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Classical Music Program Benefits Urban Kids

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For Tarick, it’s like music to his ears.

“After a concert, hearing the applause and seeing everyone cheering for you, it just stops your heart,” he says.

Tarick, a tenth grader at Edgewater High School, has quite the knack for musical instruments. What started off as a gig in middle school band has grown into a full-fledged passion thanks to an award-winning Central Florida program called A Gift For Music (AGFM).

With music and art being slashed from school budgets, the AGFM program brings the arts back into the lives of children who face poverty and inequality every day in Central Florida. AGFM was created in 1999 as a program of A Gift For Teaching a nonprofit organization that distributes school supplies to teachers and needy students in need, as a way to further their mission by not just providing supplies, but experiences, too.

This year’s aspiring AGFM students debuted their year’s hard work last night at A Gift For Music’s Eighth Annual Concert at Calvary Assembly Church where they not only performed, many for the first time, but shared the stage with the Royal Drums of Africa courtesy of Walt Disney World Co., Tamas Kocsis, Concertmaster of Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and world-renowned professional musicians JoAnne Stephenson and Laurent Boukobza from the University of Central Florida.

As the only program of its kind in Central Florida, AGFM is generously funded by Walt Disney World Co. and has provided free violins, violas, cellos and quality stringed music instruction to more than 4,800 underprivileged students since its inception.

Beginning classes take place during regular school hours while the advanced orchestra, known as Core Orchestra, practices for three hours every Saturday at A Gift For Teaching.

As a member of the elite Core Orchestra for four years, Tarick, who now not only plays the violin, but the viola, clarinet, and saxophone as well, has taken on the role of mentor, assisting younger students during Saturday practices.

“It’s so important for kids to know music and learn to play an instrument,” says Tarick. “It teaches you how to express yourself. It makes you an individual and makes you different so you can be who you really are.”

Tarick joined AGFM in sixth grade and hasn’t stopped playing since. And though arts funding is one of the first items cut from school budgets, the importance of music education in schools and in these students’ lives cannot be silenced. AGFM has opened a new world to them, providing not only an outlet of self-expression, but a safe place when home wasn’t.

AGFM alum Meghan began the program when she was only in elementary school. And even though her stepdad didn’t approve of her practicing or playing the violin, she rode her bike to and from practice every Saturday for two hours just to play the violin.

Jade, another AGFM alum, said she would have dropped out of school had it not been for AGFM.
“Music’s always been a release for me. It’s given me place where I can go and be myself,” says Jade. “I love music and I love the feeling I get when I do it. I want to stick with that for the rest of my life.”

As some of AGFM’s first students, Meghan, Jade and Tarick have not only evolved as versatile musicians, but as insightful and experienced adults, too.

Last year, Tarick took center stage as the only soloist out of 600 students and this year he served as the Core Orchestra’s Concertmaster. But he doesn’t let that go to his head.

“There are so many great musicians out there. Once you play with them, you really find out how good you are. It’s addictive. I never want to stop playing.”

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