School of Rock, music.4.life style
Music.4.life is fortunate to be located on the beautiful Ascension Lutheran Church campus. As some of you who are customers may have noticed, we share space with Lutheran Services Carolinas. One of their many missions is supporting foster care children who are unable to live with their biological parents for various reasons. http://www.lscarolinas.net/services-for-children-youth-families/foster-care/ Music.4.life has partnered with Lutheran Family Services to develop a unique jam band program specifically for these kids.
Like the more well known School of Rock model, our jam band classes involves 3-4 students making music together at the level they are capable of. However, our jam band program is not performance based, but process focused. We are more concerned with the development of the whole child through making music, than the performance itself as the end goal.
By expanding this program to serve children in therapeutic foster care, we are giving students individual guidance in a structured musical setting encouraging individual expression without fear of failure. An important benefit of playing music in a group setting is the chance for socialization with peers in a safe and supportive environment. Playing musical instruments allows self expression in a non verbal way. “Communicating” with others through music is safe way for self expression without the limits and pitfalls of spoken language.
We are pleased to have recent Queens college graduate and jazz guitarist Chris Jones join us at music.4.life. One of Chris’s job will be co-teaching this class with John. His experience with music therapy will be a great asset in helping the kids during this experience.
We are looking for financial support to provide the students instruments to practice at home and also to sponsor future students. Donations would be made to Lutheran Services Carolinas and are tax deductible. The cost for sponsoring one student for a 12 week session is $375. We are hoping to raise $1000 for instruments. Any size contribution is appreciated! Checks would may be made out to Lutheran Services Carolinas and submitted to John Gurske.
Thank you for considering this in your planning for end of year charitable contributions.
