In the summer of 1997, as a jazz vocalist with a strong background in dance, Gabriele Tranchina was searching for a way to share her knowledge with the next generation. At the suggestion of a close friend, she attended a training program to become a Music Together® Teacher.
Upon completion of the training, Ms. Tranchina was approved for a license to open a Mus
ic Together® center in Morningside Heights on 114 St and Broadway. The first class consisted of 7 families. From that point on, the number of families steadily increased.
In 1999, the Children’s Play Club of Morningside Gardens, approached Gabriele with the prospect of offering Saturday classes at their recreation room. Together with the MG Play Club group, Sol La Ti’s Music Together has been able to offer classes to t
he MG residents on Saturdays at a discounted price.
To find out more on how Sol La Ti got started and lived through 9/11 and more: HERE.
Sol La Ti’s Music Together in Harlem
As many families from the Harlem community wanted locations closer to their home
, a third location was started in the Spring of 2003 at the Harlem School of the Arts. Judith Insell, a Harlem parent, musician and educator made possible this wonderful connection.
In 2015 a wonderful location was added at the Church of the Master and in the Fall of 2018 La Hermosa will be our furthest east location.
Sol La Ti’s Music Together Outreach in Harlem
Over the years Sol La Ti was able to partner with various organizations to bring our program to underserved communities. Our most recent partner is MNPP Harlem. We are reaching out to partner organizations in the Harlem community in order to help the families in Harlem of lower income receive the Music Together curriculum. If you know of any organization interested, please contact us.
Sol La Ti’s Music Together in Preschools
In 2014 Budding Blossoms Daycare signed up for the Music 
Together curriculum in their Daycare center. It has been a great joy to see the children of this Harlem Preschool blossom in the care of our teacher Mia Neibert DeJesus.
In 2016 we were also very fortunate to bring our preschool model to a Headstart program in the Bronx called Sheltering Arms.
Our Goal
As one of the medium size centers in Manhattan, the emphasis of these locations is a very personal one. In addition to teaching Music Together, CYBC, RhythmKids and Musikalische Mäuse, our staff is interested in tightening the community bond, helping to create a feeling of a cozy neighborhood within the Big Apple. Many play dates and friendships start in class, and parents and caregivers feel welcome in a comfortable and relaxed setting.
Sol La Ti completed its 25th year in the Fall of 2019. A business that survived 9/11, several recessions and the pandemic. Ms. Tranchina is especially proud, so many of her “old students” stay in touch and pay her visits. Many are actively envolved in music. Parents have also stayed in touch by sending cards on the holidays and attending Gabriele’s performances as a jazz singer.
We are proud to say that the families who join our classes successfully understand the value of “active” participation in class. Their joyful contributions enable us to hold great classes. This wonderful class experience, accompanied by the reinforcement of the songs at home, results in the children finding joy in music, dance and music making. This joy can follow them for a lifetime. We hope to help our next generation to become active music makers, more aware of the quality of music and its diversity.
