City Strings:
In 2002 Augustana Arts established the City Strings program which offers private violin, viola and cello lessons to children (age 4-16) from low-income families in the Denver metropolitan area. The program exposes 'at-risk' children to music, but it also helps them to attain other educational goals by teaching self-discipline and developing self-confidence.
Every City Strings student has a group and private lesson each week from a Suzuki-trained music teacher. Subsidized music instruction is aimed at children who qualify for free or reduced lunch programs. Families pay for weekly lessons on a sliding scale based on household income, and instruments are loaned for free to the children for the duration of their studies with City Strings. Click here to see a video about City Strings.
The City Strings program encourages a love of music, but more importantly, it offers a supportive environment for these children to:
- develop discipline by establishing practice patterns
- increase self-esteem through achievement of a difficult skill
- generate family interactions in rehearsal and performance.
Free Performances:
Augustana Arts offers free outreach performances at prisons, nursing homes, hospitals and hospice centers which delight the spirit by offering joy, hope and comfort to those who would not otherwise be able to attend performances.
Music Education Outreach:
Since its incorporation Augustana Arts has expanded its outreach to includes subsidized music instruction, workshops and presentations in local public schools, private tuition for piano, voice and all band instruments and partnerships with professional and semi-professional arts organizations.
Ticket Donations:
Augustana Arts offers ticket donations to more than 2,000 individuals with mental, physical or developmental disabilities over the course of each season, and we are proud to partner with ArtReach to offer hope and inspiration through the performing arts.