Arts Encounters
Community Music Making
Making music in community, also known as “musicing” has proven to have a positive effect on at-risk youth (Cohen et al., 2018; Koopman, 2007). Community music making can have a powerful impact on the lives of at-risk youth, who for social, cultural, or financial reasons, are not able to develop their musical talents. It strengthens their sense of belonging, socialization skills, self-confidence, and empathy.
Summer Arts Encounter 2017
Artist Steve Henning works with students in Kunming, China in the summer of 2017.
During the summer of 2017, eight international music and art professionals joined our YaGe students in Kunming, China, for an amazing opportunity to experience the creative arts together!
Summer Arts Encounter 2019
Orphaned youth spent a week developing their artistic skills in 2019 while at the YaGe Community Arts Center in China.
A few years later, we offered this same Creative Arts Encounter experience to orphaned youth living in Guangxi, China. They traveled by train and spent the week at YaGe Community Arts Center, where they enjoyed participating in a community music and art experience!
Fall Arts Encounter 2023
This Fall, we are excited to take this same creative arts encounter to foster children living in the G.M.S. Providing this in-person learning experience is an essential ingredient in the artistic development of our students.
We are currently recruiting music and art teachers passionate about using their skills to impact the lives of at-risk youth to join our Fall Arts Encounter 2023 as we “take this on the road” to youth living in the G.M.S.
Cohen, M. L., Silber, L. H., Sangiorgio, A., & Iadeluca, V. (2018). At-risk youth: Music-making as a means to promote positive relationships. In G. E. McPherson & F. W. Graham (Eds.), Special Needs, Community Music and Adult Learning (Vol. 4, pp. 185–203). Oxford University Press.
Koopman, C. (2007). Community music as music education: On the educational potential of community music. International Journal of Music Education, 25(2), 151–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761407079951