Downtown Eastside Music Academy

There are a lot of kids in the downtown eastside, be we don't get to hear much from them and we don't see them a lot either.  But here's a new initative worth supporting that gives kids something I had as a kid, and it made all the difference in my life:  music lessons.

A small group of people, including gerald harder, music director (who has an ed. degree to boot) of St. James' Anglican church, and Cathy Walker, a resident - across the street from Oppenheimer Park - have decided to do something wonderful:  create a music academy for kids.

It will start in the fall - 60 kids have applied for seats, so far!

And it's serious stuff;  learning to read music and to play instruments such as piano, violin, guitar.

Eventually, they'll be putting on concerts together.

When I was a kid, I wasn't terribly impressive at athletics.  But piano?  Starting in about grade 4, that became my 'thing'.  It was wonderful to have something I felt good about.  It contributed to self-esteem, and of course, the sheer joy of music.

I can only imagine the positive that music could be for 60 or more kids in my neighbourhood.