Villa Musica Reaches Out... Villa Musica is dedicated to offering musical opportunity to all members of our community. In keeping with our mission, Villa Musica has created some wonderful programs to enable students from under-served areas of our city to participate in quality music education.
"Music researchers are finding correlations between music making
and some of the deepest workings of the human brain. Research
has linked active music making with increased language discrimination
and development, math ability, improved school grades, better-adjusted
social behavior, and improvements in "spatial-temporal
reasoning," - a cornerstone for problem solving."
AMC - American Music Conference
With this in mind, it is increasingly important for Villa Musica (and indeed other arts organizations) to address the current climate of "funding cuts" to school aged children's music programming. Reaching out to this sector of our society has significant social re-percussions for the future of music in general. It is the music-makers of today who may well be the music-educators, arts administrators, fund-raisers and audience members of tomorrow.
Villa Musica at the Monarch School During the Summers of 2007, students in grades 6, 7 and 8 at San Diego's Monarch School participated in a pilot curriculum-based music program focused
on ear-training, rhythm, musical notation and collaborative
performance. Under the guidance of Villa Musica's Director,
Dr. Fiona Chatwin, students worked with UCSD's renowned
percussionist and educator, Fabio Oliveira and their own class room
teachers in designing, creating and playing their own percussion
instruments during a 10 week intensive music class, which culminated in a concert (and cake!) for friends and family.
This program was so successful that Villa Musica was invited back this year to do it again. Teachers at Monarch reported very positive outcomes regarding student confidence, group behavior dynamic and camaraderie. If you would like to support this program or see one like it at your school please contact Dr. Fiona Chatwin at fchatwin@villamusica.org.
Villa Musica's Guitar Upgrade Program In collaboration with an anonymous donor, Villa Musica has established it's Guitar Upgrade Program. This program is designed to encourage young students of the classical guitar to continue to discover and explore the music and passion of this art form. Each year four promising guitarists will be given a quality instrument, befitting their age and competency, on permanent loan from Villa Musica. Close contact, and weekly lessons, with these students will ensure their continued enthusiasm and progress as they develop their classical guitar playing skills.
For any inquiries regarding this program please contact our Artistic Director Dr. Fiona Chatwin. fchatwin@villamusica.org
Villa Musica's Guitar Upgrade Program Strikes Again!
On October 5th 2007, 13 year old Alex Wong of Carmel Valley received a beautiful Esteve classical guitar from Villa Musica. Alex has been studying with Villa Musica's chief guitar instructor Dr. Jude Weirmeir for the past four years. "Alex is a dedicated and talented student" says Weirmeir "it will be so great for him to have a quality instrument to play".
Alex looked slightly shell-shocked at the Villa Musica guitar and voice recital earlier this month as he walked back on stage to receive his award. His parents, however, were bursting with pride as they watched from the audience.
Congratulations Alex, you deserve this opportunity.
Congratulations, Abel and Alex! Well done to you both, and we hope you will enjoy your new beautiful Spanish guitars (Esteve). We hope that this award will encourage you to continue to play and discover the art of classical giutar playing.
