Bravo! Vail Launches String Instrument Program
New curriculum inspired by Bravo! Vail’s After-School Piano Program will teach elementary-age students fundamentals of strings music
Vail, CO—August 11, 2018— The Bravo! Vail Music Festival is expanding its education outreach in the Vail Valley with the launch of its new String Instrument Program. Tailored for elementary school students in grades 2-5, the introductory music program will offer 30 weeks of hands-on instruction beginning September 2018. Enrollment for the after-school program is open from August 15-30, 2018, with scholarships available to make it as accessible as possible for all members of the community. More information is available at www.bravovail.org/after-school-programs.
“The Vail Valley is a vibrant community deeply committed to arts and culture. We are thrilled to be expanding our education programs to offer even more opportunities for students to explore the world of music. Local parents and their children are eager for this opportunity and embrace the rigor and dedication that learning a string instrument requires,” said Bravo! Vail Education Manager Keelin Davis. “As an organization, Bravo! Vail is thrilled to continue supporting our young musicians in the Vail Valley.”
After extensive research at the community and local school level throughout the Vail Valley, Bravo! Vail’s education team found limited opportunities for students to be introduced to playing string instruments and concluded that the Festival was in a unique position to fill this gap in music education. Unlike neighboring communities, Vail has no youth orchestra. Additionally, orchestra programs at the middle and high school levels do not offer linear curricular development from year to year.
The String Instrument Program is modeled on the success and curriculum of Bravo! Vail’s After-School Piano Program, which was introduced in 2009 and today provides more than 500 lessons to 140 children annually.
Coordinating with local music educators and private instructors, Bravo! Vail will offer a graduated, traditional approach to string instrument instruction that incorporates elements from various tested methodologies, including the Suzuki, Pace, and Kodaly methods, as well as traditional instruction. Students will begin by playing the violin to reinforce fundamentals of string instruments. Classes sizes will be limited to no more than eight students, maximizing opportunity for pupils to play together while still allowing for individualized instruction. Classes will be offered in several locations from Vail to Gypsum.
The new String Instrument Program is made possible in part through the National Endowment for the Arts, and Bravo! Vail supporters Alpine Bank, the Town of Gypsum, US Bank Foundation, and Wall Street Insurance, as well as individual donors Valerie & Noel Harris, Donna & Patrick Martin, and Jim & Cookie Flaum.