Our Story
Beautiful Racket was born, in the summer of 2020, out of the need for accessible creative programming for the youth of Hudson, NY. We believe accessibility means more than financial access. We are committed to eliminating barriers that have historically prevented Black and Brown people from accessing the power of self expression, by creating a safe and empowering environment rooted in: representation in leadership and instruction; tuition-free programming for students; and competitive wages that honor the true skills of the instructors.
Beautiful Racket continues to expand its programming. Currently we offer opportunities for: first time music experience, song writing, piano lessons, music production, and performance
Who we are
Anneice Cousin
Founder
“I am a singer and songwriter born and raised in Hudson, NY. I’ve always been a singer and though I’ve played other instruments the only thing that’s stuck is voice. My passion is to facilitate growth. My vision is to connect people to opportunities that will empower and enrich their lives and communities. I value recognizing and celebrating individuality, empowering people to achieve their full potential, to find their voice as artists and as advocates for themselves and their community.
George Dejesus
Assistant, Piano Instructor
“I have a passion for music. I started out playing the alto saxophone when I was in 6th grade and moved into the tenor saxophone the following year and never looked back. I recently picked up the piano and it quickly became something that I love doing. I realized that I had this love for music when I was about 9 years old and when I was first introduced to jazz. Jazz stood out to me because it was less formatted than the music I was listening to prior to jazz. The improvisation and freedom appealed to me and made me want to pick up an instrument. Since I started I’ve been in my school’s classical and jazz bands and I was good enough to be selected for all county classical and jazz band on only my second year playing. I tend to annoy the people around me(in a good way) because of how much I play naturally. During the pandemic I was working for a summer program that introduced me to Anneice and the Beautiful Racket program. This was the beginning of me teaching music instead of playing and it was intimidating at first but once I broke out of my shell it became the highlight to my summer. I also worked with Anneice in the fall to teach kids how to sing & play music. I helped the kids to understand what they were singing and taught this girl how to play jingle bells on the piano and how to improvise and have fun with it. I plan to attend Schenectady Community College for Music this coming fall.”