January 2026 Newsletter: Jumpstarting the New Year and Strengthening Higher Ed Partnerships | | From left to right, Holy Cross case study consultants Catherine Cox '29, Cara Cloghessy '27, and Janna Hindawi '28 with Dr. Melissa Martiros, Maggie Frederick and Mia Belvigia '23 of the J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World | | |
Welcome to the January 2026 edition of our monthly newsletter!
Each month, our newsletter takes a moment to step back and share key updates from across our work - major programs, community partnerships, company news, and how it all ties into our mission.
As we kick-off 2026, we are grateful to be working with the College of the Holy Cross. We are excited to share our participation in the 2026 Non-Profit Careers Conference and in a community-based learning course at the college. These partnerships with Holy Cross build upon our goal of connecting higher ed institutions with our community-based music programming.
In addition, our CEO & Founder/Director of Higher Ed Partnerships, Melissa Martiros, sat down with Marc Recor for the third episode of our new podcast, inTUNE: Stories of Connection through Music. Marc was an OpporTUNEity student inside the jail and is now continuing his musical journey.
We are also giving a preview of our spring 2026 courses held in the Worcester County House of Correction and at our after-school program at Joy of Music Program. It's been a busy start to the year, and we're excited to share what spring 2026 holds for OpporTUNEity...
| | New Holy Cross Partnerships | | |
2026 Non-Profit Careers Conference
In mid-January, we participated in the 2026 Non-Profit Careers Conference (NPCC) at the College of the Holy Cross. During the week-long conference, Holy Cross students attended informational sessions and workshops and collaborated with nonprofits, like OpporTUNEity, on case studies pertinent to each organization. The week culminated in student presentations, where each group shared their recommendations.
This year, OpporTUNEity is focused on renewing our mission of connecting the Worcester community and higher education institutions through music education. The NPCC was a perfect way to kick-off this goal of strengthening our collegiate partnerships. Our case study requested solutions for reaching Holy Cross students interested in music education and community-based learning. Following a successful collaboration with Holy Cross 2024-25 Fenwick Scholar Rhiannon Hurst, we are looking for ways to promote our exclusive work study position to music students at Holy Cross. In addition to establishing a recurring work study role at the college, we are interested in strategies for engaging with students on a volunteer basis. Our case study consultants - Catherine Cox '29, Janna Hindawi '28, and Cara Cloghessy '27 - approached our case thoughtfully and proposed strategies for effective, sustainable student recruitment. We are excited to create meaningful experiences for college students through our community-based programming with Worcester youth, students in the county jail, and individuals in recovery or reentry.
We are grateful to have been included as a community partner for the 2026 NPCC and excited to implement the strategies presented by our case study consultants. Thank you to the J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World and the Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning, Teaching, and Engaged Scholarship for your support. We also want to extend a special thank you to OpporTUNEity Board Member Isabelle Jenkins for introducing us to the NPCC.
As we look ahead at the year to come, we are driven to increase our ties to higher ed within Worcester. The 2026 NPCC was the perfect way to start another year of community healing through music!
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Community-Based Learning Course
In addition to the NPCC, we are also participating in a Community-Based Learning (CBL) course at Holy Cross. In “Studying Music in Culture,” taught by Professor Jacqueline Georgis, first-year students will explore the field of ethnography and music. They are pairing their studies with research trips to our youth, jail, or community reentry programming. Students’ research will focus on the therapeutic nature of music and its impact upon our students, Teaching Artists, and community partners.
As with our work study position, this course will further our mission of connecting college students to their community to develop their job readiness, music engagement, civic understanding. We continue to be interested in contributing to scholarship on arts education and recidivism (check out our Substack), and these ethnographic studies from Holy Cross students will be crucial additions to this field of research. We look forward to learning about the conclusions students draw from our music programming and using their research to increase our reach within greater Worcester!
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inTUNE: River of Life: Marc Recor on Incarceration, Music and Transformation
| | In the third episode of inTUNE: Stories of Connection through Music, Dr. Melissa Martiros sits down with Marc Recor, a former student in our Songwriting Fundamentals course at the Worcester County House of Correction. Together, they explore Marc’s connection to music and songwriting and discuss how these creative outlets supported his mental health, emotional processing, and sense of accomplishment. Tune in to hear more of Marc’s story and learn how music helped support him during and after incarceration. | | "Music, it's harmony for me. It just is." | | |
Have any questions for Melissa? Each episode, Melissa will answer questions about music education, inclusion, and more on a segment called “The Pulse.” We want to hear from parents, students, musicians, community leaders, and educators.
Click the button below to submit a question for Melissa to answer on inTUNE!
| | Spring 2026 Courses at the Worcester County House of Correction | | Students and Teaching Artists at our Spring 2025 showcase at the Worcester County House of Correction | | |
This semester we are introducing a new class at the Worcester County House of Correction (WCHoC), entitled From Beats to Anthems: The Art of Toplining in the Music Industry. This course will be led by Teaching Artists Dan DeCristofaro and Harman Kaler. Participants in the Main Jail will have the opportunity to write lyrics and melodies over pre-made beats. These beats have been created by participants in our Beat Making & Production course from previous semesters, giving current students the opportunity to collaborate with past students.
