by Kathy Kucsan, Ph.D. | Education Director
Why do we, the Center for Musical Arts, need your support?
The short answer is this: people thrive when they engage in music and art – at any age. Music in community increases that even more, because sharing the experience of making music is powerful. Learning, creating, or listening to music at the Center for Musical Arts gives participants purpose, connection, fun, and a sense of belonging.
The longer answer: we can’t do it without you.
Providing “Music for All for Life!” is a core tenet of the Center’s founding philosophy. These are the ways that your gift helps the community to thrive:
The Heartstrings Program
Started in 2000, Heartstrings provides need-based tuition assistance and access to low/no cost musical instruments for students who can’t afford to rent from a music store. Last year, Heartstrings provided $65,000 in assistance to almost 40% of Center students as well as 200 outside students from 47 schools in 4 school districts.
Outreach
From ukulele group classes at Escuela Bilingue Pioneer to Music & Movement classes at Sanchez Elementary to outreach concerts at Title I schools, the Center touches the lives of students who might otherwise have never heard a professional horn player up close, create their own ukulele tune, or explore moving their bodies to music.
Faculty Development Fund
Thirty-seven highly skilled professional musicians comprise the faculty.
Three-quarters of them hold advanced degrees in music. They work with young children through octogenarians and everyone in between. Versatile in their teaching, they can work with beginners as well as with aspiring students who will make music their careers.
Many faculty perform throughout the area including the Boulder Phil, Opera Colorado, Greeley Phil, Colorado Ballet, Central City Opera, and many other groups.
Many others are active in professional associations such as Katie Couch who will be presenting at the Dalcroze Society of America Conference in January, 2020. And, Nancy Brace, Center Registrar, who just returned from the National Guild for Community Arts Education Conference in Austin.
We want to encourage and support even more professional development opportunities for our faculty through this special fund.
Colorado Music Festival Family Concert
Last summer we tried an experiment: a free concert bus for students and families from the Center to attend the Colorado Music Festival (our sister organization) Family Concert at Chautauqua Auditorium.
Most of the children had never attended a concert, had never heard a live orchestra. A generous donor made this life-changing day happen for 70 kids and their families.
Building Improvements
Anyone who has visited the Center knows that we’re working out of a former church building, a facility that was originally intended for something very different.
Over the years, we have soundproofed studios and spiffed up the building in different ways. The next project is a new handicap access ramp and entrance on the lower level, and the one after that is to re-floor Founders Hall with new hardwood.
Both of these projects will enormously improve the school environment, making it possible for us to welcome our mobility challenged friends to the studio level and the community to a professional performance space. Budget for both is about $150,000.
As with most arts nonprofits, fundraising is a given because service is at the core of our mission. Thank you for your ongoing generosity, for making it possible for people to Make Music and Be Happy!
Education Director and Co-Founder