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As we kick off the school year, I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support Keys 2 Success has received. In September, we took a significant step forward by extending our reach to two additional locations in Newark, thus expanding students’ access to our programs. Opening these new sites required new pianos and more staff, which we were able to provide because of you. Your commitment is the cornerstone of our success, and I am genuinely thankful. As you read this newsletter, I hope you share my excitement when witnessing all the goodness happening in and around Newark!
Jee-Hoon Krska, Executive Director
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Performance at the Historic Krueger-Scott Mansion
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David Ogunderu, Wander Richardson, Yemisi Enilolobo, Darasimi Ajayi performing at the mansion
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On September 22nd, Keys 2 Success showcased its first performance of the season at the newly restored Krueger-Scott Mansion in Newark, New Jersey. The mansion's extensive renovations, with a price tag of approximately 10 million dollars, breathed new life into this historical gem, unveiling over a century's worth of rich heritage. The DaSilva team, a Real Estate office operating within the mansion, invited Keys to use this remarkable space for a performance. Enjoy the photos and video of Keys' experience at the mansion!
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Food catered by local Newarkers operating in the Newark Makerhood part of the mansion renovation
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In the opening remarks, Brendan DaSilva, lead of the DaSilva team, provided a captivating historical background of the mansion. Built in 1888 by Gottfried Krueger, the mansion was later purchased by Newark’s first female African-American millionaire Madame Louise Scott in 1958. Scott earned her fortune as an entrepreneur in the beauty industry and proved to have a philanthropic spirit through her contributions to Newark and its citizens. “She used this home as an empowering center; a launching center where she would teach other Black women how to sell products and how to build a brand,” Brandon says. “What Jee-Hoon does I believe is very aligned with what Louise Scott did. At the heart of the mansion is providing hope and pragmatic equipping of opportunities for development, self-worth, and all of these amazing intangibles. And that’s what we’re here today to do, we’re here to see a piece of that."
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Maddie, Charles, and Bryce Micthell performing
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The guests were treated to beautiful performances that afternoon, beginning with fifteen year-old Urban Fellow Darasimi Ajayi who enthusiastically and skillfully played Turkish Bazaar by Mark Mrozinski. Following this, the Mitchell siblings—Bryce, Charles, and Madison—took the stage, delivering an enchanting performance of their own. The young artists gave inspirational vocal performances of the uplifting anthem “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo from the movie Harriet.
“I saw people crying after the Mitchell’s performed! I’m so glad that more people are now able to see the talent and passion that these kids have inside of them,” says Seraphina Taylor, beloved teacher at Keys.
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The grand finale featured Urban Fellows, students, and staff collectively playing and singing “How Far I’ll Go” from the movie Moana. The heartfelt performance garnered passionate applause and left the audience wanting more. Bearing witness to the performance were community partners, board members, and key supporters. We were lucky enough to have Lynne Toye, Executive Director of the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund, give remarks to those in attendance.
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Supporters, Board Members, and Community Partners enraptured by our speakers and performers
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During the closing remarks, the audience was fortunate to hear a deeply personal narrative from Jee-Hoon Krska, the Executive Director and Founder of Keys 2 Success. She shared the profound impact her childhood piano teacher, Ms. Fuschi, had on her life, shedding light on the transformative and inspirational nature of their relationship. Krska recounted, “When my mom died, I felt lost. I don’t remember much from my childhood because of all the trauma but I do remember that day, it was a Saturday, I was sitting in Juilliard, and the security guard came to look for me and my sister to tell us that our mom had gone into a coma and that we had to go say goodbye to her quickly. Ms. Fuschi knew that she had to take us under her wing because we had lost our mom. That summer we were hired as her assistant directors. She had a summer camp she ran for 6 weeks. All day, she kept us with her. Sound familiar? That’s what we’re doing here at Keys 2 Success! We have 6 weeks of camp, we stay together, we’re family.”
Phil Bingham, Vice President of the Barry Harris Institute of Jazz and Board Member at Keys 2 Success, summed it up perfectly, “Keys 2 Success is not just producing musicians, it is producing great citizens through music.”
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Lynne Toye (above left) and Phil Bingham (above right)
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Pictured above is the mansion's main entrance and atrium, as well as the skylight fully restored to its full former glory. All inhabited by legendary Newark entrepreneur Louise Scott.
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First Month of Classes in Photos
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The Rock Christian Fellowship in the East Ward (top) continues to be the main site for training Urban Fellows in piano as well as digital technology. In addition, we are continuing with our focus on academics at the Pennington Court Center of Hope (bottom), helping with both homework and piano.
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Our teaching staff this fall is the strongest it’s ever been. Rex Parry finally graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and joined us as a full-time teaching artist and digital media lead. Urban Fellow Seraphina Taylor is taking a gap year and joining our staff as a full-time teaching artist and media assistant. Anita Horton has also joined our team as an events coordinator and part-time teaching artist. Patricio Apaez and Elizabeth Krska hold up the online team, which meets twice a week to help students practice online.
Thanks to our Piano Bus program and community partners, this fall, Keys 2 Success added two new teaching locations. The first is St. Andrews in the South Ward. This is a new door opened by our community partner, Patricia Cobb Latham, of the Garden of Life. The second is Newark’s English 7th Day Adventist church in the West Ward. This is a new site introduced to us by our community partner and Board Member, Marcia Heard of ACCA Creates. This is a direct result of our Piano Bus program, which allows Keys to expose communities to piano lessons in free outdoor spaces in the summer. As interest is generated through the garden programs, community partners help us to find spaces to teach in. Thanks to these two new sites, over 60 students, especially the youngest ones, no longer have to miss in-person lessons due to travel barriers.
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Class at Seventh Day Adventist Church (left) and St. Andrews Church (right)
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Our Urban Fellows from Newark travel out to New Providence each Friday for additional training and college prep. Last week, our very first intern, Kenna Srivastava, who is now a student at Rutgers University, organized an event for our students to speak directly with students in Rutgers to talk about how to prepare for college as a non-citizen.
All this is not only increasing the number of students we teach in Newark, but we are also building sustainability of our organizing, deepening relationships with our communities, and building up the next generation!
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Want to learn more about the Urban Fellows program? Watch this video!
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FY2023 Income Profile
July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023
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Thank You for the Pianos!
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Luana Cook Scott (pictured above) first learned about Keys 2 Success last Spring at a benefit concert hosted by her friend Mark Miller, who is the music director of Christ Church Summit. Inspired, Luana immediately went to work to help us. She organized a concert at the church where she is the Senior Pastor, the Morristown United Methodist Church. At the concert, she not just collected monetary donations but also keyboards for Keys 2 Success! When we went to pick up the keyboards from the church this month, we were blown away by the generosity of the church! The keyboards were each lovingly wrapped up, cleaned up, tested, and given to us. Each represents a person who gave away a little piece of their heart filled with love. Thanks to these nine keyboards, we were able to start a new site fully equipped! If you ever come in to volunteer, you will see how much these keyboards mean to us. Thank you, Luana and the Morristown United Methodist Church, for your loving generosity!
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