Profiles In Business Excellence: Diversified Information Technologies

     Musically ‘Diversified’

      One day at work, Charmaine Grant heard music coming from the lobby of Diversified Information Technologies, in Scranton.
      Curious, she walked over to check it out and saw children of all ages crowding around the piano, each taking his or her turn learning their favorite songs.
Grant thought about her son, Phoenix Sixto, who at the time was almost five years old and already showed an innate sense of rhythm for music and dance. She enrolled him in piano lessons, but soon after, had to take him out because the cost became too much.
      “I was just passing by and I saw the children playing,” she said. “And I just thought, how could I get him here?”
      Grant learned that the children playing music were part of the Inner City Music Program, conceived by Diversified and managed by the United Neighborhood Center (UNC), in Scranton. The program gives more than 50 inner-city children from economically-disadvantaged families the opportunity to learn how to play the piano and violin at no cost.
      The Inner City Music Program began in October 2006, when Clifford Melberger, the owner of Diversified, began looking for a way to give back to the community. Since Diversified has many clients from New York City, Melberger decided to utilize a piece of the city law, which states that buildings of a certain size must dedicate a portion of their lobby to art or a public service.
      Because Melberger already had a grand piano in the lobby, he decided to start a program that would teach inner-city children how to play the piano and the violin. Diversified provides all funding for the program, and then the UNC chooses eligible children- those from the inner city who meet low-income criteria.
      According to Gary Boam, a former Diversified employee in charge of the program’s setup, it fills a gap in music education, since many classical music programs in area public schools have been cut for financial reasons.
      “ Some parents can afford to send their children to music lessons and buy their instruments, but a lot of parents can’t,” he said. “These children wouldn’t have the opportunity to have these lessons without this program.”
      Lynne Neishman has been bringing her 12-year-old daughter Peyton to the Inner City Music Program for two years. Neishman applauds Piano Instructor Don Thompson and Violin Instructor Jane Cook for acting as positive role models, as well as for introducing their children to classical music.
      “This program is really wonderful. A lot of these students wouldn’t have this opportunity,” she said. “A lot of them are from single parent households, like myself, who wouldn’t be able to afford piano lessons.”
      Peyton plays the piano once a week at Diversified and practices throughout the week at her local church, because she does not have a piano at home.
Since she began her lessons, Peyton has learned to read the notes as well as play songs by memory.
      “I like Amazing Grace. I play a lot of different songs, but Amazing Grace is my favorite because I can play it at church,” she said.
According to Kathleen McLaughlin, the director of marketing at Diversified, the children learn much more than the technical skills of music. She agrees with Neisman and emphasizes that one of the most important aspects of this program is providing children with adult mentors they can emulate.
      “They’re learning a lot here—they’re learning to read sheet music and to practice, practice, practice,” she said. “That’s what our instructors stress, and they teach the students that there is nothing they can’t do if they put in the work to achieve it.”
      Not only do they learn to read music and play songs, but they also are exposed to professional musicians who personally teach them their craft.
      Previously, Lawrence Loh, the music director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and Erica Kiesewetter, the concertmaster, taught the students how to conduct and count time.
      Grant, who enrolled her seven-year-old son Phoenix in the program nearly three years ago, believes introducing children to the professional music world can help them broaden their horizons as they get older. McLaughlin already describes Phoenix as “well on his way to becoming a child protégé,” and Grant hopes her son will stick with music.
      “It’s a great program. It keeps the children occupied and gives them a taste of what they may want to do in their lives, even if they only want to take on music as a hobby,” she said.
      For students who don’t want to make music their career, the program gives them a sense of confidence in what they can accomplish. During the annual recitals, Boam recalls the sense of pride that permeates the room, from both the children and their families.
      “Some are well above and beyond where they were even expected to be,” he said. “But even for those who haven’t progressed that far, the smiles on their faces show it’s the opportunity to play music in the first place that really matters.”