Benefactors Create Magic

Sat., April 3, 1999

Sandra Bovee Special To Opinion

Music is as much a daily function for me as eating and sleeping. I play the piano daily to express emotion and to discover what the composer is saying. I’m a private piano teacher and I love the opportunity to inspire in children the love of music. Playing the piano teaches children poise, constructive self-expression, alertness, confidence and perseverance.

Four months ago, I read about MusicLink, a program of the Music Teachers National Association Foundation. The program identifies and reaches out to financially “at-risk” students who are musically motivated and potentially talented. It gives them the opportunity to work and build their musical ability under proper guidance.

Who are the “builders” who help these students? They are foresighted parents or guardians who have clear priorities and schedule music development as part of their loved ones’ curriculum. They are private music teachers who give scholarships in lieu of tuition. Public school music specialists are also builders who carefully evaluate the classroom students and nominate scholarship recipients. Three music teachers - Linda Gower of Holmes Elementary, Theresa Spittal of Adams Elementary and Barbara Wagner of Pasadena Park Elementary - went out of their way to schedule practice times at school for their nominated students who didn’t have pianos at home.

Business owners also help by donating pianos and metronomes. For instance, Costco donated electronic keyboards. Davis & Hosch donated two acoustic pianos and Music City donated the rental of two full-length electronic pianos. Dutch’s donated six metronomes to students.

Even a moving company, Pianos Only, helped by moving four pianos into the homes which were large enough (many are not) to lodge a piano. St. Paul’s United Methodist Church donated two upright pianos and “Dan the Piano Man” offered to tune and fix the used pianos.

The person who blesses MusicLink with cash donations is also building the future of a potentially talented youngster.

All of these “builders” possess huge hearts for the at-risk musically gifted student. I have a deep love for the piano and for music. Through MusicLink I - and many other area piano teachers - have shared the magic of music with these special students.

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