On May 20th, performances on the Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater will feature East Austin music students in grades 6–12 who have spent the last several months receiving individual instruction from some of Austin’s finest professional musicians through Anthropos Arts.
Anthropos Arts’ music-education programs, now in their 13th year, pair students from Title I schools in East Austin together with musician-mentors for free in-school lessons on music theory, performance, technique, and improvisation.
“Our program is about so much more than providing music lessons to Austin children from low-income families,” says Dylan Jones, founding executive director of Anthropos and lead instructor.
In schools with average graduation rates of around 60% Anthropos students have a consistent 100% high school graduation rate, and this year 100% of the graduating Anthropos students will continue on to 4-year colleges with scholarships.
“Anyone performing a solo for the first time experiences personal growth, but this growth is particularly powerful for a shy young person with the perception of life with limited opportunities,” explains Jones. “At our May concert, our students are superstars performing for a huge cheering crowd. Witnessing the self-esteems blossom is why we do this work.”
Approximately 65% of Anthropos students show an increase in GPA while coupled with an Anthropos mentor. Since its beginning 13 years ago, Anthropos Arts has donated $1,000,000 in services to AISD and Manor students, at no charge to the districts, students or their families. At the annual concert, every student performs at least one improvised solo before friends, family, and the general public.
In all, approximately 100 students from 11 Austin schools will take the stage at Stubb’s. The Anthropos Arts Thirteenth Anniversary Concert is open to the general public, with a $15 suggested donation at the door on Sunday, May 20th, 2012 from 5:00 to7:00 p.m. to help support Anthropos Arts programs.
The highly publicized end-of-year concert, with an anticipated audience of several hundred East Austin family members and friends and community supporters, serves as an important fundraiser for the organization. For more information visit: http://www.anthropos.org
By Monica Pena
Austin Times
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