thomas madeja

Thomas Madeja is an experienced musician, teacher, and advocate for social change. He began his career in 2006 in Philadelphia where he was soon in high demand as a trumpet player. But it was teaching in Philly’s diverse communities that cultivated his passion and strengthened his belief that young people everywhere deserve access to the transformative power of music.

Tom relocated to Chicago in 2010 where he joined the faculty of The People’s Music School. In 2013, he founded The Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project (ChiMOP) to expand access to quality arts programming to some of the city’s under-represented communities. ChiMOP provides several program initiatives in the form of multifaceted community youth orchestra projects throughout the city’s west side. 

 Tom is also on faculty of TheChicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) andDePaul University’s Community Music Division. He maintains a busy trumpet playing schedule performing with local and international Latin music artists, regional theaters, and his own jazz trio and brass ensemble.

Sylvia Carlson

Sylvia Carlson received a Bachelor of Music Degree from Northwestern University in trumpet performance where she studied with Vincent Cichowicz and Charles Geyer and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Arizona. She has performed with the Tulsa Philharmonic, the Southbend Symphony, the Elgin Philharmonic, and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and is currently a member of the Northshore Concert Band. Recently Ms. Carlson has turned her focus towards music education, teaching trumpet and directing bands and orchestras in Chicago. She was a founding member of the People’s Music School’s YOURS Project at Hibbard Elementary School as well as founding director of the YOURS Project in Logan Square and most recently was director of the YOURS Project at Hibbard Elementary School in Albany Park. She has continued the work of music for social change as Administrative Director of the Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project from 2013-2016. Ms. Carlson got her start in music with group piano lessons in a Tulsa Public Elementary School. She went on to participate in concert band, jazz band, orchestra, and music theory and history classes, all in Tulsa Public Schools. She believes strongly that students in public schools today should have the same level of access to music education that people of her generation did.