Francesca Laguardia is the Chair of UpBeat NYC. She is a Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University and worked as Director of Research at the Center on Law and Security at NYU School of Law. Francesca has studied music throughout her life, performing with the New York City Opera Children's Chorus as a child and continuing to study voice through her college years. She began as a music theory major at the University of Chicago before switching to a major in Law, Letters, and Society.
Tracy Blount serves as the director of the Children's Program at St. Mark's Church in the Bowery, and also works as a program manager for other ministries offered by the church. After receiving a certificate for Community Leadership as a member of the inaugural class of The CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, Tracy has continued a personal brand of mentoring young men in the greater NYC area, providing long-term outreach to brothers in the Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn. An NYC native, the music heard in the Harlem, South Bronx, Lower Village neighborhoods of Tracy's childhood combined with the influence of Tracy's classical pianist, singer and stage performer mentor have cemented music as an irreplaceable part of Tracy's life. Tracy's daughter started her musical journey at UPBEAT NYC where she still studies violin. As a martial arts instructor, Tracy has used the arts to focus on providing a healthy outlet for negative emotion for youth in the South Bronx and Harlem, as well as therapy for neural diverse individuals. With a deep love of music, a strong sense of duty to the youth and an insatiable hunger for community and artistic expression, it has been an immense honor for Tracy serving on the board of a school that has chosen to impact the world by creating a safe space for children to be infused with the love of music and the spirit of community.
Rita moved to New York in 1990. After learning about UpBeat, she started learning violin alongside her daughter as they made classes accessible for adults. She felt it always seemed like an amazing program helping kids stay off the streets, as music is like learning another craft you can’t find anywhere else. Learning to read music, the discipline, socialization and getting along with others are some of the important values she saw in this program and in learning music.
When Rita met Liza and Rich, UpBeat was at another church that had structural damage. Rita took it upon herself to help them find a better place and reached out to another church to help them find a better space, and later on at St. Jerome’s church. She would tell them it was a free music program for youth that was inspired from a Venezuelan program for local communities and expressed how difficult it was to find free space and avoid high rent. After some time at St. Jerome’s, they got connected with Tercera Iglesia, which had music programs already, so they empathized and supported by providing space for UpBeat.
Rita continues to stop by UpBeat every now and then, and even though her and her daughter did not pursue music, they will take what they learned with them for the rest of their future.
Liza Austria was born and raised in New York City and co-founded UpBeat NYC, with her husband, in 2009. She grew up in a household filled with music as both her parents were musicians. Liza studied piano from age 4-20 and as a young adult, performed regularly in and around New York City as a modern dancer and Jazz/Brazilian vocalist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in “Dance, Community and Social Change” from the Gallatin School at New York University.
As director of UpBeat NYC, Liza has worn many hats- from piano teacher to grant writer, family choir director to parent coordinator - all with the belief in the power of music to build community. During her tenure as Co-Director, UpBeat NYC has grown from serving a dozen students once per week to a program operating 6 days per week providing year round instrumental classes to hundreds of South Bronx children, with multiple string and wind ensembles, a youth orchestra and an Afro Latin Jazz band. Liza lives in the South Bronx with her husband and their 2 daughters.
As a young musician growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, Richard fell in love with the music of Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. He began learning to play the saxophone in his middle school’s band program where he developed lasting friendships and musical skills that opened his heart to an exciting world of art and expression. He went on to study jazz music at the University of New Orleans with Ellis Marsalis and then William Paterson University where he completed his degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance.
Richard moved to NYC after graduation where he worked as a performer, composer and public school music teacher in Brooklyn. This teaching experience galvanized his belief in the crucial role music education can play in all children's lives.
In the Spring of 2009, Richard founded UpBeat NYC with his wife, Liza Austria, where he serves in various capacities including Co-Executive Director, Saxophone Instructor and Ensemble Leader. Through his work at UpBeat, Richard is grateful to have the opportunity to share his love of music with the next generation of young musical explorers. Above all, he appreciates the nurturing and supportive spirit that the UpBeat community exudes and instills in its young musicians.