, Marietta Simpson, Eric Owens, Nicole Robinson By Abby Rolland At its annual Board of Trustees meeting in June, The Presser Foundation was pleased to welcome five new committee members to its ranks. These individuals, who will each serve on one committee, will share their…
By Abby Rolland On May 25, 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, George Floyd was murdered by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While this was not the first (nor unfortunately, the last) brutal murder of an unarmed BIPOC man or woman, it began a national reckoning with systemic racial injustices that have…
By Abby Rolland The Presser Foundation is pleased to welcome two interns this summer – Julia Gregory and Joseph Richards. Julia and Joseph are both local undergraduate students who will be assisting the Foundation as we begin to prepare for the 100th anniversary of founder Theodore Presser’s passing (1925). Julia Gregory Julia is a rising…
By Abby Rolland Two plus years later, and the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be ebbing into an endemic. No doubt has the pandemic been devastating to nonprofits in many ways; yet there are many lessons that funders can learn. The Presser Foundation adapted its own practices and requirements during the pandemic and continues to assess…
By Abby Rolland Before he created the Presser Publishing Company and published The Etude Music Magazine, Theodore Presser studied and taught music at various colleges, universities, and conservatories in the United States and Germany. When he left teaching to start The Etude in 1883, music teachers became an important part of his success, as they…
By Abby Rolland Always learning. Open to change. Adapting to current realities. The three phrases above illustrate The Presser Foundation’s commitment to what I call “being a good partner.” We know that private foundations yield power over traditional nonprofits simply because of the reality of their perpetual endowments. With that idea in mind, how can…
By Abby Rolland Through a moving and impactful performance by Temple University students, the piece “Weather” stays in one’s mind long after the final note is played. Composed by Dr. Rollo Dilworth, Vice Dean at Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University and board member at The Presser Foundation, “Weather” is based on…