The Global Village School's administrators and faculty work tirelessly with and for the teenage girls and their families to provide both academic and social support necessary for them to heal, grow, integrate and succeed in their new homeland. Through an expansion of the Music Center Community Outreach Programs, we are honored by the opportunity to join the cause. This month, 25 Global Village students begin free music lessons and classes at the Decatur Music Center on instruments and in singing, in styles of their choosing.
...music will heal and empower
The role music plays in individual and community life is varied, rife with possibilities, even paradoxes. Music can create a reservoir of emotions, and it can be a channel for releasing them. A wounded or distressed soul can be soothed by basking in warm, calm sounds; a person wrestling with intense anger or frustration can find satisfying release by creating or listening to a torrent of aggressive sounds. Lamentations reflect deep sorrow, and they often provide an essential opportunity for commiserating; likewise, true friendship can be strengthened when learning how to and then by singing in harmony. On the other hand, friendly sparring can be captured in competitive call and answer games. Joy, triumph, desire, urgency, sadness, regret, connection, satisfaction, peace, love, hope, hate, anger, loss, alienation, loneliness-- name an emotion, and trust there is music that can swell or empty the heart of it. Global Village students will be empowered to explore their own emotions in their musical practice, as they each choose.
Music can also tell a story, expose and challenge an injustice, leading to indignation or empathy, demands for change, and then, only through an extra-musical resolution, can a musician or a community find peace. As Global Village students have learned first hand, indeed more than most of us will ever know, resolution can be a difficult, painful, even violent process. Global Village students undoubtedly have compelling stories to tell and wrongs to address, and we intend to provide them with the tools to speak for themselves through music, if they choose.
Finally, although music can be pointedly approached as a tool for calibrating emotions or expressing messages, for some musicians, the most important change music offers is refuge from daily life, chores and challenges, ups and downs. Music for war refugees-- maybe most importantly an enjoyable retreat to the wondrous, playful, and stable world of tone, movement, embodied energy. If students simply want to have fun or if they wish to engage in the arena of "pure" rather than "message" music, we will provide that opportunity. No one should ever be required to disclose their feelings or tell a story if they just want to sing, play, or cultivate a disciplined musical practice.
Based on our knowledge and experience, we believe music will mean some or all of these things, and more, when Global Village students (re)discover they are musicians at the Music Center. The truth is, we welcome the varied approaches, philosophies, outcomes, because all of these musical paths provide students opportunities for self-expression, aesthetic exploration, and growth, all of which are vital to recovery and empowerment. And we'll be working with the professional faculty and administrators of the Global Village School to ensure our work meets its purpose.
Buy a t-shirt or make a donation
The Music Center gathers funding for instruction, books, and instruments through two means. First, we donate the proceeds from our t-shirt and book sales directly to our Community Outreach Programs. When you purchase something from our growing catalog, you support our new outreach to the Global Village School and our continued programs with the Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Grady High School, and a number of individuals on scholarships at the Music Center.
Proceeds from t-shirt and book sales support projects like the Global Village School Project. It's still under construction, but you can join us by purchasing one or more logo t-shirts today from our catalog.
The logo shirts are popular because they're low cost, fun, and best of all, they're a banner announcing your support of innovative and worthy music education programming. Plus, when you buy online, we'll throw in a packet of RIT dye so you can personalize your shirt with tie-dye (nothing says Little 5 Points like tie-dye). We'll also include a short message card about the outreach program-- if you're giving the shirt as a gift, the recipient will know that your purchase helped some girls in need. (Seriously, who needs Abercrombie and Fitch when you've got the L5P Music Center catalog?)
Second, tax deductible donations to support our Community Outreach can also be made directly to the Global Village School and/or in support of the ongoing work with the Center for Pan Asian Community Services and Grady High School. For designated gifts to the Global Village School, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . To donate to CPACS, please contact yotin@cpacs.org. To support our outreach to Grady High School, please contact sergio.raulrodriguez@gmail.com. When you contact Grace, Yotin, or Sergio, please let them know you are interested in supporting music instruction offered by the Music Center to their students.
For questions about our Community Outreach Program or other Music Center programs, please contact Phil@L5PMusicCenter.com