18 January 2019
International fund raising underway to aid the Piano Association of Solomon Islands (PASI)
Readers of the two main newspapers in the Solomon Islands will know from previous articles I have written about the efforts being made to aid the work of the Piano Association of Solomon Islands (PASI)
I can now confirm that donations to an appeal launched in the UK by the Ensemble in Residence for The Commonwealth Resounds, one of only two accredited music organisations within the Commonwealth, has already reached S11,000
The donations to the appeal fund continue to grow as sponsors learn more of the UK musician’s efforts to aid PASI and its members with music education and practical instrument training.
The Dionysus Ensemble is the Ensemble in Residence for The Commonwealth Resounds, one of only two accredited music organisations within the Commonwealth and a virtuosic chamber ensemble with a string quartet at its core, equally at home on the concert platform, playing for events in both formal and informal settings, as well as providing music education projects.
The Ensemble provides a range of musical performances from solo cello right through to chamber orchestra, and the team has a wealth of expertise and international musical reputation.
The Piano Association of Solomon Islands (PASI), the volunteer run music organisation in the Solomon Islands, enables children to learn various instruments, not simply the piano.
The talented young children receive tuition only once or twice a year and have to manage alone apart from that.
The project underway, when fully funded by donations, will provide expert instrumental teaching for the children currently studying with PASI, and culminate in a showcase concert at the end of the project where the children would perform alongside internationally experienced professional players.
When the visit to Honiara eventuates, the Ensemble would hope to work with local teachers and parents to share teaching expertise and methods so that they would have a wider range of techniques and resources available to encourage budding musicians amongst the youth to go forward.
It would be hoped that by giving the adult instructors a greater repertoire of practice techniques and study materials to draw on, there would be longevity for the children after the project as they would get more experienced help in between lessons.
All sponsors to the appeal get a report on the project including photos, audio clips of the showcase concert and progress reports on the students so that they can see the joy that their contribution have brought.
The project well underway could bring such an exciting and invaluable range of experiences and opportunities to all involved in PASI which would really spur the volunteers and the young musicians on, as well as hopefully working to put in place the beginnings of more regular and structured music tuition.
https://www.thedionysusensemble.com/solomon-islands.html
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
