Media only: Katey Padden, Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator, (585)451-8492, kpadden@esm.rochester.edu
ROCmusic, a collaborative and innovative arts-outreach program that engages children and their families in the experience of making and appreciating classical music, has renamed its “Readiness Beginning String Division” to the “Ginny Morris Readiness String Program” in thanks to the Ginny Morris Memorial Fund at the Rochester Area Community Foundation for many years of support.
The “Ginny Morris Readiness String Program” is for children ages 6 – 9 who are beginners learning to play violin and cello. These children receive up to five hours of instruction per week, including private or small group lessons and independent practice time. Weekly electives include vocal/music skills class to help students develop aural skills and percussion class to enhance their ability to distinguish and produce rhythms. Students also work with other players during repertoire class.
“At ROCmusic, we are so thankful to the Ginny Morris Memorial Fund at the Rochester Area Community Foundation for their continued support of our program for Rochester Youth,” says Executive and Artistic Director of ROCmusic, Armand Hall. “It is important for people to know about the fantastic community support we receive to operate our tuition-free programming for Rochester Youth.”
“Our family is thrilled that ROCmusic is honoring Ginny’s legacy of promoting the well-being of children in our community,” says Eric Morris. “ROCmusic’s commitment to helping students find joy through music is consistent with the many ways that Ginny helped children in her lifetime. We look forward to ROCmusic’s continued contribution to families in our community.”
ROCmusic is a partnership between The Hochstein School of Music & Dance, Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester), Eastman Community Music School, Gateways Music Festival, City of Rochester, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Rochester City School District.
Established in 2012, ROCmusic recently expanded to all four quadrants of Rochester, giving every student a better opportunity to receive musical instruction. ROCmusic is looking forward, constantly working to better serve the community, and growing to serve more and more people in the city of Rochester.
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About ROCmusic
ROCmusic is an innovative arts-outreach program that engages children and their families in the experience of making and appreciating classical music, offers tuition-free classical music instruction and instrument lessons to students in grades 1-12 who reside in the city of Rochester, NY. The program is designed to instill a love of learning, responsibility, respect, and academic success, ultimately positively affecting social change in our students and the communities surrounding them. Every gift made to the ROCmusic fund is a deductible donation that directly benefits student scholarships and the organization’s operational cost. No previous musical experience or training is required and there is no charge for instruments, participation, or instruction. For more information please visit: https://www.esm.rochester.edu/rocmusic/
About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training.
More than 900 students are enrolled in the Collegiate Division of the Eastman School of Music—about 500 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. They come from almost every state, and approximately 23 percent are from other countries. They are taught by a faculty comprised of more than 130 highly regarded performers, composers, conductors, scholars, and educators. They are Pulitzer Prize winners, Grammy winners, Emmy winners, Guggenheim fellows, ASCAP Award recipients, published authors, recording artists, and acclaimed musicians who have performed in the world’s greatest concert halls. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 900 concerts to the Rochester community. Additionally, more than 1,700 members of the Rochester community, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.
About the University of Rochester:
The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s leading private research universities, one of only 62-member institutions in the Association of American Universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives undergraduates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.