Washington Heights and Inwood Music Community Charter School is the first school in the Northeast developed out of El Sistema, a model for social action through music founded in Venezuela. At the heart of its pedagogy is the musical ensemble—the teaching tool for academic, character, and leadership development. Adaptive reuse and expansion of a three-story parking garage built in 1914, the project rethinks the typical way a school is organized and celebrates the school’s mission to integrate music into every aspect of its curriculum. Strategically located at the core of the building, the theater is visible from the street, and the street is visible from the theater—an open invitation for the neighborhood to participate in and experience the music.