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Community Outreach Instruments in the Attic

Instruments Gotcha Day Provides Musical Support for Schools

MCAA’s instrument donation program, Instruments in the Attic, launched a new initiative providing needed instruments to area Title I schools, collaborating with Mason students from the Dewberry School of Music NAfME student organization and Day Violins.

“It’s really nice to get instrument donations that we can give to the students,” said Paul Erickson, a Fairfax County elementary school band teacher who has dedicated 22 years of his career to music education for young children. “Many of our students cannot afford to buy or rent an instrument from a store. Now, we could provide our students with the instruments. We appreciate Mason putting this together for us.”

 

The new initiative, Instruments Gotcha Day, aims to loan gently used instruments donated from the community to area’s schools that struggle to purchase instruments. Samantha Clarke, the community outreach coordinator at the Academy, who organized the inaugural Band Instrument Gotcha Day event, shared that the music educators who came to the event have a budget to repair but no funding to purchase instruments.

“They are in a difficult situation where they don’t have access to what they need for their students,” said Clarke, Mason doctoral student in conducting, who experienced funding challenges during her teaching career in New York. “We can provide these schools the access to more instruments through our Instruments in the Attic program. Schools can repair any instruments as needed to extend the lives of instruments so that more students can play an instrument for the first time.”

 

The Academy partnered with George Mason University Dewberry School of Music to plan the event with the support from Mason’s NAfME student organization and Day Violins to facilitate the recycling, repairs, and reuse process.

“We are proud to be a part of this initiative,” said Zoe Lamb, president of the Mason NAfME chapter and a music education graduate student. “It’s a great way to get music education students involved, and this is a great opportunity for everyone to get together and give back to the community.”

 

Weeks leading to the Gotcha Day event, Lamb and the Mason NAfME chapter members examined and cleaned all the band instruments before hundreds of instruments were displayed outside Day Violins. More than 15 local Title I school band directors, and music educators in Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun counties received 100+ instruments to support their program.

“This has become a dream come true for us,” said Jenna Day, owner of Day Violins and member of the Academy Advisory Board since 2008. Along with her husband, Jason Day, the couple has helped the Academy repair all the string instruments at the Day Violins, a family-owned string instrument shop in Chantilly, Virginia.

 

“We have a large number of instruments donated by the community that need to be in the hands of students,” said Jenna. “I put my passion into making sure all the instruments are repaired and the community people get them. This is an amazing program.”

Established in 2008, Instruments in the Attic has received more than 1,100 instruments from community members. The program has loaned out 600+ instruments to schools and individuals and supported school band and orchestra programs. Instrument petting zoo programs were held in various preschools and community events. More than 100 instruments were delivered to underdeveloped regions to help them establish their music programs, including El Salvador, Haiti, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Africa.

 

Another Gotcha Day is slated for spring 2022, with an emphasis on string instruments and guitars. To support our new initiative, please consider donating gently used instruments to the program or contributing to the Instruments in the Attic fund to support instrument repair and program expenses.

Categories
Community Outreach Music

Violin Students Pay Tribute to Black Artists

Seven Mason Community Arts Community violin students performed in the “Celebrating Black Composers and Musicians” virtual concert in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The concert was broadcasted in senior living facilities and made available to individual seniors in our community.

“Abby was proud to participate in the program and hear other talented young musicians’ performance,” said Elizabeth Dalton, a parent of MCAA student who participated in the virtual concert. “She was glad to pay a virtual visit to residents of care homes who have been so impacted by social distancing over the past year.”

MCAA students—Austin, Moira, Abby, Eano, Jasper, Chloe, and Sarah—highlighted the works from numerous Black composers, including: “Theme from Sonata No. 4 for Two Violins,” by Joseph Bologne; “Le Vieux Garcon,” by Ignatius Sancho; “Les Contes Des Fees,” by Ignatius Sancho; “Mele Ekpom,” by Kenneth Kafui; “Chasseurs a Pied de la Louisiane,” by Basile Jean Barès; “Feeling the Pulse,” by Juwon Ogungbe; “The Boy with the Axels in His Hand,” by Thomas Greene Wiggins; “Iya Ni Wura Iyebiye,” by Godwin Sadoh; “The Entertainer,” by Scott Joplin; “Minuet No. 15,” by Ignatius Sancho; “Balada,” by Francisca Gonzaga; “Just So in the North,” by Ignatius Sancho; and “Le PertorriqueAa: Reverie,” by Marie-Seraphine Gotay.

Prior to each performance, students shared each musician’s story and background of the pieces to help bring diversity to classical music.

“We were amazed when we learned the history of the pieces, particularly that New Orleans teen composer Basile Jean Barès who had his work published and copyrighted while he was still enslaved.”

 

 

“Creating meaningful performance experiences for my students is an essential part of my teaching,” said Ms. Claire Allen, MCAA’s Violin Teaching Artist who received the performance invitation. “In my studio, we have been working to diversify our performance repertoire to include works by Black composers, and this concert gave my students the opportunity to showcase these composers and their wonderful works.”

The concert is a part of the Sharing Smiles Concert Series, hosted by Empowering the Ages and the National Philharmonic, aiming to bridge the gap and nurture relationships across all generations.

“I was thrilled to be invited to have students perform in this concert,” said Ms. Allen. “The National Philharmonic education wing and Empowering the Ages are fulfilling multiple needs—that of young artists to have performance opportunities, and that of older adults in our community to attend live performances and connect with young people.”

 

 

Categories
Acting Art Community Outreach Music

New Free Digital Resources for Art-Making from Home

This Spring, a free digital library of educational resources is available for the public thanks to Mason Community Arts Academy’s latest community outreach initiative, MCAA: Creative Collection.

Funded by the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts, the collection delivers tutorials, performances, and activities across the arts, from music and theater education and performance, music technology, and visual art education. Each week, a new video made by students and faculty of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University will be released to provide an arts enrichment project for a specific age group or skill level of learners.

“In this COVID restricted time, it’s more important than ever for the Academy to connect with our communities and reach out to broader populations through the arts,” said Elizabeth Curtis, MCAA Executive Director. “I’m so proud of the initiative and dedication our Mason students and teachers have shown in bringing this dynamic collection to life. We hope it continues to enrich the lives of our students and serve our community.”

 

 

Since its launch, three instructional videos are shared on the platform, including “Drawing with Markers for First Graders,” by Ms. Lisa Eaton; “Tone Quality on String Instruments,” by Ms. Elana Oleinick; and “The Ins and Outs of Clarinet Embouchure,” by Ms. Katie Repka.

“I am excited that I can share my passion for the arts with students viewing the Creative Collection,” said Ms. Eaton, who recorded a drawing tutorial by using markers and basic art elements. “I love that I can help students learn and grow as I have a passion for art that started when I was very young.”

The Creative Collection is created after the COVID health and safety restrictions have limited students’ access to in-person instruction, particularly for communities that face additional difficulties in accessing instruments, supplies, and arts programming.

 

 

“I love that I can give back to a Mason program like this after receiving a wealth of knowledge and skill through my coursework in the Master of Arts in Teaching program,” said Ms. Eaton. “I was learning so much making my videos. As a teacher, I will be learning right along with my students. It is a continuing process.”

“The initiative allows me to share my love of music and the arts with the community,” said Ms. Elana Olenick, cellist and music educator, who is pursuing her music education licensure at George Mason University. “I am thrilled that Mason is providing this wonderful opportunity and look forward to watching my peers teach about their passions as well!”

 

 

Samantha Clarke, MCAA Community Outreach Coordinator, spearheaded the creation and coordination of the Creative Collection, explaining that students are intimidated to learn independently without the teacher’s support.

“As a music educator, I understand the great privilege we have as teachers to inspire and enrich the lives of our students through the arts,” said Clarke. “By providing instructional and performance videos through MCAA: Creative Collection, we can help address the challenges that teachers and students are currently facing through virtual instruction while providing opportunities for students and faculty of Mason’s CVPA to teach, perform, and inspire.”

To watch the latest video from the initiative, visit MCAA: Creative Collection homepage HERE.

 

Categories
Announcements Community Outreach

MCAA receives two Play It Forward matching gifts

Mason Community Arts Academy secured two matching gifts, totaling $1,750, for the Play It Forward fundraising campaign that increased our total donation amount to $4,675.

In an effort to make the arts accessible to more students and families in need, the Academy hosted a crowdfunding campaign during the winter holiday season. Throughout the 31-day fundraising period, more than 50 generous donors supported the cause and helped to meet the two matching goals: a $750 donation from Academy Advisory Board members: J.P. Phaup and Paula Martino; Matt Morris; and Mary Lechter and Kevin Murray; and a $1,000 matching gift from an anonymous Academy family.

“We are so appreciative of everyone who donated to our Play it Forward campaign,” said Elizabeth Curtis, Executive Director of the Academy. “It was such a success and assisted so many families and students, enabling them to remain in their lessons and classes during these financially challenging times.”

Play It Forward, a tuition assistance campaign, aims to help those Academy students and families in need to continue their arts education throughout the pandemic. It has received positive responses since it was first created in May 2020.

As the pandemic continues to impact our community, the Play It Forward needs-based scholarship helps students continue with their arts education and offer a sense of normality. So far, the campaign has enabled ten students to continue to hone their skills and spread the joy and beauty of the arts for their audiences.

One Academy parent shared, “The scholarship has helped to keep our daughter in a world-class music education program despite the economic downturn. It’s truly been a blessing for us!”

“I have loved seeing my students continue to develop their musicianship and artistry,” shared Suzanne Dorman, Guitar Teaching Artist. “This is something the pandemic has not taken away from us! We can still create beauty and share the gift of music with those around us.”

We are grateful for the generous donations to the Play It Forward campaign and will continue to raise funds to help more Academy families. If you would like to make a contribution, please visit our Play It Forward Campaign Homepage.

 

 

Categories
Community Outreach

Piano Looking for a New Home

This piano has been claimed.

The Academy received a generous donation from a community member of Alexandria, VA. The piano is free, but the recipient is required to pay for the moving expense.

The piano is 20 years old, upright, Ukrainian piano with 47 inches tall and 57 inches wide. The bench was hand-made in Egypt with additional storage space inside. The piano is placed in a temperature-controlled indoor space. The last tuning was done in 2016. Moving expenses are estimated at $500-$2000 when using a professional keyboard instrument moving company and depend on the moving distance and home type. The piano is currently on the third floor of a condominium building.

The owner is looking for a potential recipient by Sunday, November 22, 2020. The offer is on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are interested in accepting the piano, please email us at academy@gmu.edu with the best number to contact you.

 

The Academy will be closed for Spring Break beginning Monday, March 25 and will re-open on Monday, April 1. We will be operating with limited hours. For any urgent requests, please call 703-993-9889.

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