“Regardless of their roots as refugees and immigrants, I want them to realize that they are an important fabric of America.”
Buffalo String Works’ mission is to ignite personal and community leadership through accessible, youth-centered music education.
We not only provide rigorous music instruction, but also a creative home for refugee, immigrant, and historically marginalized youth. We recognize the significance of music as a universal language, and by lifting up the voices of our students and parents, we cultivate youth to be leaders and agents of social change.
Our vision: Neighborhoods United by Empowered Young Musicians
2023-2024 ANNUAL REPORT
2023-24 was an impactful year for Buffalo String Works! We reached important achievements and milestones, strengthened our mission, and expanded our reach. Check out our Annual Report HERE.
BSW 10 Year Anniversary Video
Join us for a retrospective journey into the evolution of our organization. This video chronicles our founding story, as shared by all of our founders, and traces our growth through the years, highlighting the milestones and achievements achieved along the way. It serves as a heartfelt tribute to the immense dedication and hard work that has shaped Buffalo String Works into what it is today. We extend our deepest gratitude to our families, staff, faculty, students, donors, and supporters around the world. Thank you for being part of our journey; let's celebrate together
Reflections on Resilience
"Reflections on Resilience" was the theme of Carnegie Hall's PlayUSA 2021-22 year. For this project, we invited Damon Banks and Gwen Laster to come to Buffalo String Works to host a 4-day workshop for Teaching Artists and students on composition and improvisation. We also interviewed our Student Leaders on topics such as resilience, home, and change. We shared this project at the annual PlayUSA Convening at Carnegie Hall in June 2022. We hope you enjoy! Watch the video directly from YouTube here.
2022-24 STRATEGIC PLAN
Buffalo String Works is now approaching our tenth year, and we are proud to present our 2022-2024 Strategic Plan. This plan outlines our new mission and vision, guiding principles, and goals that will guide BSW towards developing programming focused on accessible music education. View it here, or watch our video on our four focus areas featuring members of the BSW community!