Music School Lauds First Grant

August 30, 2006 - By Kelly Brooks, Northside Neighbor &  Alpharetta/Roswell Neighbor Newspapers Staff Writer

Despite its forte for inspiring a love of music in students, the European School of Music, a nonprofit based in Sandy Springs, has operated for 13 years without any official grants.

That is, until now.  In April, the Country Club of the South Charity Guild contributed a $5,000 grant to the school.  The grant is being used for the first time this academic year and has already helped five students who are either extremely gifted or unable to afford tuition costs, which run from $25 to $50 per lesson.

Angela Oyzboyd, founder and director of the school said this minor grant is no small landmark for the organization.

"It's been my dream, and it is coming true," she said.  Charity Guild President and Sandy Springs native Holly York said the grant is an accomplishment for the School.  "for them to attempt to get the grant shows a belief in the process.  They had to jump through a lot of hoops," she said.

According to Sandy Springs resident Elissa Stevens, a former student of the program who returned to teach after graduating from the Boston Conservatory, the grant will provide the school with a way to expand its base and garner community support.  "We really just want to give the money to students who cannot pay the full tuition," she said.

York is working with the school to continue to expand its program.  "The funding for music in some areas is being cut by school budgets," she said.  "By providing the grants, we're able to give extra help to the kids who can't be reached because of financial reasons."

Oyzboyd said her school provides a unique approach to music education that reaches beyond reading notes and playing mechanically.  "We teach students how to make the music be alive, how to create tone and shape," she said. "We encourage involving intellect in lessons so students can analyze what they're doing.  The way we teach improves academics."

Oyzboyd said the key is to work with educators to help them understand how beneficial the program is for children because it's an extracurricular which helps academics.

Oyzboyd is extremely grateful for help she receives from participating school principals, as well as Pastor Tom Kenny of the Prince of Peach Lutheran Church in Alpharetta, but she sets high goals for the future reach of the program.  "We need a scholarship fund from different organizations, because we give back to the community and graduate so many students," she said.  Oyzboyd and her staff of 10 offer classes in a variety of instruments, as well as vocal and musical theatre instructions.

For more information call (404) 255-8382.