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David Caldwell Tunes @ Noon Summer Concert Series presents The Academy of Strings

June 25, 2012

Friday, June 29th at Noon — the Paramount Center for the Arts — The Academy of Strings believes with the right environment and the right works, every child can! The Academy of Strings was established as the Suzuki School of Music in 1991 by a gift of $50,000 from the late Mrs. Ruth Harris of Johnson City. Today, the Academy of Strings is a music academy devoted to the personal development of children/youth through quality music education and performance. The primary goal of the Academy of Strings is to foster well-balanced children/youth and provide them with an enriching musical and learning experience while creating an atmosphere of sharing and mutual learning for the parent and child. Music is used as a tool to teach children/youth sensitivity, patience, confidence, respect and self-discipline. The potential of each child, Dr. Suzuki believed, could be developed if each was given the proper training and learning environment.

The Academy currently has 90 students ages 4 to 18. Students study two days a week with master violinists and teachers Kimberly and Timothy Barrett who completed in addition to Master of Music degrees in Performance from American universities, a three year intensive international Teacher-Training program with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in Matsumoto, Japan. Parents of the students are present during the lessons and are a presence during the studies at home.

We believe in giving back to our community by giving performances throughout the Tri-Cities community. The children/youth have shared their gift of music with nursing home patients, retirement home residents, terminally ill hospital patients, pediatric patients in a children’s hospital, students in numerous public schools, children’s museums, churches, malls, and a variety of other community and civic organizations. Other concerts include performances at Disney World, Barter Theatre, Rhododendron Festival, and the Symphony of the Mountains and the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra.

Support from individuals creating partnerships with the Academy of Strings enable the faulty to teach, train and equip these incredible children/youth of the area as fine strings players, with big and noble hearts, who enjoy sharing their gift of music throughout the community. This allows us to complete our passion, ministry, and life’s work of building and fostering children/youth of the Tri-Cities to be incredible citizens and leaders of tomorrow through music.
Admission is by a suggested donation of $5.00 Canned goods also collected to donate to the Bristol Emergency Food Bank