"Starting a school was one of my visions that I really wanted to do early in life, so I wanted to give it a shot."
That shot has now come to pass, thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
The Washington Post reports on the Richardson School of Music, which opened in Takoma Park in 2013 and now offers private lessons and group classes in areas of music including piano, songwriting, strings, guitar, voice, strings, brass, percussion, and woodwinds.
The school has since moved to a larger location, and Richardson plans to spend the grant money to rebuild the inside of an unoccupied property and double its space.
Richardson, who grew up in Washington, DC, says participating in music was a requirement in his family, and he started studying at 13 with Raymond Jackson, a pianist professor at Howard University, whom he credits for his musical growth.
After arriving in DC, he started teaching lessons at a Virginia musical school to make money on the side, which he credits as a catalyst to starting a business plan for his own school of music.
The school received a National Capital Strategic Economic Development Fund Grant that goes toward economic development and community revitalization, according to the Takoma Park grants coordinator.
The property of 7312
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
In the world of social enterprises, failure is a cringe-worthy moment nobody wants to talk about. But, social entrepreneurs can benefit from their failures.