CI Ildrcn n Pi syl anIIFin Arts Inll tl ehlO'ichl Suzuki (1.898-1.998), whose method of teaching music has been adopted around theworld, said, "All children can be well educated." Today, Suzuki's philosophy and teaching method arereaching music students In two rural <strong>Virginia</strong> communities, thanks to the <strong>Virginia</strong> <strong>Tech</strong> <strong>Outreach</strong> CommunityFine Arts Initiative.Launched in 2005, the <strong>Outreach</strong> Community Fine Arts Initiative promotes music education inSouthwest and Southside <strong>Virginia</strong>. David Ehrlich, who was appointed <strong>Outreach</strong> Fine Arts Fellow in2005 by <strong>Virginia</strong> <strong>Tech</strong> Pl esident Charles W. Steger, leads the Fine Arts Initiative in both Wytheville andChatham.The program consists of instruction in violin, viola, cello, guitar, piano, and voice for childrenjust beginning to learn a musical instrument. Instructors chiefly teach 30-minute individual lessons, butensemble classes are also avaHable. There are now 28 students, nine on scholarships.Three years ago Betty Davenport of Chatham, then president of the board of Woodlawn Academy,heard some of Ehrlich's students perform in Blacksburg. Later, she contacted Ehrlich by phone.Trained in piano, Davenport feels that music is critical to a well-rounded education, so she wanted toprovide more opport unities for music study to I'ocal children. At the time, Ehrlich had Just been appointed<strong>Outreach</strong> Fine Arts Fellow and was charged with bringing an arts program to two as yet unidentifiedrural communities. "I couldn't believe the coincidence," 'Davenport says.To spark interest, Ehrlich and his students traveled to area schools where they performed andhad "petting zoos," allowing chi ldren to get up close and actually touch the musical instruments.More than anything, Davenport hopes to help Chatham establish a strong reputation In the arts.The region's economy, formerly supported by tobacco and textiles, has gone through drastic changes.Music education, she feels, will raise the quality of life for members of her community and, in the fut ure,that center of creativity will contribute to the economy by enticing new families to locate here.Outreac hHOW 28
,~ /~ .. ~ ./'jl /' /"""'"llt/rulc 6)-. Illftk.{Z' (, {f(''1l C{.,.·Ii~u". IIt1 c!lt/:(;{M/:, -!ita. ~ /-- ~~ . /' /. 'I ~jl ' v;;1f1ll':~/nH:/ ~t!/f.,'15,1/ {,j;{" lcurd {{!f(t ~et1ms t~yit 1n.. //L.it.~ .1t If, /;;)4.\· ,\CI!il{{ZJ . ){t~l,; . c!uCtj!/;U; futl~ / / J ~ ~ (J '/' J))('/u!tt/r{;;ce. M fec,- t{ if-ert{tlt'-ht!L~ruf. )J Shin ' ichi SuzukiL /~Chatham Baptist Church pastor ChuckWarnock has opened the church doors tothe community, offering space for lessonsand performances. The Chatham Fine ArtsInitiative also runs its administrative officeout of the building.Teaching music bV soundEhrlich asks that his students committhemselves fully to their craft. If theyare not willing to practice every day, theprogram is not for them. He says that thegoal of the Chatham program is not necessarily to cultivate professional musicians.He wants children to develop a lifelonglove of music and the arts. In the future, hesays, ;01 would hope for the students to gettogether with their friends and play somemusic, I hope their lives will be enriched."As important as student commitment is,the commitment of the music instructorsmust be even stronger. Ehrlich conductsa rigorous national search and auditionsto recruit music teachers. The teacherscommute from Blacksburg to Chatham andWytheville each week, often spending thenight at students' homes. Ehrlich trainedbrothers Kevin and Bryan Matheson forseven years to play the violin and to teach.Kevin Matheson teaches one ensembleclass in Chatham to students rangingin ages from 5 to 11. "Violin 'is a socialinstrument," he says, so students learnvaluable skills like working with a groupand learning to play with friends in alow-pressure atmosphere. They also learnetiquette. In the ensemble, Kevin teachesstudents how to bow while holding the violin and how to play within a group, watching the instructor for cues. The group playsrhythm games, In a 'recent ensemble class, The Mathesons travel for most of the workweek. Much of their schedule depends onstudents. When classes are canceled dueto illness or weather, it can be challengingto fit in make-up lessons. Their dedication to music seems instinctive and theyeach approach teaching with an easy and relaxed manner, just as they teach their students to hold the bow with " relaxed control." .The theory behind the Suzuki method,also referred to as the ;o mother tongue"technique, is that children are capable oflearning language by speaking at a veryyoung age and have the ability to learnother things in the same way. Students asyoung as 4 years old first tearn by imitatingfamiliar songs like "Twinkle, TwinkleLittle Star." Kevin Matheson says, "It's notabout the black dots on a page of music.It's about the sound." The black dots comelater. The Suzuki method requires that parentsparticipate in lessons and guide daily practiceat home. Parents are encouraged totake notes, ask questions, and participateduring the lessons. At home, they becomethe teachers and contribute to their child'ssuccess by recreating the lessons. Recentstudies demonstrate that music education, particularly Suzuki, contributes tostronger brain functions, such as memory.students practiced playing "Twinkle" byalternating notes among players, focusingon developing a unified sound. They alsopracticed playing with their eyes closedin order to concentrate on cues from theirinstructor.Addressingchallenges creativelvChatham has taken ownership of the artsprogram, Ehrlich says. A logo has beendeveloped and a website is in the works.Plans also include a youth orchestra thatwill perform quarterly for the greater community.Davenport says that the chief challenges inChatham are promoting the program andgaining funding. The Chatham communityhas responded by raising about $6,000.Proceeds from a "Doors of Chatham" calendarspearheaded by the Chatham Firstorganization and an auction by the churchhave gone to support student scholarships.Students perform at recitals to displaytheir accomplishments to the greatercommunity. In January, a packed audiencein the Chatham Baptist Church gave thema standing ovation. Although still beginners,Ehrlich said that the stUdents hadimproved markedly over the course of theyear.Instructor Bryan Matheson works with ayoung girl named Glory Cornelius to grow alarger, richer sound from her violin. She hasa soft, round face and thick, dark hair. Akitchen sponge attached to the undersideof the instrument helps h.er to hold the violinproperly and electrical tape underneaththe strings guides her fingers to achievethe correct notes, He asks, "Shall we playit together once?""Okay." Her response is hardly audibl e.Glory's confidence comes through her instrument,though, and they grow t he soundtogether. Bryan and Kevin seem to engage students effortlessly. Bryan encourages students to "make a bridge" to achieve the best finger placement for a clear sound, Kevin tells students to " make a bunny" with their fingers to hold the bow correctly. Kevin says it is not hard to teach such small children. If they are tired or missed their snack, he may try to change the lesson a little to inspire them. Instructors use the Suzuki method forstrings to educate children. FounderShin'ichi Suzuki grew up in Japan in a violinfactory. As a Child, he and his friends usedthe violins as baseball bats. His interestin music matured when he traveled toGermany to learn violin.~l>~o(TO"
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