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Valley Music Academy

Why We Exist

It is the mission of Valley Music Academy to provide quality music education and programming for all members of our community, regardless of gender, race, creed, or financial resources, while demonstrating that music is a powerful means of encouraging cooperation, celebrating diversity, and building self-esteem.

What We Do

The accomplished faculty of VMA provides instruction on over thirty instruments. Private lessons are available to to individuals starting at age five through adulthood, while Musikgarten classes are available for young ones and their families starting at six months of age. The scholarship program is the flagship of VMA’s commitment to serving the community, designed to reach children who would not otherwise have the means to participate in music education at this level. Financial assistance is awarded to eligible students through the age of 18 in the form of scholarships, the availability and amount of which are determined annually based on grant funding and the state of Valley Music Academy’s current financial budget. VMA awards scholarships based on (1) the financial need of the family and (2) the musical progress, effort and potential of the individual student. VMA uses the Federal Poverty Level Guidelines in determining scholarship amounts.

Who We Serve

VMA seeks to provide access to quality music education for all members of our community, with an emphasis on children under the age of eighteen.
Why Community Members Support Our Work
VMA is seeking to expand it’s scholarship fund, which would allow us to offer low or no cost music education to children who would otherwise be unable to access such programs. Our current scholarship budget is $2,600 and allows us to serve four to six children per year (depending on the frequency of their lessons), and we are seeking to increase it to $5,000 to serve ten to fifteen children. Access to this programming can truly change a child’s life – Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory reported in 2014 that low-income students exposed to sustained music education showed improved health and wellness, and were more likely to attend college than their neighborhood counterparts who received no musical training. We will work in conjunction with music programs at public schools throughout the county to increase awareness of the program and opportunities. The scholarship fund is currently supported by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, and individual donors.
How Volunteers Contribute to our Work:
VMA is seeking to expand it’s scholarship fund, which would allow us to offer low or no cost music education to children who would otherwise be unable to access such programs. Our current scholarship budget is $2,600 and allows us to serve four to six children per year (depending on the frequency of their lessons), and we are seeking to increase it to $5,000 to serve ten to fifteen children. Access to this programming can truly change a child’s life – Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory reported in 2014 that low-income students exposed to sustained music education showed improved health and wellness, and were more likely to attend college than their neighborhood counterparts who received no musical training. We will work in conjunction with music programs at public schools throughout the county to increase awareness of the program and opportunities. The scholarship fund is currently supported by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, and individual donors.
How Volunteers Contribute to our Work:
VMA is seeking to expand it’s scholarship fund, which would allow us to offer low or no cost music education to children who would otherwise be unable to access such programs. Our current scholarship budget is $2,600 and allows us to serve four to six children per year (depending on the frequency of their lessons), and we are seeking to increase it to $5,000 to serve ten to fifteen children. Access to this programming can truly change a child’s life – Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory reported in 2014 that low-income students exposed to sustained music education showed improved health and wellness, and were more likely to attend college than their neighborhood counterparts who received no musical training. We will work in conjunction with music programs at public schools throughout the county to increase awareness of the program and opportunities. The scholarship fund is currently supported by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, and individual donors.

Contact Information:

David Heim
500 S. Wayne Avenue
Waynesboro,
Virginia
22980