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If You Can Do, Teach Anyway.
If You Can Do, Teach Anyway.
Formal Commitments of Ms. Rachael’s Music Library
[Pre-501(c)(3) Status]
These commitments are offered to the public to affirm that Ms. Rachael’s Music Library will operate with transparency, educational purpose, and community benefit while formal nonprofit status is pursued. They apply to current activities conducted under the direction of Rachael Lauren Martin in connection with Sharp Studios (Urbana, MD) and will be carried forward upon incorporation.
Educational Purpose
The Library exists solely to support music education and access to musical resources (scores, repertoire books textbooks, sheet music, and related tools) for students, families, and community members in the Frederick County / Urbana area. No commercial sale of materials will occur; any fees, if charged, will be limited to cost recovery for rent, damage to materials, employee wages, copying, shipping, or specialized processing.Equitable and Non-Discriminatory Access
Access will be provided without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, or economic status.Stewardship of Materials
All donated or acquired materials will be catalogued, stored, and maintained in a condition suitable for repeated educational use. Materials will not be sold, discarded, or diverted to personal use. Records of major acquisitions and dispositions will be kept and made available upon reasonable request.Financial Transparency and Restricted Use of Funds
Any monetary donations, grants, or proceeds received for the Library will be held separately from personal or Sharp Studios operating funds and used exclusively for Library purposes (acquisition, maintenance, insurance, accessibility improvements, and educational programming). Periodic summaries of income and expenditures will be prepared and shared with donors and the public upon request. No compensation will be taken from Library funds for personal benefit while the entity remains unincorporated.Privacy and Safety of Users
Personal information collected for circulation, reservations, or participation in programs will be used only for Library administration and will not be sold or shared for marketing. The Library environment (physical or virtual) will be maintained as a safe, respectful space aligned with the same standards of professional conduct expected of Sharp Studios instructors.Community Alignment and Local Partnerships
Programming and collection development will prioritize the needs of local schools, band and choir programs, theater programs, and families in Frederick County. The Library will seek opportunities to complement rather than compete with existing school and community music resources.Path to Formal Nonprofit Status
Formal incorporation as a 501(c)(3) organization is an explicit goal. Until that status is achieved, the Library will operate under the personal and professional responsibility of Rachael Lauren Martin. Upon incorporation, these commitments will be adopted as foundational policies of the new organization, and all assets and records will be transferred to it.Accountability and Correction
Any concern about compliance with these commitments may be directed to Rachael Lauren Martin. A written response will be provided within a reasonable time, and corrective action will be taken if a commitment has not been met. These commitments may be updated as the Library grows, with notice provided to active users and donors.Reciprocal Access for Contributing Teachers
Ms. Rachael’s Music Library is committed to the arrangement described under “Great for Teachers” on the Sharp Studios website. Music teachers in the Frederick County / Urbana area who donate books, sheet music, or related materials from an overflowing personal or classroom collection will receive free lifetime access to the Library’s holdings in return. Materials accepted under this arrangement remain part of the Library collection for the benefit of students, teachers, and the broader community; donors do not relinquish all connection to their materials, and the Library will maintain reasonable records of major donations so that contributing teachers may continue to draw on the shared collection without having to permanently part with their resources or manage decision fatigue about retention. This commitment applies while the Library operates in pre-501(c)(3) status under the direction of Rachael Lauren Martin and will be carried forward upon formal incorporation. Access under this provision is limited to educational and professional use consistent with the Library’s overall purpose of supporting music education.
These statements are made voluntarily to give the public a clear basis for confidence while the Library remains in a pre-nonprofit phase. They are intended to be read together with the educational mission and operational practices already established at Sharp Studios.
Ms. Rachael is a music educator and classically trained musician based in Frederick, Maryland.
She starting studying piano in 2011 and successfully progressed to advanced piano playing and music theory concepts within 4 years. She plays weddings, composes piano ballads, and teaches piano lessons at Sharp Studios.
Rachael started singing at 15 years old, learning technique quickly and getting accepted into the conservatory at Shenandoah University a few years later.
While attending Urbana high school, she led section rehearsals for the bass section, accompanied the choir on piano, played keyboard in the 2018 UHS drama production of Footloose, took music theory 1, 2, and IB music, and achieved a score of "4" on the AP music theory exam, despite the lack of a formal AP music theory class being offered at her high school. She also played Trumpet and Mellophone in the high school marching band and operated a drum machine for the indoor percussion ensemble.
Rachael went on to test out of 4 piano classes as she entered Shenandoah. She was elected the Student Government Association Representative for the Shenandoah Conservatory chapter of the National Association for Music Education (SC:NAfME), supported the campus chapel via work study, and sung solos and back up harmony at Sunday services, and even arranged an original pop song by Erwan Noblet for a-capella SATB choir at Erwan's Master's Recital. You can learn more about Erwan by clicking this link.
Rachael started composing her own music at 4 years old, with several of her piano ballads reflecting melodies she wrote as a young girl. Two decades of experience and education allowed her to develop those melodies into massive orchestral and choral works.
She now spends most of her time operating her private studio and teaching weekly lessons to piano and voice students. In her spare time, she continues her studies in opera, conducts a seasonal christmas caroling choir, and arranges public domain works for various instrumentations.
She starting studying piano in 2011 and successfully progressed to advanced piano playing and music theory concepts within 4 years. She plays weddings, composes piano ballads, and teaches piano lessons at Sharp Studios.
Rachael started singing at 15 years old, learning technique quickly and getting accepted into the conservatory at Shenandoah University a few years later.
While attending Urbana high school, she led section rehearsals for the bass section, accompanied the choir on piano, played keyboard in the 2018 UHS drama production of Footloose, took music theory 1, 2, and IB music, and achieved a score of "4" on the AP music theory exam, despite the lack of a formal AP music theory class being offered at her high school. She also played Trumpet and Mellophone in the high school marching band and operated a drum machine for the indoor percussion ensemble.
Rachael went on to test out of 4 piano classes as she entered Shenandoah. She was elected the Student Government Association Representative for the Shenandoah Conservatory chapter of the National Association for Music Education (SC:NAfME), supported the campus chapel via work study, and sung solos and back up harmony at Sunday services, and even arranged an original pop song by Erwan Noblet for a-capella SATB choir at Erwan's Master's Recital. You can learn more about Erwan by clicking this link.
Rachael started composing her own music at 4 years old, with several of her piano ballads reflecting melodies she wrote as a young girl. Two decades of experience and education allowed her to develop those melodies into massive orchestral and choral works.
She now spends most of her time operating her private studio and teaching weekly lessons to piano and voice students. In her spare time, she continues her studies in opera, conducts a seasonal christmas caroling choir, and arranges public domain works for various instrumentations.
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