INSPIRATION THROUGH MUSIC

AT CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES

REGISTER FOR FALL 2026

The Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (CAL), in partnership with Cleveland Public Library, is proud to offer free afterschool guitar and percussion classes for youth in grades 3–8 through our Inspiration Through Music program.

Now in Year 3 of this partnership, the program brings beginner to intermediate guitar instruction directly into Cleveland Public Library branches, creating accessible opportunities for youth to explore music, build skills, and express creativity.

Registration is required.

About INSPIRATION THROUGH MUSIC

AT CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

PROGRAM DETAILS:

  • Cost: Free & instruments are provided.

  • Eligibility: Youth in grades 3-8

lessons offered in:

  • Guitar (Mondays)

  • Percussion (Wednesdays)

CLASS LOCATIONS & times:

  • Mt. Pleasant Branch (Mondays)- Cleveland Public Library (14000 Kinsman Rd, Cleveland, OH 44120)

    • Instrument: Guitar

    • Class Dates: August 17-December 18

      • No Class: September 7

    • Class Time: 4:00-5:00 PM

  • Woodland Branch (Wednesdays) - Cleveland Public Library (5906 Woodland Ave, Cleveland, OH 44104)

    • Instrument: Percussion

    • Class Dates: August 17-December 18

      • No Class: November 11

    • Class Time: 4:00-5:00 PM

WHAT YOUTH WILL GAIN:

  • Foundational skills in guitar and percussion

  • Music reading and rhythm fundamentals

  • Collaboration and listening skills through group instruction

  • Opportunities to build confidence and express creativity through music

For any questions about the program, please reach out to Julia Zaborszki, Community Programs Coordinator, via julia@arts-inspiredlearning.orgor 216-561-5005 x21.

FALL 2026

REGISTER HERE

Program Supported By

Meet the Teaching artistS

A young woman with short brown hair, smiling and holding a violin, stands outdoors on a grassy area with fallen leaves, in front of a grand, classical-style building with columns.

Jamie Berland

Guitar

MALIK BURKS

Percussion

  • Jamie Berland is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and artist of many mediums. As a classically trained violinist from the age of three, she has grown over the years to explore jazz, contemporary, punk and experimental genres which lead her to pursue a degree in violin performance from Berklee College of Music.


    Jamie often performs her original music both as a solo act and along with ensembles all around the country. Having played alongside Styx, Kenny Loggins, Melissa Etheridge and others, Jamie is well versed in the rock genre of strings as well. As a passionate improviser, Jamie is especially respected within the jazz community both in Boston and in Cleveland. As both an artist and a teacher, Jamie feels it is her mission to embrace the authenticity and raw beauty that exists within this sort of explorative creative process of music making. Jamie has been a teaching artist with the Center for Arts Inspired Learning since summer of 2024 and has thoroughly enjoyed sharing her passion for music with the students of ITM. Teaching both violin and guitar across three of ITM’s program sites, she has supplemented several young artists on their creative journeys, aiming to help them to reach the magic and their full potential as musicians.

  • Malik G. Burks grew up playing drums in church, and he also joined the percussion section in 5th grade at Shaker Heights Schools. Malik continued playing percussion all the way through 12th grade graduation, and in that time he and his classmates were gifted an opportunity of a lifetime to play overseas in Istanbul, Turkey and its surrounding cities. Thereafter, he proceeded to complete the Traditional Theory course at Tri-C. Malik taught music at Rainey Institute from 2014-2020, and now he is currently teaching with Arts Reaching Kids Inc. Malik found a passion for helping others learn various percussion instruments whilst teaching music theory as well!

Teaching Artist Bios