A cardboard cutout of the Supremes stands inside the lobby of I.S. 235 — the Academy for New Americans — in Astoria, Queens. The walls are adorned with inspirational quotes from Rosa Parks, President Barack Obama and Harriet Tubman. A sign outside the guidance counselor’s office reads, “Always remember to ask… how is this good for children?”
For some, the instruction has also been a respite from the trauma and uncertainty that many of the newcomers know so well. The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s Executive Director Chad Cooper, who was on hand for the concert, said music training's benefits can be profound for children who have fled their homelands.
“One student wrote that they saw a young child that was asthmatic and he collapsed because there is no medical help,” Suarez said. “I think it definitely helps them to connect with something that they're familiar with, in a different place,” Grasso said. “It’s our music.” Seventh grader Sarah Khalil said the class was initially challenging — especially learning how to move her hand across the guitar's frets. But now she says it’s fun.She and her twin sister, Dina, who is also in the guitar class, are originally from Yemen but spent five years living in Egypt, where she said there was no music education.