Founded in 1996 by Rosie Schurz, a German immigrant, the academy was established in a small home in an impoverished neighborhood. Rising above the poverty that plagued our Phoenix Oakland community, Rosie created a safe haven for youth to express their creativity and pursue their dreams.
Rosie’s own story of war and hope inspires our mission. During World War II, as war ravaged the countryside, Rosie’s family was forced to evacuate their home in Munich and flee to the German countryside. On her family’s journey to safety, seven-year-old Rosie, who had just started music lessons, had to leave her violin behind. Throughout her life, her sense of loss for her violin remained poignant; and finally, as an adult, she found respite in providing a second “home” to disadvantaged children. Rosie’s own story of war and hope inspires our values and mission. Our home, Rosie’s House, provides children everything Rosie wanted as a child: safety, stability and music.
