Frank Alvarado, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Enterprise Project Management Operations at CBRE | Turner & Townsend, was honored with the 2025 Impact Award at Education Through Music’s (ETM) annual gala on May 15 at 583 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The award recognizes Alvarado’s unwavering dedication to community service, youth development, and increasing access to high-quality music education for underserved students across New York City.

A longtime supporter of ETM, Alvarado has helped raise awareness within the real estate community around the importance of investing in programs that not only enrich education but also foster creativity, confidence, and academic achievement.

“As a society, we need children with access to music education like Education Through Music,” Alvarado said during his acceptance remarks. “It will create adults who can have a global view, who can acknowledge the contributions of many and collaborate to bring diversity of melodies and ideas. It will create adults with cadence and determination—and if we are lucky, some will also become adults who will inspire us.”

Hip-hop icon and veteran music journalist Sway Calloway returned by popular demand to host the gala, bringing his signature charisma, brilliance, and warmth to the stage. The evening opened with a surprise video introduction from Common, who welcomed guests and introduced Sway as the evening’s emcee. Calloway, a longtime supporter of ETM, guided the program with humor and heart, underscoring the night’s theme of inspiration through education and the arts.

The gala brought together a dynamic group of leaders from real estate, investment banking, and the broader business community, highlighting the strong ties between philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. Real estate professionals have long been instrumental in ETM’s success, contributing not just funding, but strategic support and a shared belief in the value of arts education as a lever for equity and empowerment.

Among those recognized during the evening were the first-ever inductees into the ETM Legacy Circle: Katherine Elliott, Andrew J. Malik, and Michael Schaefer. Each has played a foundational role in helping the organization expand its reach, enabling ETM to partner with more schools and serve thousands of students throughout the five boroughs.

The emotional highlight of the evening came through powerful performances from ETM students, including a stirring choir rendition of “For Good” and “Lean on Me,” followed by a high-energy rock set by ETM’s own student band, The Hallows. These performances provided attendees with a tangible reminder of the profound impact their support makes in the lives of New York City youth.

Chris Atlas, founder of Atlas Entertainment, presented the Music Innovation Award to Keanan Duffty, founder of glam-punk band Slinky Vagabond. In his remarks, Atlas celebrated Duffty’s commitment to empowering the next generation of musicians. Duffty reflected on the experience of mentoring ETM students and noted how their passion reignited his own memories of starting out as a young artist.

Founded in 1991, Education Through Music partners with under-resourced schools to provide music as a core subject, not an afterthought. By integrating music education into the academic curriculum and offering ongoing professional development for teachers, ETM enhances student motivation, school engagement, and overall performance.

The organization now reaches nearly 20,000 students weekly and has delivered more than 8 million hours of music instruction—creating lasting impact in communities where arts education is too often overlooked or underfunded.

“My words tonight cannot do justice to what I have seen in the classrooms and auditoriums of ETM’s partner schools,” said , CEO of Education Through Music. “Children, 90% of whom live below the poverty line, singing in choruses, performing in orchestras and bands, showing off their skills and talent. Children who exhibit pride, experience joy, and who feel good about themselves and what they are doing.”

With more than 90% of ETM students living below the poverty line, continued support from industry leaders like Frank Alvarado is essential to ensure that every child, regardless of zip code, has access to the tools and inspiration that music can provide.