Leadership gift from the Kylie and Louis R. Cappelli Foundation Announced
The New Rochelle Public Library Foundation is kicking off an exciting new initiative which could be a game-changer for local musicians of all ages: The creation of sound-proof music practice rooms, a new community resource that removes cost and space barriers to music education and creative expression.
NRPLF co-presidents Stephanie Tomei and Rod Rolett announced a leadership gift from the Kylie and Louis R. Cappelli Foundation that will fast track the project, with the Music Studios expected to be available late next fall.
“On behalf of the Kylie and Louis Cappelli Foundation, we are proud to support the New Rochelle Public Library’s music studio initiative,” says Louis Capppelli. “Every child deserves the opportunity to explore their creativity, discover their voice, and build confidence through the arts. This is about investing in young people — because they are our future — and giving them the tools, inspiration, and opportunity to dream bigger and achieve more.”
The Cappelli Music Studios will expand access to music practice space by bringing soundproof, glass enclosed, purpose-built practice rooms to the Library’s main branch. Each room will be acoustically isolated, climate-controlled, and electrically equipped to support individual or small-group practice, voice work, and private lessons. Practice rooms will be outfitted with instruments and essential equipment and made available for booking through the Library’s already-in-place booking platform, providing the quiet, uninterrupted space essential for meaningful music learning.
The Cappelli Music Studios will be a part of the Library’s popular Bliss Music Center, located on the NRPL’s third floor. A Foundation-supported initiative, the Center includes listening stations, CD collections and the largest public collection of musical scores in Westchester County. By adding practice rooms that also serve as recording/listening stations, and expanding access to instruments, the Music Studios will remove one of the most significant barriers to music learning: free access to dedicated, soundproof space.
Thanks to the Kylie and Louis R. Cappelli Foundation’s leadership gift, the NRPLF is well on the way to achieving its goal of raising $165,000. “We are looking for other supporters who will help make the Music Studios a reality,” says Lynn Green, NRPLF Vice President. “Donors can underwrite a practice studio, sponsor an instrument set or make a donation in any amount,” Gifts of $1,000 and more will be recognized on a special plaque in the Bliss Music Center. For more information, contact Nina Robertson, Executive Director at nrobertson@nrplfoundation.org.