The Boca Raton Symphonia (BRPS) established the Melba Silver Music Education Fund in 1995 to provide music education opportunities to underserved children in our community in recognition and honor of Melba Silver’s contribution to the development of classical music in Boca Raton. String instrument and piano lessons will be incorporated into an existing after school program at the Boys and Girls Club of Boca Raton, beginning June 2006.

On Friday, June 16, 2006, Violist and String Instructor, Laurice Buckton identified 9 children ages 7 and 8 in the Boys and Girls Club of Boca Raton’ Summer Program who are most interested in beginning their study of the violin and associate music education. . On July 3, 2006, the children started instruction in groups of only three children per hour. The children will also receive an additional hour of practice and music theory as one large group each week. Symphonia Volunteers and student mentors will also provide supervised practice each week. Instruction will continue as an after-school program during the up-coming school year.

Instrument donations of one-half and three-quarter size violins are welcome. Roberta Meyerson, Symphonia Grant Writer, is diligently submitting grant requests to area corporations, foundations and organizations to secure good quality instruments for each child. The Symphonia will use some of the generous donations to the Melba Silver Education Fund to provide sufficient instruments as needed, in addition to providing all the instruction. The Boys & Girls Club of Boca Raton already has five (5) keyboards available for use in this program.

The BRPS’s Outreach Program will expose children to classical instruments and music, both through hands-on experience and as audience members. The Symphonia provides four free concerts during the 2006-2007 season to which children of the Outreach Program, and their families and friend may attend. As the program develops, exceptional participants may receive the opportunity to experience further music education through individualized violin or viola lessons with professional music teachers paid by BRPS from donations to the Melba Silver Music Education Fund.

Both Violinist Antonio Ricon and Violist Laurice Buckton are highly qualified musicians and instructors. Ms. Buckton is a graduate of Trinity College of Music in London, where she studied viola and violin. She is a member of the Boca String Quartet, the Naples Philharmonic, Palm Beach Opera and Pops Orchestras. She is also the String Orchestra Conductor of the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County and Artist in Residence at both the Back Middle School and Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. Both are dedicated to providing quality teaching for the Boys and Girls Club children who might not otherwise be exposed to the proven benefits of learning an instrument.

Research has proven the positive impact of music education on children: better school attendance rates, higher student motivation, fewer discipline problems, lower dropout rates, improved grades and standardized test scores, more parental involvement and an increase in confidence and self-esteem. Many of the children involved in this program are at high risk for not succeeding in school and society. Learning how to express themselves in a positive way, through music, may help these children grow up to be more confident, productive and successful citizens of our community.

Additional donations to the Melba Silver Music Education Fund are welcome to help provide on-going support for this outstanding and exciting new program of The Symphonia for the Boys & Girls Club of Boca Raton. To donate contact Annabel Russell, Boca Symphonia Administrator, at 561.376.3848.