MUSIC IN BLOOM

MUSICAL EMPOWERMENT RAISES $13,000 AND CELEBRATES ITS 23RD YEAR

[CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Sept. 21, 2025] — Musical Empowerment—a national nonprofit organization that provides free, one-on-one music lessons and mentorship to underserved children—raised nearly $13,000 through its inaugural fundraising evening, “Music in Bloom,” on September 6, 2025.

Musical Empowerment pairs college student volunteers with K-12 students who would otherwise lack access to music education. Each collegiate mentor teaches their mentee music, and the organization provides instruments to mentees at no cost.

At “Music in Bloom,” Musical Empowerment celebrated 23 years of service since its founding in 2002, as well as the mentees and mentors who embody the organization’s mission:

• Luca Zepeda, a pianist and mentee with the North Carolina State University chapter, received the Meredith Richard Scholarship. The scholarship awards an outstanding mentee with one year of professional music lessons, building upon their mentor’s instruction.
• Myra Han, a pianist and violinist who leads Duke’s Musical Empowerment chapter, received the Moseley Music Award. The award honors an exceptional mentor who is dedicated to Musical Empowerment’s mission and passionate about giving back to their community.

“Taking this opportunity to not only share experiences directly from our families, but to recognize Luca and Myra for their hard work, was so special. It makes me so proud of both of them and the incredible work we are doing every day,” said Katie Battle, the executive director of Musical Empowerment.

“Music in Bloom” took place at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, less than a mile away from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where Musical Empowerment was established.

Lynne Chen, a vocalist and alumna of the UNC-Chapel Hill chapter, sits on Musical Empowerment’s Board of Directors. Chen lauded the event as a milestone marking the organization’s past and future achievements.

“After 23 years of pairing college mentors with students in our community, Musical Empowerment has reached almost 2,500 K-12 students who benefited from over 42,000 hours of music lessons and mentorship,” said Chen. “Seeing families, mentors, and supporters come together to celebrate 23 years of impact was inspiring, and it makes me excited for the next chapter of the organization’s journey.”

Accompanied by live music from local post-folk trio The River Otters, “Music in Bloom” brought the Musical Empowerment community together for a night of food, stories and fellowship.

“This evening was a testament to Musical Empowerment’s deep roots in our community,” Battle said. “It was amazing to have the community come out and show support for our cause and students—we can’t thank everyone enough for making our first ‘Music in Bloom’ a huge success.”

To learn more about Musical Empowerment, visit its website, https://musical-empowerment.org/, and watch the promotional video, https://bit.ly/musicinbloom25video. If you have an inquiry, please email Executive Director Katie Battle at katie@musical-empowerment.org.

About Musical Empowerment

Musical Empowerment is a nonprofit organization that provides free, one-on-one music lessons and mentorship to underserved children through partnerships with university student volunteers. Since its founding in 2002 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the program has expanded to multiple chapters across the nation and continues to foster access, equity and joy through music.

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Contact Information:

Musical Empowerment

Katie Battle, Executive Director

(919) 306-3449

katie@musical-empowerment.org