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…
Originally posted on The College of New Jersey’s website By Luke Sacks The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) music education major Cesar Gonzalez has been named a 2022 Presser Scholar and was presented with the award during the TCNJ Wind Ensemble concert on Saturday, April 30. He was nominated for the award by the…
The Presser Foundation thanks Rosemary Hoitt of Ithaca College for writing this letter to us last fall. By Rosemary Hoitt, 2020-2021 Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award Recipient I write this letter as a form of gratitude for the Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award I am receiving. I know that this gift will help myself as well…
By Abby Rolland, Grants & Communications Manager It comes as no surprise that arts and cultural institutions have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these organizations rely heavily on ticket purchases and other earned income revenue streams to fund their programs and operations. With the total loss of all in-person audiences at the…
By Abby Rolland, Grants & Communications Manager To understand The Presser Foundation now, it’s important to understand the Foundation’s history, including the life and mindset of its founder, Theodore Presser. It all starts in 1848, with an individual born in Pittsburgh whose passion for music would grow throughout his life and become his life’s work.…