Category: Community Outreach

Potomac’s First Ever Music Competition!

Post author By Alaina
Post date February 10, 2017

We are excited to announce our first ever Potomac Music Competition this spring, open to students of all ages and levels (including participants outside of the Academy), culminating in a special recital performance in Mason’s Harris Theater by selected winners.

This event is the brainchild of one of our Piano Teaching Artists Faith Zuniga, who has had several students compete in and win national competitions such as the American Protege Competition. A team of faculty and administrators took inspiration from several prestigious competitions to create an experience that will be primarily an educational one for all participants – as well as an added performance opportunity for the winners. Rather than ranking students against each other, the panel of judges will weigh the students’ audition video submissions against a standard of excellence within their age groups. This panel of musicians and educators will include faculty members from the School of Music at George Mason University and Teaching Artists from the Academy. All applicants will receive valuable constructive feedback from the panel.

The event has two main goals:

First, it will provide music students with an excellent opportunity to receive adjudication/ feedback from their audition and to perform in a professional concert hall.
Second, the application fees will help raise funds for our many outreach programs, including student scholarships and the Instruments in the Attic program. SEE REASONS TO GIVE

Students performing in Harris Theatre

Selected applicants will perform in Harris Theater on George Mason University’s Fairfax campus in the Winners’ Recital on Sunday, June 11, 2017. We are now accepting applications – so sign up today!

SEE DETAILS AND APPLY

Community Outreach

Therapy Dog Creates “Paws-itive” Environment

Post author By Alaina
Post date February 3, 2017

Unofficial Potomac staff member Roxy, who is the Academy Assistant Director Candy Neukam’s canine companion, is a certified therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). Along with providing therapeutic benefits to the Academy’s staff and students, Roxy is also involved in several community outreach projects.

Roxy is a six-year-old American dingo who can often be found lounging in the office or making the rounds to offer moral support (and beg for attention and treats – carrots are her favorite) throughout the workday. She even participated in last year’s Halloween costume party (see photo below)!

Dog in costume

“Roxy is such a sweet dog, it just seemed like a natural fit to go through the Therapy Dog certification process,” explains Candy. “Now she goes on official therapy visits and brings a lot of joy and happiness to people of all ages and in all different situations. It’s a real privilege for me to see her do that.” Academy students and faculty alike enjoy visiting her in the office, and she sometimes serves as a practice audience for them!

Roxy is also a regular volunteer at the Tails to Tales program at the City of Fairfax Regional Library, where children take turns reading books to her and giving her lots of love and attention. She recently visited a special education class at Mosby Woods Elementary, where very happy children also read books to her (see photo at top). One child was so enraptured with the animal that he leaned over to Ms. Neukam and said “You’re the luckiest person in the whole world.” She will soon begin visits as a therapy dog to the Sunrise Assisted Living facility near the Academy, where some of our violin students performed an outreach concert in December.

Dog listening to violin music

A big thanks to Roxy for all she does here at the office and around the community!

Art Community Outreach Music

Musical Instrument Sculpture Project

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date January 13, 2017

A handful of musical instruments that are donated through our Instruments in the Attic program are deemed un-repairable. However, they are finding a second life in a new Instrument Sculpture project at Mason’s School of Art.

The project started as a collaboration between Potomac Arts Academy staff and School of Art faculty, with important funding support and input from Mason’s Patriot Green Fund (part of the Office of Sustainability). Potomac was seeking ways that these un-playable instruments could still be “recycled”, and the School of Art had ideas about using the instruments not only as sculpture pieces, but also to make a statement about sustainability.

Patriot Green Fund logo

Art faculty member Edgar Endress brought in Jade Garrett from the MIX Lab to assist. Mason university students meet up at the MIX Lab for various creative/ collaborative projects. With the musical instruments, they began working on “Music Robots” through what they call “Hack-a-thons“. Experiments with music instruments, robotics and audio software ensued. Below is a video sample:

As the project continues, it has evolved into a prototype exploration for a larger Musical Sculpture Project that would be created to play as a “one-man-band” of sorts while also serving as a mobile art project that speaks symbolically and literally to sustainability and the importance of conserving our resources. Look for more information about that in the near future!

