Third Street Music School

- 235 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003

For New York City families seeking an exceptional foundation for their young children, the Third Street Music School, an established institution with a deep-rooted history, offers far more than a typical daycare or academic program. Founded in 1894, Third Street is renowned as the longest-running community music school in the United States. Its mission extends beyond music and dance to encompass a comprehensive, arts-infused Preschool program, providing a unique and nurturing environment right here in the heart of Manhattan.

The Third Street Preschool, which opened in 1976, blends developmentally appropriate, experiential play-based learning with a rich curriculum focusing on music and artistry. This unique integration ensures that children from one to five years of age develop cognitive, social, and emotional skills while being immersed in a vibrant creative community. This approach is distinctively New York, drawing on the city’s cultural richness to inspire young learners. The philosophy centers on creating an environment where each child develops a greater sense of self, a respect for others, and a lifelong passion for both music and learning.

As a non-profit organization, the school is deeply committed to serving the New York community and providing high-quality arts education regardless of a student's background or economic circumstance. The arts-infused curriculum is taught by exceptional, highly-qualified faculty, many of whom hold Master’s degrees in Early Childhood Education. The result is a joyful and nurturing school where children are encouraged to grow as individuals and active members of their classroom community, all within a setting celebrated for its artistry and dedicated teaching staff. This seamless integration of a licensed preschool within a world-class music and dance school offers an unparalleled early education experience for local New Yorkers.

Choosing the Third Street Music School Preschool is an investment in a child’s creative, intellectual, and social potential, right from the very start of their educational journey in New York.

The Third Street Music School is centrally located in the East Village neighborhood of New York City, making it highly convenient for families living in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Gramercy, and surrounding areas. Its permanent home provides a beautiful, historic setting for creative instruction.

• Address: 235 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003, USA

The location on East 11th Street is easily reachable via public transportation and offers on-site services, meaning all the extensive preschool and arts programs are held within the main facility. Accessibility for all members of the community is a key priority for this institution, which traces its roots back to the settlement house movement. To ensure a welcoming environment, the school has implemented key features to support those with physical limitations and to foster an inclusive community:

• Wheelchair accessible entrance, ensuring smooth access for strollers, families, and individuals with mobility challenges.
• The facility and its community are proudly LGBTQ+ friendly and serve as a recognized Transgender safespace, embracing the diversity that defines New York City.
• Amenities include a Gender-neutral restroom, further demonstrating a commitment to inclusion and respect for all students, staff, and families.

As a private, non-profit school, Third Street encourages prospective New York families to contact student services to learn about the registration process, schedule a visit, or inquire about the many financial aid options available, reinforcing their mission of providing arts education regardless of economic circumstance.

The Third Street Music School Preschool and its parent institution offer a rare combination of specialized arts instruction and early childhood education, all under one roof. The services cater to the intellectual, artistic, and developmental needs of young children while also providing options for older siblings and parents.

• Music-Enriched Preschool Program: A licensed, arts-infused program offering care and education for children typically from 1–5 years of age, emphasizing experiential, play-based learning integrated with music-making.
• Early Childhood Arts Classes: All preschoolers attend a dedicated music class and movement class weekly, plus all-school sing-alongs, providing regular, structured exposure to the arts.
• Individual Music Instruction: Provides individual lessons in over 25 instruments and voice for ages three and up (with specific methods like Suzuki recommended for young beginners).
• Ensemble and Band Programs: Offers numerous ensemble experiences, including youth orchestra, youth classes, chamber music program, jazz bands, rock bands, and adult bands, allowing for collaborative music-making across the entire family.
• Dance Classes: Features professional dance training with classes in various styles, including ballet classes, hip hop classes, and tap classes, emphasizing proper body alignment and the integration of music and movement.
• Advanced and Beginner Instruction: Classes are available at all skill levels, from beginner’s classes to intermediate classes and advanced classes, ensuring continuous artistic growth.
• Kindergarten Admission Support: The preschool team is committed to guiding and counseling families through the challenging New York City kindergarten admissions process, offering support for a smooth transition to either private or public schools.
• Community Outreach (Partners Program): Provides music and dance instruction to numerous public schools across the city, extending the school's impact beyond its East 11th Street location.
• Onsite Services: All core programs are delivered directly at the accessible New York City facility.

The Third Street Music School Preschool is distinguished in the competitive New York City educational landscape by a series of powerful features that solidify its reputation as a leading provider of arts-infused early education:

• Music and Arts Integration: The most significant highlight is the complete integration of high-quality music and dance into the daily preschool curriculum. This is not simply an added activity but a core component of the experiential, play-based learning model that fosters creativity and cognitive development.
• Historic Excellence and Faculty: The school is the nation’s longest-running community music school, founded in 1894, attracting exceptional, world-renowned musicians and dancers to its faculty. The preschool teachers specifically hold or are pursuing Master’s degrees in Early Childhood Education, ensuring top-tier instruction.
• Inclusion and Welcoming Community: The institution actively promotes diversity and belonging, exemplified by its designation as an LGBTQ+ friendly and Transgender safespace, alongside the inclusion of a gender-neutral restroom. This commitment creates a collegial and respectful atmosphere for all New York families.
• Performance Opportunities: The entire community benefits from the school's dynamic performance culture, which includes over 250 free-to-the-public concerts, recitals, and events by students, faculty, and guest artists each year. This provides invaluable exposure to the arts and performance confidence for students of all ages.
• Developmentally Appropriate Practice: The preschool adheres to a play-based philosophy, recognizing the importance of differentiation of learning and ensuring that academic concepts (like early literacy and numeracy) are introduced naturally and enthusiastically, supporting a lifelong love of learning.
• Financial Accessibility: As a non-profit, the school offers substantial need-based financial aid, merit-based scholarships, and subsidized rates for classes, ensuring that high-quality arts education is not restricted by a family's economic circumstance.
• Continuity of Artistic Growth: Unlike most preschools, Third Street provides a seamless progression from early childhood classes into advanced youth classes, ensembles, and individual lessons, allowing a child’s artistic journey to continue in the same supportive environment for years.

To connect with the Third Street Music School regarding their preschool program, music and dance classes, or general inquiries, please use the following contact details:

• Address: 235 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003, USA
• Phone: (212) 777-3240
• Mobile Phone: +1 212-777-3240

For New York families, particularly those in Manhattan, choosing the Third Street Music School Preschool is a decision to prioritize creativity, community, and artistic excellence in your child’s formative years. This is not just a preschool; it is an entry point into the nation's most enduring community music school, where the arts are not a fringe benefit but the very core of early childhood development.

What makes it truly worth choosing is the unparalleled fusion of an expertly run, play-based early childhood education program with world-class artistic resources. Your child will benefit from the intellectual discipline that comes with music-making, the physical expression fostered by dance classes, and the cultural nourishment that has been the school’s mission since 1894. The reviews consistently praise the school as a "joyful and nurturing" place "full of music-making, dance and artistry," underscoring the success of this unique model. Furthermore, the commitment to an inclusive, safe environment for all New Yorkers—including the LGBTQ+ community—means families can be confident that their child is learning in a progressive and respectful atmosphere.

The comprehensive support, extending even to providing guidance for kindergarten admissions, shows that the Third Street Music School understands the pressures and priorities of New York City parenting. By enrolling your child, you are not only securing an elite, arts-rich education but you are also aligning with a non-profit institution that champions access and community enrichment across the entire metropolitan area.

Third Street Music School

235 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003, USA