The husband and wife team of Vincent James and Joann Pierdomenico are working hard to instill the love and benefits of music in children and adults.

They run the nonprofit Keep Music Alive out of Brookhaven. Their mission promotes music in children’s education, in therapy, and for our overall happiness.

Their efforts have earned them recognition as the “2025 Nonprofit of the Year” by the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. Keep Music Alive will be recognized at the EPICS Award dinner scheduled for Nov. 20 at The Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill.

 “We’re very excited for this honor to be involved with the Chamber,” said James, who is an active supporter of the Chamber with his wife.

Keep Music Alive started as an idea in 2014, when they decided to publish a book with the inspirational stories of musicians.

The collection of stories led to the first book in a series, “88 Ways Music Can Change Your Life.”

 “It’s like a Chicken Soup for the Music Lover’s Soul,” James said.  

That first book put them on a mission to promote the value of music, particularly for children.

“We did not intend in the beginning to create a non-profit,”  James said.

They started with an annual Teach Music Week in March, which offers free music lessons to new students.

Free music lessons are also offered in an after-school program for disadvantaged youth in Chester.

Kids Music Day was added in 2015 as an annual event on the first Friday of each October. The day includes student performances, instrument petting zoos, drum/guitar/ukulele circles, instrument donation drives, free intro lessons, and more.

IN 2017-2018, they added the popular Instrument Petting Zoos throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. The petting zoos take place in public spaces like museums, zoos, and community festivals, but also at birthday parties, corporate events, and private events for children with special needs.

It’s a way for children to explore the wide variety of musical instruments as they start their own musical journey. Instruments include acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, ukuleles, and dozens of percussion instruments, like an ocean wave drum and a tabletop electronic drum set.

 Keep Music Alive now partners with over 1,300 musicians and hundreds of music schools, stores, and organizations in 2,000 countries around the world.

James, a lifelong musician, always loved music but never realized the benefits it offers in brain development, especially for children who start playing at a younger age.

“This is how we get so many talented kids in all the other careers that are not music. Many of them played music as kids,” he said.

Music also teaches patience, perseverance, and discipline.

These days, opportunities abound for children and teens to pursue music, even with music programs being cut in schools.

“There’s less opportunity in schools. On the flip side, there’s a lot of outside-of-school music opportunities that didn’t exist when we were kids,” he said.

Keep Music Alive is supported through ongoing fundraising and grants. On Sunday, Nov. 16, they are hosting “Sip, Savor & Song” from  1 to 5 PM at the Kelly Center, 4 E. Eagle Road in  Havertown.

There will be live music, an Instrument Petting Zoo, and refreshments. All proceeds will benefit the Keep Music Alive programs.

Find out more about Keep Music Alive.

Editor’s Note: This post was initially published on DELCO.Today in November 2025.