A Symphony of Giving

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Young Musicians Share the Gift of Music with CFNA Kids

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At CFNA, we daily witness the power of community and the transformative impact of sharing our gifts with others. This month, a group of high school musicians has come together to organize a music project that is blessing New American kids through music lessons. The group, known as “360 View of My Peers,” is led by Aiden, a sophomore at Clayton High School, and his mom, Jin. Aiden, who is a Cellist, understands that the process of learning a musical instrument can be arduous and out of reach for families facing financial struggles - “At one time I needed help learning music and know how difficult it was. So when I started learning, I wanted to give back and create opportunities for underserved kids to gain access to learning music instruments. I just want to give them a chance to start somewhere so that they are introduced to music and an instrument, and then they can decide to continue learning based on their interest.” 

Currently, 17 volunteer instructors, all high school students, are teaching 20 CFNA children at the CFNA Peace Center every Saturday morning. The music lessons cover various instruments (Piano, Violin, Cello, Flute), and the curriculum for this program has been thoughtfully structured by Elizabeth, a junior at Ladue High School. As these young musicians share their talents, they’re not only teaching music, they’re opening doors to new possibilities for our kids. Judy, a 10-year-old New American from Haiti who is learning the cello, expressed her gratitude, saying, “I wanted to learn music but did not get the chance. I am happy that I can try and learn the cello because of the High School friends who have come here.” 

In this beautiful partnership, it’s not just the students who benefit. Many of the volunteers’ parents also come to support the program, demonstrating the power of community-wide engagement. Aiden’s mom, Jin, emphasized this collective effort - “Our goal is to support this initiative of our youth so that we can uplift other youth in our community who have limited access to resources. Many of our parents, music teachers and seniors contribute and fund-raise to provide music instruments and bring music training to other children who can benefit from it.”  

CFNA is deeply thankful to this talented group of young musicians who have found purpose as they share their skills and passions with others. Together, these young musicians and their families are helping foster a love for music, creating opportunities, and offering hope to the next generation of learners at CFNA. 

by Pastor Stanish Stanley, CFNA