[LA Watts Times Photo of Watts-Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club]
LA Watts Times
LA Watts Times
April 22, 2010
BY ERIKA A. MCCARDEN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“Maestro James DePreist, violinist Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges and blind pianist-composer Thomas Wiggins Bethune are just some of the renowned black classical musicians children can learn about while taking a classical music course at the Watts-Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club. Launched in January by the club, the Watts-Willowbrook Music Conservatory is a free 10-week program led by local symphony musicians to culturally enrich and transform the lives of inner-city children through music education.
“It’s been a dream of mine to bring music education, training and instruments to the Boys & Girls club to enhance the community and also help further the education of children and prepare them for their futures,” said Les Jones, the local club’s executive director. To launch the program, Jones joined forces with longtime friend and musician Billy Mitchell, executive director of the Scholarship Audition Performance Preparatory Academy; and Charles Dickerson, director of the Southeast Symphony and Inner-City Youth Orchestra.”
“The program operates with up to 30 or more students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. for 10 consecutive weeks, closing with a recital. There is a two-week interim before the next session begins for new and returning students.” [James DePreist (b. 1936), Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799) and Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins (1849-1908) are profiled at AfriClassical.com]
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