Arrowbear Music Associates

Our organization's main focus is providing scholarships for young musicians to attend a summer music camp. At least 80% of the young musicians who apply to our organization for a scholarship to a summer music camp indicate on their application form that they have never taken private lessons. It is not unusual for the students who do take lessons to tell us that their private teacher reduces their weekly rate to help the student's family afford the cost.

No matter how experienced and effective a school music teacher is in the classroom, a young musician can only progress so far without the individual guidance of a private teacher who is an expert on that particular instrument. Private lessons are one of the crucial keys to mastering a musical instrument. Private lessons make the difference in opening up additional opportunities for young musicians as their mastery on their instrument grows. We wanted to open more doors for young musicians by providing them with private lessons.

In Spring 2022, we added a scholarship program aimed at providing private lessons for Long Beach students whose families cannot afford lessons. We partnered with the Visual & Performing Arts Office of Long Beach Unified to help identify and select young musicians who we can help. One music student at each of the district's middle and K-8 schools was selected to receive private lessons paid for by our organization. During that first round of private lessons, we helped 16 young musicians receive private lessons. We provided this scholarship opportunity again in the Fall of 2022 and continued it into the Spring 2023 semester. We are currently providing private lessons for 19 Long Beach middle school-age musicians to help them improve their skills. For Spring 2023, we added scholarships for each high school in Long Beach Unified. Those lessons will be completed during the summer. We are committed to continuing the scholarship program for the Fall Semester 2023.

Students who participate in the program receive twelve 30-minute lessons during the semester. They are selected for the scholarship by their school music teacher. Each lesson costs approximately $40. The complete set of twelve lessons costs $480 per student per semester.

Since 1980, Arrowbear Music Associates has granted scholarships to young musicians and choral singers who want to attend a summer music camp program at any accredited camp in the United States. Our scholarship program grants scholarships to a number of summer programs throughout California including Idyllwild, Montecito, the Suzuki Institute, Wildwood, and Arrowbear Music Camp. The majority of the families we assist are from Long Beach and cannot afford to send their child to a summer music camp without financial help. Each year we assist 40-50 students experience a life-changing opportunity to play music with other young people who are as passionate about music as they are.

Most of our donors are former alumni and friends of Arrowbear Music Camp which has deep roots in the Long Beach community. Arrowbear is the oldest music camp in the western United States. It was founded in 1942 by Fred Ohlendorf who was the Music Curriculum Supervisor for the Long Beach Unified School District at that time. Generations of young Long Beach musicians played under his baton as members of the All District Honor Orchestra and the All District Honor Band. Many of the young musicians who attended Arrowbear credit its influence in helping them achieve careers in music as playing members or conductors of major orchestras. Hundreds of others trace their path to a career in music education to their time at Arrowbear Music Camp. Even the campers who did not choose music as a career still play in local groups around the country. Our donors are personally aware of the impact a session at a summer music camp can have on a young musician. They donate to give other young people the same life-changing experience they had themselves.

Our scholarship recipients grow as musicians and vocalists through participating in large musical ensembles, sectionals, individual coaching, and as part of a community of their peers who enjoy making music together. Many of the scholarship recipients tell us how a session at a summer music camp has motivated them and helped them reach their personal goals in music. For many, a sense of community is a game changer. They enjoy the camaraderie with peers who are passionate about music. They relish working with conductors and other musicians who challenge them to reach beyond their comfort zone. We receive letters from parents who tell us how our financial assistance made the difference for their family. They support their child's interest in music, but they feel guilty or frustrated that they just can't afford the full cost without help. Parents often mention the difference they see in their child after he or she returns home from the summer music camp program - both musically and emotionally.

Testimonials

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