Donor Profiles
Meet Our Donors
Giving is personal. We celebrate the stories of people whose lives have been changed at Settlement and who want to pay it forward.
Sonja Irwin
Violinist Sonja Irwin has been coming to Settlement since 2003 to play in ensembles with her fellow members of the Adult Chamber Players program. In that time, she’s had a front-row seat to the joy on children’s faces as they arrive for their weekly lessons — and that’s why she decided to become a donor, to help others experience the same joy.
“I have been more than impressed with Settlement’s ability to get students of all backgrounds to achieve their best,” Sonja says. “I grew up during the war years, so I know how meager funds are for a lot of people.” Knowing that music lessons can be one of the first things to go when resources get tight, Sonja’s gifts are directed to making financial aid available to struggling families.
Joyce Weiner
“My Saturdays at Settlement were what launched me into my participation in, and my appreciation of, the arts — which has lasted my whole life,” says alumna and donor Joyce Weiner. Joyce first came to Settlement in the late 1950s, when her mother brought her to study violin with the same teacher who taught her when she was a girl. She still remembers that “the young man who had the time slot directly following my lessons was none other than Booker Rowe.” Booker would go on to become the first Black musician hired to The Philadelphia Orchestra, with which he would play for over 50 years before his retirement in 2020.
Joyce says she still has “vivid memories” of her time at Settlement, and of the “inspiring teachers” who helped her grow. “I choose to donate in the hope it will help initiate even more children into the wonderful world of the arts.”
Howard Skaist
When Howard Skaist was a student at Settlement’s Kardon-Northeast Branch in the 1970s, he received generous financial aid to help with the cost of lessons. He still fondly remembers his piano teacher, Caren Solomon, and he credits his time at Settlement with helping him earn a scholarship to Princeton, which led him to a career in patent law. “If it wasn’t for Settlement, I don’t know that any of this would have happened,” he says.
In honor of his beloved teacher, and in appreciation of the School’s support, Mr. Skaist established the Caren Solomon Financial Aid Fund to benefit students like him who might not otherwise get the chance to study music.
Rebecca Davidson
Rebecca Davidson was a lifelong Philadelphian who grew up in Strawberry Mansion and started violin lessons at the age of 9 at her public school. When she showed promise, her mother enrolled her at Settlement, where she received financial aid and went on to study for seven years in the early 1960s. She played in All-City Orchestra and other ensembles — until she dropped out of high school to hang out in Rittenhouse Square, feeling very Bohemian. She attended the Philadelphia Music Academy for a time, but gave up on formal education because she did not think she could get a job with an orchestra. Rebecca worked as a drafter, and then as a proofreader, first in an accounting firm and later proofreading legal transcripts. But she never gave up on music; she formed an artistic life around her, rich with music and friends. She played violin her whole life in community orchestras. She learned to play guitar and became well-known in local circles for playing folk music and signing Yiddish songs she learned from her mother.
When Rebecca passed away, she left her entire estate to Settlement to provide scholarships for other children who otherwise could not afford music lessons. We are so grateful that Rebecca chose to pay it forward and give others the opportunity to experience what she most valued in her own life: building community through music.
Robert Cole
Robert Cole was an accomplished piano and organ teacher, the director of music for both schools and churches, and a prolific world traveler. He also strongly believed in the impact of Settlement Music School and the opportunities it offers its students. Robert served as Board President of our Wynnefield Branch during the 1980s, and always championed education and opportunities for young people of color.
When Bob passed away in 2022, we were honored to learn he had made a provision in his estate for an endowed scholarship “for Black students who are believed to have good intentions to complete their education and intend to work toward a career in music.” We are so grateful for Bob’s most important and lasting gift.
Denise & Frank Mann
For Denise and Frank Mann, honoring their son Nathan’s memory meant finding a way to share his love of music with future generations. Nathan was a gifted cellist who loved everything about music and was passionate about helping others get better at their craft. He formed an unbreakable bond with his fellow members of the endowed Gray Charitable Trust Advanced Study Trio, the ensemble he played in for three years, and their late coach, Sandra Carlock. Nathan passed away suddenly the summer before starting cello studies at Temple University with his beloved teacher and Philadelphia Orchestra member John Koen. His loss continues to be felt deeply by the Settlement family and all who knew him.
To honor their son’s legacy, Denise and Frank established an endowment to support scholarships that create more equitable access for students who want to become classical musicians. “Nathan believed so strongly in social justice and that music has the power to make a huge difference in how people see themselves and their world around them,” Denise says. “Breaking down barriers and giving others the opportunity to connect through music is exactly how he would want to be remembered.”
Michael Kleiman
When Jacob Kleiman was a young boy in the 1950s, he studied double bass at one of our satellite locations in the Northeast. Last year, his son Michael Kleiman decided to enroll in lessons at our Kardon-Northeast Branch in honor of his father. Not only that, but he’s playing on the same instrument Jacob used over 70 years ago, which Michael had refurbished back into good working condition.
When Jacob passed away this past spring, Michael asked that donations be made to Settlement in his father’s memory. He knew how much those early music lessons meant to Jacob, and how strongly his father believed that lessons should be available to anyone who wants them, no matter their finances. We are so thankful to both Jacob and Michael for being such devoted members of our Settlement family, and for helping pass on the gift of a music education to others.
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