WILMINGTON — The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra and DREAMS Center for Arts Education announced a new collaboration Tuesday with Keys for Kids, a charitable program founded by North Carolina native and musician Ben Folds.
The partnership, which includes the North Carolina Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Foundation, is designed to expand music education access for students across the Cape Fear region.
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Through the initiative, students will follow a structured pathway starting with foundational afterschool instruction at the DREAMS Center. Once they reach an intermediate level in their musical journey, participants will transition into WSO programming, which offers expanded performance opportunities and the chance to join the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestras Chamber Ensembles.
“This WSYO-DREAMS collaboration aligns with our charitable mission to bring music education to young people who otherwise would not have that opportunity,” Folds said in a release. “Speaking from first-hand experience, my middle school field trips to museums and the symphony, as well as having a chance to perform in the youth orchestra, greatly influenced my own creative journey to becoming a music artist.”
The collaboration marks a continuation of Folds’ local philanthropic efforts, including his October 2024 “From Wilmington, With Love” benefit concert at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater which raised about $100,000 for disaster relief following Hurricane Helene.
To further immerse students in the arts, the program provides free tickets to all WSO and WSYO concerts for enrolled participants and their families. WSO Executive Director Liz Scanlon said the partnership represents a shared commitment to making music education inclusive and inspiring for students’ personal and musical growth.
The Keys for Kids initiative will be supported by a benefit performance on May 30, 2026, at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, where a portion of the ticket sales from Folds’ solo piano tour will go toward the Keys for Kids program. Tickets for the show can be found here.
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