BUILDING YOUR SPECIAL STRING PROGRAM
The dream of starting a new String Program, or
improving an existing Program helps contribute to society far beyond the first
sound of a single note on a violin. You are building a FUTURE for our children.
You are creating a special program for children to explore and develop their
personal talents. You are instilling a love of music and beauty in the child,
and building a child’s social skills, leadership skills and self esteem.
The child together with your program can serve your community by
presenting programs and bringing happiness to others and contributing to make
this a better world.
It is best to start by looking at your own personal Goals for the
program.
Here is a SAMPLE for you to work from.
GOALS: To provide a quality musical education in String playing,
starting with the Violin and later expanding to Viola, Cello and Bass.
To create a performance group fostering development of the child’s
interest in involvement in the arts, as well as provide a positive social
experience which can be shared with the community in the form of concerts.
PROGRAMS to get STARTED: Gather interested parents and promote to
others that you are getting this program going.
Create a safe space in which to work, and obtain teachers (if you,
yourself, are not teaching). Establish times and days this program will take
place.
Think of a Name to call your program, example,
“The Meadowdale String Program”,
“Valley Youth Strings Project”,
whatever seems
appropriate for your situation. (Ask friends for name ideas, too.)
Call Ebaru Publishing to work out a presentation night of the program
for the parents. This involves a live violin demonstration, and information on
how this system works. Ebaru Publishing will see to it that Books and
instruments will be available for the parents to purchase at the meeting. It is
important that you have all parents “aboard” from the beginning. Students need
the correct supplies in order to be practicing regularly from the start. Ebaru
has State-of-the-art Student Violins at extremely affordable prices. Parents
are very happy to contribute towards this small investment when they realize
the amount of benefits this program will give their child. This has proven the
most cost effective way to get a program started.
To wait to start a program until after you obtain outside “funding” to
get violins and supplies is often extremely discouraging, and stops many needed
programs from becoming reality. (However, if this is a program for
underprivileged children, and funding is a necessity,
contact us and we’ll work with you to explore ways to find funding that we’ve
found workable.)
PROJECTS: Create enrollment forms and establish
other organizational basics you will need, possibly appointing a person who can
keep all the paperwork in order.
Check with the ARTS COUNCIL and local papers to find upcoming events
that your group can perform at as it develops. You might start playing at
nursing homes, at day care centers, and as you gather momentum, appear at
community functions such as festivals, etc. Now is the time to start
researching and gathering places and contacts (especially phone numbers to
call) for future performances. You must continue to collect this information as
your program develops.
Find a small hall to start out with, (a church community meeting room
is great), etc. to give a formal concert with your group for parents and
friends, and reserve two dates, a winter concert date and a spring concert
date.
Start making a simple brochure for your group, showing lesson times,
purpose of your group and projected concert dates. Be sure to include the
address of your program, and a small map, if necessary, and include a phone
number where you can be reached.
Work out how many of these brochures you will need after assessing how
large you would like your program to be, and work out where
you feel the best place to distribute your brochures would be. Include
fees for the private or group lessons you offer. If you can take a picture of a
child with a violin, this would be perfect to insert in this brochure.
Your first printing of the brochures can be laser or Xeroxed, for low
quantity convenience at this point. Or check into a fast printing shop for a
limited number of issues.
Stay positive. Children and society need the ARTS, especially in
today’s society. Gather friends who believe in this project, and share the work
load. Soon you will have a program of which everyone will be proud.
Call 1 (727) 442 - 6828 or email Ebaru Publishing at ebaru@intnet.net
Mary Lou Cruz, Director, leads Tarpon Springs Fundamental String Program
Eden Vaning-Rosen gives pointers to students during guest appearance at Tarpon Springs Fundamental School String Program
Click here to see the Ebaru Publishing Newsletter, "String Rhapsodies, Vol. 4"
Violin Program at Tarpon Springs Fundamental School shines
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