For Chung Park, music was his saving grace.
Raised by a single mother along with two siblings in the big city of Chicago, the UCF Symphony Orchestra director began going down a dead-end path in high school. Life at home was chaotic, and he didn 麻豆精品 S檛 like school.
麻豆精品 S淚 felt aimless, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淢y compass wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 focused in the right direction. 麻豆精品 S�
That was until his music instructors helped guide him back on track.
Park is now an associate professor of music, director of string music education and director of symphony and chamber orchestras in the College of Arts and Humanities. But beyond his day job, he 麻豆精品 S檚 also the education coordinator of A Gift For Music, a local program under the umbrella of A Gift For Teaching, founded on the idea that all children should have access to the life-changing benefits of a quality music education regardless of their socioeconomic status.
All the kids that A Gift For Music serves attend an Orange County Title I elementary, middle or high school or qualify for free or reduced lunch.
For Park, this program is personal.
麻豆精品 S淚 know the power of music, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t can keep kids in school who may otherwise fall off the map. 麻豆精品 S�
Over the past four years, he 麻豆精品 S檚 spent most of his Saturdays conducting free orchestra practice for about 100 students. Behind the scenes, though, he 麻豆精品 S檚 orchestrated much more; he 麻豆精品 S檚 also created a seamless pipeline from UCF to A Gift For Music.
He teaches college students and then places them in instructor roles in the program, where students learn how to play string instruments. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a win-win; students earn pay and real-world experience, and the organization has an endless pipeline of eager instructors who help expose the younger students to college 麻豆精品 S� something that children from underserved communities don 麻豆精品 S檛 always have.
麻豆精品 S淭he chance to learn from Chung and give back to A Gift For Music is one of the reasons I 麻豆精品 S檓 going to UCF for graduate school in the fall. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Cesar Olmeda
麻豆精品 S淭he chance to learn from Chung and give back to A Gift For Music is one of the reasons I 麻豆精品 S檓 going to UCF for graduate school in the fall, 麻豆精品 S� says Cesar Olmeda, a bass player, who got involved with A Gift For Music when he was in third grade at Ventura Elementary School. 麻豆精品 S淲ithout A Gift For Music, I wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 be where I am right now as a musician. 麻豆精品 S�
Olmeda entered A Gift For Music as a violin player. He was introduced to bass as he progressed from the free after-school weekday music lessons to the Saturday orchestra practices. He is just one of hundreds of students that A Gift For Music has seen go on to college.
About 90 percent of graduates of A Gift For Music go to college, says Park, even though students from Title I schools 麻豆精品 S� where at least 40 percent of students are from low-income families 麻豆精品 S� are less likely to advance beyond high school. In 2016, about 20 percent of dependent undergraduate students in the United States were from low-income families, according to the Pew Research Center.
麻豆精品 S淎 Gift For Music provides a sense of security for these kids. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a place where they can talk about ambitions, good grades and can be around like-minded people, 麻豆精品 S� Park says.
During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May 麻豆精品 S� and every month 麻豆精品 S� Park recognizes the importance of representation.
麻豆精品 S淟ife is sometimes easier when you come from certain backgrounds. It 麻豆精品 S檚 so important that there are people of color in prominent roles because if we don 麻豆精品 S檛 exist then people who come after us don 麻豆精品 S檛 think they can do it, 麻豆精品 S� Park says. 麻豆精品 S淚 get chills just thinking about it. 麻豆精品 S�
