U Piano Outreach Program (UPOP)

Welcome to UPOP!

Registration for the 2026-27 school year will be open Aug. 13th.

Escalante, Washington and Backman

Children enrolled at Washington, Escalante and Backman will get registration priority. Registration will open on August 13th. All spots will be open on a first come first serve basis. Registration will close when all spots are taken.

Majestic Elementary

Students will follow the application process as required by Majestic Elementary Arts Academy. After being notified of their acceptance by the Majestic staff, students can submit their registration and waiver forms through the Preparatory Division website.

Whittier Elementary

Students will follow the application process as required by Whittier Elementary. After being notified of their acceptance by the Whittier staff, students can submit their registration and waiver forms through the Preparatory Division website.

Glendale Library

Students must complete the Preparatory Division application process. Registration for private lessons at the Glendale Library is first come, first served and based on instructor availability. Registering places you on a waiting list, and you will be contacted to schedule a lesson if a space becomes available.

Marmalade Library

Students must complete the Preparatory Division application process. Registration for private lessons at the Marmalade Library is first come, first served and based on instructor availability. Registering places you on a waiting list, and you will be contacted to schedule a lesson if a space becomes available.

UPOP classes will begin Sept. 8, 2026

ENROLL TODAY!

1. Fill out the REGISTRATION FORM

2. Please sign the LIABILITY WAIVER

After these two steps have been completed, our team will get in touch with you within 24-48 hours to confirm your enrollment and class time.

News

UPOP on KRCL

Mother-daughter duo, Trang Le and Ashley Black, played on Radioactive as part of the University of Utah's Piano Outreach Program. It's a long-running community partnership bringing free piano education to Title I elementary schools across the Salt Lake Valley.

Two children playing pianos on the Libby Gardner Concert Hall stage

U Piano Monster Concert

UPOP students joined the University of Utah's annual Monster Concert, performing group piano pieces on more than a dozen Steinway pianos. The concert gave students the opportunity to perform in a prestigious venue for a large audience and to share their music with family and friends. At UPOP, we believe strong musicianship grows through both individual performance and playing music together.

West Jordan Journal

UPOP's Annual Parent Day gave families a chance to experience music class together! Parents joined their students for a fun, hands-on lesson where they learned about the skills and musical concepts students have been working on throughout the year. Classes also shared performances of group piano compositions, giving families the opportunity to enjoy music-making together and celebrate all that students have accomplished.

“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning” ― Plato

Program Needs

Give Today

Classroom Supplies $10
Piano music $15
Headphones $25
Incentives $50
Site-wide music $75
Piano bench $100
Recital sponsorship $250
IPad $150
Keyboard $1,000
Instructor support $2,500-$12,000

About UPOP

UPOP provides FREE private and group piano classes, and inspiring performance opportunities to Title I Elementary Schools in the Salt Lake City and Jordan School Districts as part of their After-School programs. UPOP helps kids from underserved communities learn a life-long skill that develops self-confidence, academic proficiency, and cognitive function.

UPOP teaching teams are comprised by lead Instructors and volunteer teaching assistants. Lead instructors are University of Utah’s School of Music doctoral and master piano students. Undergraduate piano students and community volunteers aid the lead instructors as Volunteer Teaching Assistants. They hone their teaching skills and learn valuable professional training that prepares them for future careers.

This 20-year partnership between the University of Utah, the Salt Lake City School District, and generous community supporters offers a win-win learning experience for elementary and university students alike.

Currently at three sites, the program serves approximately 70 children from grades 1-6 in the Salt Lake and Jordan School Districts.

Strobell headshot

Laura Strobell,Director of Piano Outreach Program

Email

Laura Strobell is an award-winning pianist and educator. She studied Piano Performance at the University of Utah and earned a graduate degree in Secondary Education from Western Governors University. During her studies, she received several scholarships and awards, including the Tracy Talent Scholarship, Janet Mann Teaching Scholarship, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fellowship, and the Excellence in Pedagogy for ELA Award. Laura has taught in public, private, and community music settings, including Northridge High School, Challenger School, Waterford School, and The Mundi Project. She also served as the administrator for Harmony Hub, a Mundi Project initiative, and collaborated with community partners such as Discovery Gateway to expand access to music education. In addition to her outreach work, Laura maintains a thriving private piano studio, where she is passionate about helping students develop a lifelong love of music.

Washington Elementary

420 North 200 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84103

"As both the principal and a parent of a student in the program, I am grateful for the many benefits the Piano Outreach Program provides our students.” – John Z. Kelly, principal

Thanks to generous support from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, Washington Elementary’s Piano Outreach Program site was started in 2011. At Washington Elementary, more than 40% of students’ families live below the federal poverty level, 55% of student body comes from ethnically or racially diverse backgrounds, and 29% of student body are English language learners.

Class TImes

Beginner Class 1
Beginner Class 2
Returning Class

“The Piano Outreach Program gives our students a first glance at seeing themselves as belonging on a university campus and bound for higher education.” — Rebecca Pittam, Principal

Thanks to generous support from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, the Washington Piano Outreach site was started in 2011 and continues to thrive every day. Furthermore, we are grateful to the McCarthey Family Foundation for awarding one of our bright and dedicated instructors the McCarthey Family Foundation Teaching Assistantship. The kind support of these two families has allowed for the expansion of the Washington Piano Lab, increasing the number of children taught last year from 40 to nearly 65 children this year, and with hopes to grow even more by January 2015!

Students apply at the start of the school year to participate and are selected based on age, (preference is given to older students), behavior, school attendance history, motivation level and admittance of siblings in the program. At Washington Elementary, more than 40% of students’ families live below the federal poverty level, 55% of student body comes from ethnically or racially diverse backgrounds, and 29% of student body are English language learners. Even in our piano lab, %30 of our students commute from the Road Home Homeless Shelter.

At the end of the semester, program participants perform their recital pieces for their families and the entire school, as well as being invited to the University of Utah to play in a special Piano Outreach Christmas Concert in Thompson Chamber Hall. In May, outstanding students from each school are invited to participate in the Piano Outreach Ensemble in the Piano Area Monster Concert.

Thank you to our wonderful supporters, The Sorenson Legacy Foundation and The McCarthey Family Foundation.

Escalante Elementary

1810 West 900 North
Salt Lake City, UT 84116

“On behalf of the Escalante community, I applaud UPOP for their dedication to creating quality learning environments for our students. Their collective work and efforts directly benefit our children and community. I commend them for their continuing dedication to our most precious resource, our children. I totally support UPOP and what they stand for.” Haloti Liava’a – principal

UPOP contributes to building a better system for our children to have access to programsneeded, but parents may not be able to access. Escalante Elementary currently serves:

• Economically Disadvantaged 88%

• Students with Disabilities 19%

• English Language Learners 44%

• Homeless 7%