VMA's COVID-19 Recovery Fundraiser

They say, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." 2020 has undoubtedly handed us a bowl of lemons, but I am pleased to say that there is plenty of lemonade to go around at Valley Music Academy.

Like so many businesses, non-profits, and individuals, VMA has faced enormous challenges this year. Still, through our faculty and staff's dedication and their willingness to meet the needs of our students, we were able to shift many of our lessons to a virtual platform and keep the music playing. When we decided to resume in-person lessons, everyone came together to make VMA as safe as possible by installing air purification systems in every room and implementing procedures to ensure the entire VMA musical family's safety.

However, since VMA is a non-profit, we do not have deep pockets or a large reserve to absorb the impact of reduced student tuition and significantly increased expenditures to make our facility safe. We run a very tight ship with only part-time staff and a tiny margin annually. Since much of the available grant funding is going to organizations directly combatting COVID, arts and culture programs like ours, which are vital to our community's long-term health, are at significant risk. That is why we are counting on you today to make an end-of-year gift.

While this is certainly not how we planned to mark our 20th anniversary, we are more determined than ever to ensure that the benefits and blessings of music far outweigh the challenges that life may bring. For two decades, our faculty have shared the gift of music with tens of thousands of students, and countless others have benefited from that gift throughout the region. Today, because of VMA and its faculty's dedication, that gift continues to grow through former students who are now professional musicians and teachers themselves. Music is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

While your gift of $20, $100, $200, or more will help us finish a challenging year in a better financial position, it does more than that. It will boost us forward into the next decade of our mission. You will propel us toward a future in which our community will sing, play, and learn through this challenging time and for years to come.