Tuesday (12/2) on King 5 News (Seattle) Michael Konopasek reports on a city-funded program that is allowing Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras to provide instruments and musical instruction to several of Seattle’s elementary schools. “It’s a project that only costs the tiniest fraction of Seattle’s nearly $5 billion budget. But for some students, it’s one of the most important investments the city could make. Students at several Southwest Seattle elementary schools have access to music instruments and instruction they would otherwise have missed.” Norma Zavala, principal of Concord International School, “says the school simply doesn’t have the funding to continue an orchestra program without additional help. Resources are limited at schools in the South Park neighborhood. But thanks to taxpayer support and Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras, the instruments and the lessons are here to stay. ‘We chose to work in this area because it has had historically some of the lowest access to arts education mainly due to economic barriers,’ said Kathleen Allen with Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras. Councilman Tom Rasmussen fought for the funding during budget negotiations.” The $5,000 appropriation, combined with other funding, allows the SYSO to bring music educators into seven Seattle schools.
Posted December 4, 2014
