Date: April 28, 2005
Contact: Irene Cromer
703-791-8720

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WINS MOCKINGBIRD GRANT

The Center for the Fine and Performing Arts at Woodbridge Senior High School has been awarded a $5,000 Mockingbird Foundation grant to help establish a music technology class and lab at the school. Melvin Goodwyn, Administrative Coordinator for the Center, submitted the proposal.

The newly-developed curriculum for the music technology class will allow students to experiment with the properties of musical sound and discover how sound is created synthetically. With the use of digital recording, students who would normally not have access to a keyboard or a computer will archive their compositions and share them with other students in the department. The staff will use the lab to create sight-reading and ear-training exercises to assist students in performing ensembles.

The Center for the Fine and Performing Arts (CFPA) is a four-year magnet program that opened in September 2001 and is located at Woodbridge Senior High School in Woodbridge, Virginia. Young artists from throughout the county apply to participate in the CFPA program. The application process includes an audition, the submission of a portfolio of works, teacher recommendations, and grade transcripts. At present, the program supports 300 students and 21 staff members.

The Mockingbird Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports music education for children. For more information about the Mockingbird Foundation, go to www.mockingbirdfoundation.org.

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