Our Vision
Founded in 2004, GreenSpring’s Sound Experiences program has grown to serve more than 800 underserved youth annually in some of Metro Richmond's most impoverished areas with tuition-free, multi-day, year-round music instruction. Over the years we have collaborated in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs, Richmond Public Schools, and Charles City County Public Schools, and more.
Sound Experiences is a social justice outreach program similar in philosophy to Venezuela's El Sistema, a visionary global movement that transforms the lives of children through music and represents a new model for social change.
Sound Experiences is not only about musical instruction but is also about mentorship and community service. Through interactions with proficient and mature GreenSpring American Youth Harp Ensemble members, students establish meaningful relationships with peer role models. For the youth served, the program provides a stable, long term influence teaching discipline, fostering self expression, nurturing creativity, and instilling the value of hard work; tools to help them thrive and succeed in higher education and throughout life.
Long-Standing Partners
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond celebrates over 20 of Sound Experiences
Twenty years ago, our director and founder, Lynnelle Ediger, visited a Boys & Girls Club and conceived the idea for Sound Experiences, a tuition-free music education program designed for students who may have limited access to private lessons or instruments due to financial constraints. Here we are — 20 years later — and the program is still going strong! Thousands of students have had the opportunity to develop their musical talents through Sound Experiences.
We are deeply grateful for the incredible faculty and student mentors who are dedicated to the success of this program, as well as the Boys & Girls Clubs for our long-standing partnership. Over the years GreenSpring has collaborated with the Petersburg, Southside, Northside, and Teen-Center Boys & Girls Clubs. Sound Experiences is just one of GreenSpring's outreach programs, but it exemplifies how each of us can address a community need and inspire others to join the cause! Through immersive programming, GreenSpring's Sound Experiences program directly addresses poverty barriers for Richmond youth by providing otherwise unattainable arts opportunities and life-changing experiences.
GreenSpring's Sound Experiences program serves multiple Boys & Girls Clubs with multi-day-a-week, tuition-free music instruction. Students have access to study and play the harp, drums, guitar, piano, and saxophone, as well as music theory and songwriting. Sound Experiences offers multiple performance opportunities to showcase their musical talents for their peers, family, and community audiences. We are so proud of these young musicians and all they have accomplished and are proud of their bright future ahead!
Updated March 2026
New Partnership
GreenSpring Successfully Pilots New Sound Experiences Partnership with ShineForth
In the fall of 2025, we successfully launched a new pilot partnership with ShineForth (formerly United Methodist Family Services, or UMFS) on its Richmond Campus, the main headquarters base for its foster care, residential treatment program, and day school for specialized education. For students ages 10-18 enrolled in ShineForth’s Charterhouse School's residential treatment program, the music lessons will serve as an alternative therapy modality to support mental, physical, and behavioral health. These students face challenging situations, including involvement in the foster care system, family trauma, and special education needs. The pilot program launched in the fall of 2025, offering small-group and private lessons to 9 students, and was a resounding success. We have expanded the program to serve more students, beginning in January 2026.
From the Classroom to the Big Stage
After beginning our new Sound Experiences initiative at UMFS in August 2025, ShineForth Leadership requested the students perform at their 120th Anniversary Gala on October 9, 2025. They would be announcing their rebrand to “ShineForth.” Prior to this, none of the students had studied, played, or even seen a harp before. They had less than two months to prepare a feature performance for 250 gala attendees. Trey Nunnally, harp faculty, taught instrument basics alongside beginner-friendly harp ensemble repertoire, which required great focus and retention from these young students. The students practiced each week, rehearsing their repertoire and discussing performance etiquette. The week before the gala, the instructor knew they were ready. The night of the performance, they were nervous. The students had a backstage pep talk in whichback-stage pep talk where they told themselves, “Feeling nervous is the same as feeling excited.” The student’s energy shifted to one of excitement. The students gave a flawless performance! They performed three pieces during a 10-minute set on the stage of the Jefferson Hotel’s Grand Ballroom for a room of 250 gala attendees. Afterwards, they received a thunderous applause from an enthusiastic audience to high acclaim.
Our Supporters
We are extremely grateful for our donors and supporters, whose generous gifts make GreenSpring's Sound Experiences programming possible. We could not do it without you, thank you!
If you are interested in supporting GreenSpring Foundations Community Outreach Programs, we ask that you please consider sharing a gift that will directly impact our outreach students. If you would like to learn more or get involved as a GreenSpring Volunteer, please contact us by email at academy@greenspringmusic.org or by phone at (804) 353 - 7001.