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSTRUMENTS IN THE ATTIC

Community Outreach Events Music

Violin Concert at Sunrise Assisted Living

Post author By Alaina
Post date December 16, 2016

On Saturday, December 3rd, Potomac Violin Teaching Artists Claire Allen and Rachel McAleer took over 20 young violinists ages 5-15 to Sunrise Assisted Living home near George Mason University. The students performed holiday carols both as small ensembles and as a large violin ensemble, led by their teachers. After the recitals, the students greeted the residents, thanked them for hosting the recital, and wished them happy holidays.

Music lessons generally focus on mastering the technical challenges of the instrument or voice, learning the nuances of rhythm, harmony, and melody, and learning to present one’s skills in public. Miss Allen and Miss McAleer wanted to take musical education to the next level with their students. During a conversation about shared feelings of helplessness and a desire to put something good into the world in response to the many tragedies and difficult political situations happening in the past year, they decided integrate community outreach and connection with others into the many lessons they teach their students.

Violin students at Sunrise Assisted Living

Sunrise Assisted Living residents and staff alike expressed their gratitude for the performance, and the parents of the performers were grateful for this meaningful experience for their children. The teachers were encouraged by their students’ response to the performance.

https://youtu.be/7GCFJ-BakW8

Miss McAleer stated, “It’s such a great experience for our students to share their talents with the community. So often, we musicians are too focused on improving our skills that we lose sight of the main purpose of music. At the end of the day, we play music to connect with the community. With our instruments, we inspire to enlighten spirits and soothe souls.”

https://youtu.be/yX2BltEaICs

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Community Outreach Music

Recycling the Love of Music

Post author By Alaina
Post date December 16, 2016

Instruments in the Attic is one of Potomac Arts Academy’s most active outreach initiatives. The program collects used musical instruments from conscientious community members, repairs them as needed, and recycles them back into the hands of deserving students, including one young violinist named Ethan.

Instruments in the Attic accepts used musical instruments as well as financial donations for repair and maintenance. Donors bring their instruments to our offices in Fairfax, where they are processed and evaluated for necessary repairs. Instruments are either added to our inventory or sent to one of our partner organizations, such as Day Violins, for repairs. We have received all kinds of donations over the years, including orchestral instruments, guitars, ukuleles, and even a didgeridoo!

Violin needing repair

The repair process varies from instrument to instrument. In some situations, all that is needed is a few new strings for a guitar or a simple chemical-cleaning for a brass instrument. More involved repairs include: gluing cracks and seams or cutting new bridges for string instruments, repadding keys on woodwind instruments, and repairing slides and valves on brass instruments. In some cases, a complete reconstruction of an instrument is needed.

Violin being repaired

Once instruments are returned to playing condition, they are added to the inventory of instruments available for students in need. We partner with local schools including Potomac Middle School, Woodburn Elementary School, and Rolling Hills Elementary School to support their music programs. We have also sent instruments overseas to support music education initiatives in Rwanda, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

Man playing violin

Instruments are available for loan to any student or community member who has need of it. One recipient of an Instruments in the Attic violin is Ethan Hemmings, a freshman at Wakefield High School in Arlington and a violin student of Teaching Artist Claire Allen. “This violin has allowed me to push my technique and my musicality further than any previous violin I’ve played,” said Ethan. “I am grateful for the time and effort for the refurbishment of this violin which gives me a clear tone for dynamics and a noticeable ring for my recitals to entertain audiences. I don’t think I ever would have had access to such a wonderful violin at this point of my life without the generous opportunity that Instruments in the Attic has given me.”

His mother adds, “I love our son’s new violin. It has a rich and beautiful sound. His playing is deeper and clearer. He plays with much more ease and since the quality is better, it requires few repairs. I don’t think we ever would have had access to such a fine violin without the generosity of Instruments in the Attic.”

Please enjoy this video of Ethan performing “At Twilight” by English composer Ethel Harradan Glover with pianist David Norfrey this past June:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Z-doXU3CA

Make a financial contribution to Instruments in the Attic today, and make a difference!
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