Vy Higginsen's name has been associated with Gospel, jazz, and R&B music for years. As one of New York City's premiere radio disc jockeys, she has built a solid reputation for identifying good music and developing a sound that resonates with music lovers. This knack led her and her producing partner, Ken Wydro, to create the legendary musical, Mama I Want to Sing in 1983. Mama was an international hit and is one of the longest running musicals in the history of American theater. 
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Many consider the success of Mama to be the start of Mama Foundation. However, it wasn't until Vy's own daughter's school cut arts programming from the curriculum that she decided to make a change. Inspired by world tours of Mama I Want to Sing in Europe, the Caribbean, Japan, and the United States, where the music liberated children on the margins, Vy Higginsen created Mama Foundation for the Arts to help re-establish Harlem as an artistic and cultural centerpiece of the world. 

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In the years since, the Foundation has expanded to offer a robust slate of music education opportunities through Mama Music Matters and In-School Programming, an expanded performance repertoire through Sing Harlem and Mama’s Original Musical Theater Productions, and strengthened community programming through the Harlem Healing Project and Wednesday Sings. Collectively, these initiatives have positively impacted over 10,000 youth, 500,000 community members, and one million audience members globally since our founding, fostering cultural connection and community growth both in New York City and beyond.