Sway Calloway, the voice behind decades of Hip-Hop journalism, MTV, and SiriusXM’s Sway in the Morning, returned to the stage Thursday night as the emcee of the 2025 Education Through Music (ETM) Gala, “Making Minds Sing.” Held at 583 Park Avenue in New York City, the event gathered an audience from the worlds of real estate, finance, and entertainment with one purpose: to support music education for students in under-resourced schools across the five boroughs.
The evening kicked off with a surprise video from Grammy and Academy Award-winner Common, who welcomed guests and introduced Calloway as a longtime friend and mentee. The energy in the room shifted immediately. Calloway, beloved for his authenticity and unwavering support for young artists, took the mic and led the night with charisma, compassion, and confidence.
From start to finish, it was a celebration of how music transforms lives, not just as entertainment, but as education, expression, and empowerment.
A Spotlight on Champions of Change
This year’s Impact Award was presented to Frank Alvarado, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Enterprise Project Management Operations at CBRE | Turner & Townsend. A leader in both business and community advocacy, Alvarado was recognized for his dedication to expanding access to music education for underserved youth.
In his speech, he reminded the crowd that the stakes go beyond instruments and sheet music. “As a society, we need children with access to music education like Education Through Music. It will create adults who can have a global view, who can acknowledge the contributions of many and collaborate to bring diversity of melodies and ideas. It will create adults with cadence and determination… and if we are lucky, some will also become adults who will inspire us!”
The gala also introduced the first inductees into ETM’s newly established Legacy Circle, a distinction honoring decades of philanthropic leadership. Katherine Elliott, Andrew J. Malik, and Michael Schaefer were acknowledged for their long-term, visionary support of ETM’s mission, which has allowed the organization not just to survive, but to grow year after year, school after school.
Innovation, Inspiration, and the Power of Student Performance
Chris Atlas, founder of Atlas Entertainment and a key connector between Hip-Hop and corporate social good, presented the Music Innovation Award to Keanan Duffty, a musician, designer, and founder of the punk band Slinky Vagabond. Duffty shared how watching ETM students perform reminded him of his own early creative sparks and the critical role mentors and educators played in his journey.
“Over the past month, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the hard work and passion of these young musicians,” he said. “It brought back vivid memories of my formative days. Watching them grow under the guidance of their incredible teachers reminded me why programs like Education Through Music are so essential.”
Throughout the evening, the students proved exactly why the room had gathered. The Dewey Decibels band from PS 72 in the Bronx teamed up with choirs from PS 154 and the Queens School of Inquiry to deliver moving renditions of “For Good” and “Lean on Me.” The grand finale featured ETM’s high-school rock band The Hallows, who left the stage with the kind of energy and confidence that could only come from being given a real shot.
Music as a Lifeline: Why It Matters
Since its founding in 1991, Education Through Music has provided more than 8 million hours of music instruction to NYC students. Every week, nearly 20,000 young people from under-resourced neighborhoods have access to music classes thanks to ETM’s partnerships with public schools — a lifeline in communities where arts funding is often the first to be cut.
ETM CEO Dr. Janice Weinman brought the message home in her closing remarks:
“My words tonight cannot do justice to what I have seen in the classrooms and auditoriums of ETM’s partner schools. Children, 90% of whom live below the poverty line, sing in choruses, perform in orchestras and bands. These are children who exhibit pride, experience joy, and who feel good about themselves and what they are doing.”
Building the Next Generation of Artists, Leaders, and Dreamers
The Education Through Music Gala 2025 about lifting voices. With support from industry leaders, creatives, and the hip-hop community, ETM continues to prove that music education is a necessity.
As Sway Calloway reminded the crowd throughout the night, access to creativity is access to opportunity. When you give a child the tools to express themselves, you don’t just change their world. You help them shape the future.
