Our Story & Mission

I started Rising with Melodies after a family trip to Peru in September 2025. During our visit, we spent time at an orphanage in Trujillo, where I met many incredibly talented and resilient children who had no access to structured music education. As a pianist myself, music has always been one of the most meaningful parts of my life — and seeing those children inspired me to find a way to share that opportunity with them.

What began as a small idea quickly grew into a permanent music school in Trujillo, Peru. Today, Rising with Melodies serves 12 permanent students — including students with disabilities on the autism spectrum — through weekly music instruction and mentorship. Our goal is not only to teach music, but also to provide a safe, inclusive, and encouraging environment where every child can build confidence, discipline, and hope for the future. In August 2026, we proudly launched our virtual ESL program, now serving 8 students in Trujillo as well.

I am currently a high school student, and balancing school, piano, and the nonprofit has definitely been a learning experience — but it has also been incredibly rewarding. A significant portion of my piano teaching and performance work here in the United States goes directly toward supporting the school's operations, instruments, and teacher stipends in Peru.

On August 27, 2026, Rising with Melodies launched its first program beyond music: free, live online English classes for children in Trujillo, Peru. Eight students enrolled in the very first session — proof that the same idea that built our music school in Trujillo could open doors in a new subject, too.

The classes are taught entirely by bilingual youth volunteers based in the Atlanta, Georgia area — high school and college students who plan their own lessons, run live video classrooms, and take real responsibility for a student's progress from thousands of miles away. Maya Joshi, a member of our Youth Advisory Board, serves as one of our ESL Online Educators, meeting with her students in Trujillo over video call each week.

Each student is paired one-on-one with an instructor and logs into a secure student portal to join class, connecting for at least 45 minutes a week for a full semester — the same platform that already supports our music students in Trujillo, now opening its doors to English instruction as well. It's youth leadership in action: young people in Georgia stepping up to teach, and young people in Peru stepping up to learn.