The Houston Symphony is partnering with the 5th Ward Cultural Arts District’s (CAD) DeLUXE Theater and the American Festival for the Arts (AFA) to establish an intensive and transformational, community-based music education program to provide exceptional violin training and social development to elementary school students from Houston’s Fifth Ward neighborhood. DeLUXE K!DS In Harmony with the Houston Symphony in Partnership with AFA kicked off its Fall Semester yesterday with a rehearsal and performance for parents.
“The 5th Ward CAD welcomes the Houston Symphony and AFA to the DeLUXE Theater and our community as collaborative partners in bringing music education directly to the youth of Fifth Ward community,” said Fifth Ward Redevelopment Corporation Arts & Culture Director Harrison Guy. “We believe wholeheartedly that our students should not have to leave their community in order to experience artistic opportunities. The 5th Ward CAD uses a myriad of strategies to preserve and build on the cultural legacies of the district’s past, while also looking to art as a means to celebrate its diversity and navigate future challenges. With a keen focus on community, culture, and creativity, the 5th Ward CAD believes and promotes the idea that ‘There is no art without the people.’”
“We know that music has the power to change lives for the better in so many ways,” said Houston Symphony Executive Director, CEO, and holder of the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair John Mangum. “By joining forces with the 5th Ward CAD and AFA, we have the opportunity to advance the 5th Ward CAD’s goal of making music accessible to all Fifth Ward students. We’re excited to embark on this journey with such great partners, and eager to see the students not just learn the violin, but also develop teamwork and leadership skills, build relationships, and feel a sense of pride and belonging to a musical community.”
“AFA is delighted to be partnering with the Houston Symphony for the DeLUXE K!DS project in Houston’s Fifth Ward,” said AFA Executive Director Amanda Fisher. “AFA was founded thirty years ago to provide wide access to music education programs for both students and adults in the Greater Houston area. We are pleased to add this project as a component of our Engage AFA initiative, where it will join our other customized school and community-based programs.”
Having launched on September 26, the program comprises three after-school classes per week and one Saturday class per month throughout the year, with classes including large group, small group, and individual instruction. Students perform monthly for families and community members at the Fifth Ward’s DeLUXE Theater, as well as lobby concerts for at least one Houston Symphony Family Series Concert during the 2022–2023 season. The roster of teachers includes Houston Symphony Community-Embedded Musicians Rainel Joubert and David Connor, AFA Faculty Artists Samantha Arizpe and Emilio Arredondo, and Brenda Rengel Cardona.
Registration for the program is currently open for students in grades 3-5. Contact Harrison Guy to enroll or get more information at hguy@fifthwardcrc.org, or 281.968.0059.