Grant awarded to DePauw violin program at Tzouanakis Intermediate School

Thursday, December 27, 2018
Mark McCoy, DePauw University president and School of Music dean at the time, listens as then-fourth-grader Trenton Campbell excitedly talks about his new violin and how his mother had already taught him to play “Jingle Bells” on it in November 2015.
Banner Graphic/Eric Bernsee

A DePauw University School of Music program which provides violins and string instruction to local fourth- and fifth-graders is the recipient of a grant from the Subaru of Indiana Automotive Foundation.

The $10,000 award will help purchase a class set of 35 violins for the program, which DePauw launched in 2015 with the Greencastle Community School Corporation at Tzouanakis Intermediate School.

DePauw President Mark McCoy, who was dean of the DePauw School of Music at the time the program began, knows firsthand the life-changing experience of music-making and was determined to bring that opportunity to Putnam County.

Violins purchased for the DePauw University School of Music community program await their young musicians.
Courtesy photo

“There should be a way that any kid who’s interested can learn music,” he said at the time, speaking to the ill-founded notion that classical music is only for the affluent.

“To break that barrier here in Putnam County would be really great,” McCoy said.

After months of planning, McCoy’s dream of initiating a Putnam County String Project at Tzouanakis was realized in late October 2015. The new program was launched with both instruments and instruction provided at no cost to families of an enthusiastic group of emerging fourth-grade musicians at Tzouanakis who debuted at the DePauw Holiday Gala that December.

The new grant will help expand the effort. DePauw is one of 12 Indiana nonprofit organizations to receive capital grants totaling more than $90,000.

Since its establishment in 1997, the SIA Foundation has awarded more than $1.5 million to fund nonprofit projects across Indiana. The SIA Foundation awards grants twice annually to nonprofit organizations seeking capital funding in arts and culture, health and welfare or education programs.

The SIA Foundation was established in October 1997 with a $1 million gift from Subaru of Indiana Automotive. SIA has made subsequent contributions of $4 million, bringing the total contribution to $5 million.

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  • I wish they would offer more than stringed instruments.

    -- Posted by Falcon9 on Fri, Dec 28, 2018, at 6:02 PM
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