Husband and wife team Liza Austria and Richard Miller established UpBeat NYC in 2009. Initially, the staff included just four instructors: Richard, Liza, her mother Chris and younger brother John. As the volunteer staff grew, so did the program, yet UpBeat retained its original family feel. UpBeat now operates year-round in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx, six days per week with an enrollment of 175 students and 15 staff teaching artists.
In fact, it was family experiences and concerns that led to the genesis of UpBeat. As a New York City public school teacher, Liza’s mother was frustrated by the rise of testing and decline of arts education. Liza’s older brother and juvenile justice activist, Ruben, spoke passionately about the lack of positive alternatives for NYC’s at-risk youth. He shared stories of children as young as eleven being incarcerated, isolated and left with no discernible path toward a normal life. Above all was the influence of Liza's father, Jaime Austria, one of New York City's finest bass players. His brilliant and tenacious advocacy for music education for all NYC children inspired and sustained the family's resolve to take action.
From UpBeat’s very first days in Mott Haven—when children discovered the program by walking in from the street and signing up for a piano lesson, or by tagging along with a friend or family member to get a chance to try a violin—UpBeat has embraced the community’s children with open arms. Through the years, the program has become known among local families as a trusted place where their children can safely study and explore music.
As more and more children became consistent participants, we were able to form ensembles that began performing in the neighborhood and around the city. UpBeat's multiple string and wind ensembles including the full UpBeat NYC Youth Orchestra and our Afro-Latin Jazz Band, rehearse twice-weekly throughout the year and perform regularly in the Bronx and throughout NYC. Students have been accepted into NYC-area high school music programs, including Laguardia High School for the Arts, and Celia Cruz Bronx High School for the Arts. Several have also gone on to pursue music in college and beyond.
UpBeat’s Youth Orchestra made history in the summer of 2015 when it became the first U.S. El Sistema-inspired orchestra to travel to Venezuela to study and perform with instructors and students of El Sistema. For one full week our orchestra students studied at the National Center for Social Action Through Music in Caracas and performed in a massive bi-national orchestra of 200 children under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel. Most of our instructors and many parents came along as well. It was an absolutely amazing experience that inspired our participants to reach beyond all expectations and has galvanized our teachers' and parents' vision of social action through music.