Blair School of Music students presented a check for $2,380 to W.O. Smith Music School at Friday’s Student Recital Hour assembly. Students raised the money through a series of events throughout the school year.
“The Blair School has partnered with W.O. Smith for many years and we are delighted that our students continue to be involved with a program that makes such a difference,” said Blair School of Music Dean Melissa Rose.
Anna Arata, director of donor and media relations at W.O. Smith, was on hand to accept the donation. “Blair students are a big contributor to our community as a lot of them serve as our volunteer music teachers,” said Arata. “They come in every single week for 30 minutes to an hour and donate their time to teach one-on-one lessons for our students. They are invaluable to our community and especially to our children and their music education. The monies that we receive from donations go directly toward the kids. Whether that is getting them new supplies that they might need—like music, books, instruments, or instrument upkeep—it goes directly toward the kids’ programming.”
Since its founding in 1984 by William Oscar Smith, W.O. Smith Music School has introduced the world of music to thousands of deserving children in Nashville, providing affordable, quality music instruction to students from low-income families. Students are provided with an instrument of their choosing and a volunteer teaching instructor, with lessons priced at just $0.50 each.
Dozens of Blair students participate in the volunteer program, donating an hour each week to offer private instruction across a variety of disciplines, including piano, guitar and bass, drums and percussion, brass instruments, woodwind instruments, string instruments, and voice.
