Yes! There is a group of talented, knowledgeable, hard-working and improvement-minded musicians working together to establish and grow musical communities in the Richmond area!

These were my first thoughts as I first heard about Da Capo Institute in the summer of 2008. Reading about the many group and private lesson offerings described here on Da Capo’s site, I was impressed- not only by Da Capo’s commitment to provide the highest level of instruction to every student, but also by the varied backgrounds of the faculty and staff- a sign of the respect for different styles of music and value of the individual that Da Capo possesses. The class that struck me as the most innovative and necessary was Vivo, a group-style offering for children with special needs, and I am proud to now be a team member of its teaching staff.

Working with Vivo is an amazing experience. As is true for every Da Capo offering, we implement the model of Love it, Learn it, Live it in every class, and I am able to witness firsthand the excitement and pride in our students’ faces, voices and musical movements as they love participating in our activities, learn musical concepts, and involve their families with homework assignments. We incorporate different activities and teaching styles so that we include and engage every student as much as possible in every class meeting.

Just like many mainstream classes, we have goals and standards that we encourage our students to reach, but unique to Vivo, we have the wisdom and experiences of three dedicated musicians- a trained musical therapist (Heidi Thurmond, lead teacher), a former school music teacher (Jessica Coaker), and the mother of a child with special needs (myself)- teaching together in one class. Working with Heidi and Jessica, two Da Capo veterans, confirms at every meeting that my first thoughts about Da Capo were true: this is indeed a group of talented musician-teachers dedicated to improving the way music is taught and experienced, starting with the individual and growing musical communities together. I look forward to every Vivo class- every challenge as well as every smile, clap or shout of joy when a student enjoys belonging to our own musical community.

As a composer, I enjoy experiencing many different, unique working parts come together to form one work of art. The instructors and students at Da Capo do just that, and I am thrilled to be among their ranks.