In the Annex, WCHoC's substance abuse treatment facility, we are running our second semester of popMATICS, led by Tony Parlapiano. Throughout the semester, students will learn foundational piano skills through improvisation and storytelling. We love how the popMATICS approach pushes students to express themselves and create music that is entirely their own.
During our Beat Making & Production class, participants in the Annex will create original beats with the support of OpporTUNEity Teaching Artists Harman Kaler and Julian Bosch. Using GarageBand, they will develop beats that reflect feelings and experiences important to them. The tracks created by spring 2026 students will then be used in future iterations of our new From Beats to Anthems course!
| | Spring 2026 Courses at Joy of Music Program | | Lincoln Street School students attending our after school programming at Joy of Music Program in Fall 2025. | | |
We are excited to start the spring semester of our after-school music program with students at Lincoln St. School held at Joy of Music Program. This semester's classes will include Creative Expressions and popMATICS. During Creative Expressions, students will learn about the elements of music through familiar and preferred songs. Throughout the course, they will collaborate to create original songs with the support of instructor Catie Verostick, Board-Certified Music Therapist. This coming semester, students will continue to build their creative skills through songwriting by learning key concepts used in storytelling.
In addition to Creative Expressions, students will participate in the popMATICS program, led by Tony Parlapiano. Students will engage in improv-based activities while using the Campfire method to learn piano skills by ear through simple storytelling. After a successful fall semester, they will continue the popMATICS program this spring, further developing their piano skills and musical confidence.
Robert Gardner, a Holy Cross senior previously involved with OpporTUNEity's youth after-school programming, will also be joining our teaching staff this spring. We are thrilled to be working with Rob again, especially as we collaborate other Holy Cross students conducting research through the CBL course. We will highlight Rob further in our February newsletter!
As with our programming in the jail and with individuals in reentry or recovery, our after-school classes focus on storytelling. At OpporTUNEity, we believe deeply in centering the voices of our students as a way to create beautiful music and foster community healing. We're excited to for another semester of learning with our students from Lincoln St. School!
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Worcester Arts Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
| | Support from the Worcester Arts Council | | |
We are grateful to the Worcester Arts Council (WAC) for their continued support of our music programming. WAC has awarded us a $5,000 grant that will go towards our youth programs in 2026. This funding will help us continue to engage with underserved youth in Worcester through inclusive and transformative music education.
Thank you to the Worcester Arts Council, and the Mass Cultural Council, for recognizing our impact within Worcester County!
| | Join Our Songwriters Circle! | | |
Whether you're an experienced musician or exploring songwriting for the first time, we welcome you to take part in this unique, community-driven experience.
Join us at one of our upcoming weekly sessions:
- Wednesdays 11:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. at Community Compass at Open Sky Community Services
199 Chandler Street, Worcester, MA
- Wednesdays 12:45 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. at the Community Justice Support Center
365 Main Street, Worcester, MA
If you are interested in learning more about our program offerings, please use the sign-up button below or email opportuneitymusic@gmail.com.
We look forward to welcoming you!
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On Friday, we shared some great photos from our after-school youth program held at Joy of Music Program. The photos showcase the learning moments our students experience in our signature Creative Expressions course, led by Catie Verostick MT-BC, and our course with popMATICS, taught by Tony Parlapiano. | | | | |
On Monday, we posted a clip from an original instrumental written by one of our Songwriting Fundamentals students at the Worcester County House of Correction. The student entitled the piece "Promises." The fall 2022 course was taught by Dan Thomas and Paul Boisvert, with help with John. W. Cormier Jr. | | | |
Interested in supporting inclusive and transformative music education in Worcester? Your gift of any size is greatly appreciated by all of us at OpporTUNEity. Click the button below to submit your donation.
Thank you!
| | A Special Thank You to Our Supporters | |
| | We are grateful to have received a $5,000 grant from the Worcester Arts Council (WAC) for the 2026 fiscal year. WAC supports organizations that advance the arts in Worcester, Massachusetts. The WAC grant will support our youth program with Worcester Public Schools, helping us continue to give high quality music education to Lincoln St. School students. Thank you to WAC for supporting our youth programming! | | | |
| | We are thankful to the Kirby Foundation for awarding us two $10,000 grants. These grant support our youth programming and Songwriters Circle program, underscoring the success and promise of the program as it expands. The Kirby Foundation's continued support will allow us to invest in the growth of our Songwriters Circle and music education for underserved communities in Worcester. | | | |
| | We are grateful to have received a $7,500 grant from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. This 2025 Community Grant for Project Support supports our Songwriters Circles at Open Sky Community Compass and the Community Justice Support Center. GWCF is committed to enhancing the greater Worcester community, and we are appreciative to be a part of this mission! | | | | OPPORTUNEITY AND THE OPPORTUNEITY LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF MELISSA S. MARTIROS @ 2025. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | | | | |
