by Bob Groeneveld/Special to the Langley Advance
Dozens of children are experiencing the joy of making music today because Sarah Choi’s friend couldn’t afford to.
The creation of the Little Musicians Society, whose goal is to provide opportunities to children without financial means to pursue their musical ambitions, goes back to when Choi was in her seventh grade.
“I still remember my friend’s sad gaze in band class when she told me her family wouldn’t let her continue because they couldn’t afford the cost of instruments and music lessons,” said Choi, now a Grade 11 student at R.E. Mountain Secondary.
“I realized how much this was a realistic concern for many families in my community.”
Her idea for LMS gelled when she learned that her previous elementary school district could no longer afford music as a subject.
“I was stunned,” said Choi, whose principal instrument is the oboe, though her first real involvement with music was when she started learning piano at age nine. “I came to the realization that many low-income youth were not receiving music education.”
With the guidance of her music teacher, Kitty Liu, Choi and her “executive team” set out to fill the void, “to help all children receive the best music education possible.”
For her part, LMS co-founder Liu drew on her teaching experience to realize the importance that music can play in a child’s life.
One of her students lost her sight to cancer at the age of three. “She was only five years old the first time I met her,” said Liu, “yet her passion for life was greater than anyone I had ever seen.”
“We operate [LMS] on the basis that every child deserves an opportunity to play and enjoy music,” explained Choi, adding that she wants to “bridge the gap in educational opportunities between youth of varying financial situations.”
To that end, Choi and Liu co-founded LMS as “a non-profit organization that offers expense-free music education to underprivileged youth aged 10 to 15.”
“What we do,” explained Choi, “is connect talented high school musicians with children to provide them with group lessons divided by instrument. As well, our music instructors provide personalized lesson plans as well as constructive feedback for students.”
But that’s only part of it. With funding from sponsors and donations gathered from community events and fundraisers, LMS provides each young student with a musical instrument.
LMS currently has more than 80 members and 30 faculty, said Choi. “Our organization is perfect for children to discover a love for music.”
Love of music is something Choi understands well.
“Piano really provided me with the fundamental skills I needed to pursue my music further,” she said.
But it was when she was able to join her school band in Grade 7 that she was introduced to the oboe.
“I started learning oboe with Geronimo Mendoza, who is currently a member of the Vancouver Island and Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestras,” she said. “Ever since, I have learned to love playing classical, baroque, and contemporary oboe repertoire.”
She is currently studying oboe with Beth Orson, assistant principal oboe at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and she also plays oboe in the senior orchestra at the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra, under artistic director Roger Cole.
Choi, who started life in Fredricton, New Brunswick, and came to Langley eight years ago, focuses on music, but makes time for community service efforts, as well as keeping up her school studies and participating in debate and badminton.
But her prime focus is on the LMS that she helped create.
“We think music is a vital educational opportunity that every child should receive,” Choi asserted.
More info: LMS website.
