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This school year, Courtney Vaughn has been studying about civil unrest in places like Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a “World Problems” class at Central Valley High School.
Last week, Vaughn and her fellow students did their part to support a program that reaches out to help.
A benefit concert was held at CVHS last Thursday for the Field Band Foundation, a South African-based nonprofit organization for youth that teaches positive traits through music and dance. Vaughn, a senior who contributed pottery to an art display and participated in the concert as part of the choir, said learning about the foundation helped her better appreciate the impact of music and art.
“This helps them have a place to go, to be involved,” Vaughn said.
“Unfortunately, many of them don’t have this kind of opportunity. I’m just proud to be able to help in some way.”
There are over 3,500 young people involved in the foundation with bands comprised mostly of brass and percussion instruments. Funds raised from the CV benefit – a total of nearly $1,500 – will go toward the purchase of additional instruments, according to Eric Parker, CV band director.
“Kids always hear about how they can change the world,” Parker said. “This is about changing one person’s world and their perception of it. If our students can learn that lesson from this event, than we couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Those who take part in the foundation learn about leadership skills, responsibility and goal-setting. Topics like HIV awareness are also addressed. Students who participate in the program are coping with issues ranging from poverty – the unemployment rate among families involved in the foundation is over 60 percent – to inadequate health care and the struggle for racial equality. From 1946 to 1996, South Africa lived under a government-regulated system of segregation known as apartheid.
“This is for a cause that most of us, myself included, had never heard of,” Parker said. “We sometimes take for granted that we have this incredible facility and the support from the school district administrators. There are a lot of places in the world that don’t have that.”
Parker was able to learn more about African music from the composer Robert W. Smith while attending graduate school at Southern Oregon University. Smith, who has written compositions for events like the Olympics and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, has dedicated time to studying musical traditions on the continent. One of Smith’s songs was featured during the final portion of the Dec. 4 concert.
“We worked to incorporate the life of the drums into the music,” Parker said.
Band members also contributed material to an 18-line poem that dealt with topics like privilege and making a difference. Parker said the subject matter helped students and staff “gain more appreciation for what we have.”
“I think we take a lot of things for granted here,” Parker said. “A project like this helps nurture empathy and break down walls, grudges and preconceptions.”
Central Valley’s wind ensemble, a capella choir, women’s chorus and percussion ensemble were each represented at the concert, a total of nearly 150 singers and musicians. Student art, representing African culture and landscapes, was displayed in the cafeteria prior to the show.
Sue Mihalic, an art instructor at CV, said the “I Am: Africa” project provided students with a lesson in perspective.
“There aren’t a lot of cultures represented in Spokane Valley,” Mihalic said.
“We are pretty sheltered here. This gave them an opportunity to look at a world view and see ways they can help.”
Want to help?
To learn more about the Field Band Foundation, visit www.fieldband.org.
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By
Craig Howard
