When Adriana Sanchez was eight years old, her family unexpectedly received a piano as a gift from a generous neighbor. Seeing this beautiful instrument motivated her to learn how to play. After six years of receiving music lessons, thanks to Creative Kids support, the piano top is now full of Adriana’s trophies and medals from music competitions.

Adriana’s mom, Sirely says that, having access to music lessons has given her child the opportunity to find talents and passions that she wouldn’t have found otherwise — an opportunity that every kid deserves.Her youngest daughter also receives support for music lessons.

“Creative Kids is an amazing program, especially for families with low incomes. We want to give our kids the chance to learn and explore. Sometimes we want to give them more, but unfortunately, we can’t,” Sirely says. “Having access to this program — it’s been a blessing for Adriana, because through this she has actually developed so many skills.”

Adriana started by taking piano classes, which led her to many gold trophies for her talent. But af ter a few years, her love for music transformed into a new passion for playing the clarinet. And, the clarinet became her instrument of choice.

“Everyone deserves the experience to be able to explore and grow,” Adriana says, of being able to learn more than one musical instrument. “It’s important for everyone to have these opportunities, because you never know how it’s going to end up, and that is truly amazing.”

If you had told her only a year ago, she says, she wouldn’t have believed how much she would come to love the clarinet and the community she has found thanks to it.

“Everyone deserves the experience to be able to explore and grow. It’s important for everyone to have these opportunities, because you never know how it’s going to end up, and that is truly amazing.”  – Adrianna Sanchez

“I knew everyone there, so I wasn’t as nervous,” she says, remembering her experience winning first place at her first clarinet competition, considered the Rose Bowl in a local music festival. “Because I was competing with my friends, I knew that I was going to be happy either way.”

Aside from nurturing her talent for music, Adriana says her years of taking music lessons have also given her a space to connect with the people around her. She now dreams of growing up to play in an orchestra.

“It would be a very cool experience, to get to learn all those songs and play with other people,” she says.

Sirley is grateful for how the support from Creative Kids has allowed her kids to grow and explore their fullest potential. Even though classes can be expensive for a single-income family, she says that giving her daughters the chance to explore music has always been important to her because of the long-term benefits it brings to their lives.

“It’s not just about learning how to play. They are learning dedication, time management, and commitment,” Sirely says. “As a mother, we always want our kids to grow, be successful, and have all the tools they need. If we hadn’t had this chance, Adriana wouldn’t know now how much she can do — how far she can reach.

Read more impact stories from the Progress Report