Music with Foster-Involved Children
String Program with Foster-Involved Children at New Life Village
Bethany directs New Life Village's string program in which foster-involved children learn to play the violin or cello and play together in an ensemble. This program offers foster-involved, minority children access to music education. Participants, many of whom have faced neglect, trauma, and housing or food insecurity, receive violins or cellos and weekly lessons, and showcase their achievements through public concerts. Beyond the empowerment and self expression of learning and performing music, numerous studies have shown that music involvement can help in trauma recovery, bolster resilience, encourage a positive association with education, foster a sense of personal potential, engenders pride in achievement, encourage a sense of belonging, and provide a positive outlet for emotions, thereby being an access point to holistic wellbeing for these young people.
Tampa Bay Times Article
Reporter Sonia Rao writes about the violin/cello programs with foster-involved children and teens in juvenile detention: https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2024/08/24/tampa-cello-instructor-teaches-at-risk-kids-more-than-just-music/
The Florida Orchestra supports Summer String Session
The Florida Orchestra's Education and Community Impact department partnered with New Life Village to offer a summer string session. Through nine group sessions, foster-involved youth learned violin and cello, cracked the code of reading music notation and composed their own music. Their summer journey culminated in a community concert at Brookdale Bayshore Senior Living, where the world premiere of their original composition, Six Villagers’ Jig, was featured.
Decades and Dice Gala Performance
New Life Village's string ensemble of foster-involved musicians performed at their 2025 gala fundraiser, and were a hit!
IN THE NEWS:
Click here to check out ABC Action News Tampa Bay's story on the program:
