Jersey Surf, Inc. is proud to share that the Theodore Presser Foundation has awarded the Mobile Music Lab a Capital Support grant of $27,500 in support of a project that has been close to our hearts for some time: bringing professional-grade music production technology directly into the communities that need it most.
This grant will fund the acquisition of a complete suite of digital audio workstations for the Mobile Music Lab mobile classroom, transforming it into a recording studio on wheels and the home of our new Beatcraft program.
A suite of Apple iMac computers running Logic Pro, MainStage, and Final Cut will be paired with professional audio interfaces, studio monitoring headphones, and MIDI keyboard controllers. An instructor station with external monitoring capability, an interactive display board, and a custom mobile sound cart round out the setup.
The result will be eight fully equipped student workstations and one instructor station capable of delivering hands-on music production instruction wherever the Mobile Music Lab’s mobile classroom travels.
Why This Matters
The Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey region has one of the richest musical legacies in America. The Victor Company’s recording industry was born in Camden. The “Philly Sound” transformed popular music. The Philadelphia Orchestra, Curtis Institute, and a vibrant festival culture carry that tradition forward today.
But for thousands of young people across this region — particularly in Title I schools and under-resourced communities — the modern tools of music production have been out of reach. The equipment that built Philadelphia’s legendary sound now exists almost exclusively in affluent schools and professional studios. Zip codes have become the deciding factor in who gets to create.
The Mobile Music Lab’s Beatcraft program was built to change that equation. This capital investment extends that mission into a new dimension, introducing music production fundamentals to hundreds of students, adults, and community members each year. Participants will compose original beats, record their own tracks, and experience the creative confidence that comes from hearing something they made.
A Relationship We’re Grateful For
This Capital Support award is the second grant Jersey Surf has received from the Presser Foundation in the current program year. Earlier this year, the Foundation awarded Jersey Surf support through its Advancement of Music program. The fact that a foundation of Presser’s stature has now invested in our work through two separate programs speaks to something we believe deeply: that a fresh, community-centered approach to music education is a worthwhile pursuit, and that the right partners will recognize it.
The Presser Foundation has been strengthening music and building community in the Greater Philadelphia region for more than 85 years. We are honored to be part of their 2025-26 Capital Support cohort alongside 23 other music organizations.
To learn more about the full slate of Capital Support grantees, visit the Presser Foundation’s announcement at presserfoundation.org.