Shelter Music Boston

MusiciansUnited States2-10 Employees

Shelter Music Boston (SMB) is a local nonprofit serving men, women, and children who are homeless and struggling throughout greater Boston. Founded in 2010, SMB contracts professional musicians to present classical chamber music concerts of the highest artistic standards in homeless shelters and other sheltering environments. Our goal is to promote community, creative interaction, respect, and therapeutic benefit.  We believe all people deserve access to the dignity, creativity, and passion of classical music whether or not they have a home. 

Current research documents the positive effects of music on physical and mental health and supports its use as a complementary tool in social service delivery. For a homeless or recovering individual, an interactive, respectful concert delivering the therapeutic power of classical music can provide hope, a sense of self-worth, and renewed energy to address the challenges of homelessness and recovery.

After our concerts, shelter guests say they feel better physically, see improvements in sleep and anxiety, and gain a sense of hope and empowerment. Shelter Music Boston currently provides 80-90 concerts each year in a total of 8 locations that are dedicated to serving individuals who are homeless or in recovery throughout Greater Boston.

"The music was water for my soul when it was thirsty." 
B., Pine Street Inn-Shattuck Shelter Guest

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