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by June 1
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Mailing Address
P.O. Box 34
Moraga, CA 94556
Office Location
Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School
1010 Camino Pablo
Moraga, CA
Kim Matranga
Executive Director
(925) 376-0934
[email protected]s
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| Most are aware that your support of the Moraga Education Foundation makes music education in our town possible. But perhaps you aren't aware of the original ways your donations are used to cultivate a love and appreciation for the performing arts from a young age, all the way through high school. The story below is a perfect example. |
"What is in your heart?" asked Ms. Stafford. Caroline, a 4th grader at Rheem school, is standing in rolled-paper anguish, making one of the biggest decisions she will make this year, or maybe even for several years: choice of musical instrument.
On September 1st, Moraga elementary school children joined Caroline and the music staff of the Moraga School District in Joaquin Moraga's gymnasium for the "Instrument Petting Zoo", a new event this year which invites all 4th grade students to try their hand at a range of instruments before making the commitment to play an instrument or join a chorus at school.
"Our hope is that this interaction with professional musicians will help Moraga's students with a musical choice that is a great fit for their natural strengths."
Mr. Adam Noel, JM Middle School Music Director
Violin, viola, clarinet, percussion, saxophone, to name a few, all available for the beating, bowing or blowing, and
each of the 10 instrument stations, staffed with a trained expert to assess each child's comfort, interest and fit with each instrument. Children walk to any station of their choosing, while the experts at each station fill in a "fit" assessment chart and give the child a try at the instrument.
At times the JM gymnasium is filled with cacophony and at times with brilliant melody. However, the overall feeling that reverberates throughout the room that day is discovery, the first step on the way to mastery.
"The Instrument Petting Zoo" and events like it at elementary schools all over the country are perfect in that kids get an instrument in their hands and can begin the long journey of joyous music making throughout their lives. A hopefully unbroken chain of commitment, from that moment through the middle school program at JM and on through their musical experiences in the Campolindo program, starts with that first step - their first instrument."
Mr. Johnny Johnson, Campolindo Music Director
Prior to "The Zoo", Caroline had decided that she would be a violinist. In the car ride over to JM, she was dead set on chorus. However, this experience has made her reconsider. The world is now flush with new options, and she tries most of them. "Flute was too hard", the conversation continues at the table with Ms. Stafford, "The drums make me feel crazy. But I actually made a sound on the clarinet, which the expert there said was good, so maybe I should do that because I know I can do it". "But is that what your heart says?" asks Ms. Stafford. Caroline chews her lip and ruminates. "In my heart, I believe I should play viola". "Then you have your answer", says Ms. Stafford. And so Caroline's discovery begins, viola it is.
Chosen by heart.
Submitted by Anne Obstenik
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