Park West sponsors young Farmington musicians
“Practice” (2012) by Hua Chen.
Park West Gallery seeks to enrich the lives of others through art, and by partnering with Farmington Musicale, will enrich the lives of students through the musical arts.
Four students in Farmington and Farmington Hills, Michigan, will attend music clinics this summer with full scholarships thanks to contributions made by Park West and the family of May D. Avro.
HometownLife announced that Eric Hughes and Daniel Phillips will attend Schoolcraft College’s Piano Camp, while Megan Large will attend Adventures in Chamber Music. Aurora Batton, another student, will attend the Michigan Opera Company’s Operetta Workshop.
Farmington Musicale supports music outreach programs for students in the Farmington community with a focus on “the music of our western culture.” Park West Gallery has worked with the club since 2006 when it supported a music competition for students in grades 7 to 12.
In 2007, the club started a summer scholarship program to provide opportunities for students with financial struggles to attend music workshops. Teachers who are members of the Musicale recommend students for consideration, and through a lottery system, students are chosen as the recipients of scholarships.
Anne Greenstein, chairwoman of Farmington Musicale’s summer scholarship program, says between 2007 and 2015, Park West Gallery has offered some much-needed assistance to the club.
“It’s been extremely appreciated – even during the rough years financially, when Detroit really caved, they (Park West Gallery) still helped us when we needed it,” she says.
Greenstein says this year’s contributions from Park West will allow an 11-year-old violin student and a 14-year-old piano student to attend the workshops.“We are very grateful to the Scaglione family for their support for this program.”
“You never know what inspires a student, but when a student gets an opportunity – especially with the piano, when you learn the piano students are alone – they have the opportunity to do duets and take master classes,” she says. “It is a source of inspiration for them.”
The students will attend workshops at the following:
- Schoolcraft College’s Piano Camp: During a five-day summer camp, small groups of students learn to improve sight-reading skills, to hear new things while playing, and improve practice strategies.
- Adventures in Chamber Music: A two-week summer camp focusing on chamber music (music composed for small groups of instruments) for students in grades 5 to 12.
- Michigan Opera Theatre’s Operetta Workshop: A three-week long day camp that focuses on acting, singing, dancing and healthy voice care for youth ages 10 to 18.
This year, it is particularly special for Farmington Musicale to send students to these programs, as the club is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
For more information about Farmington Musicale or to join, visit their website at www.farmingtonmusicale.org.
