Sol-La Music Academy

SOL-LA MUSIC ACADEMY PROVIDES OUTSTANDING MUSIC EDUCATION IN AN ENCOURAGING AND ENGAGING ENVIRONMENT THAT FOSTERS ACHIEVEMENT AND COMMUNITY.

SOL-LA CAMPUS PROGRAM: SOL-LA OFFERS LESSONS, CLASSES, ENSEMBLES, CHAMBER GROUPS, MUSIC THEORY, AND EARLY EDUCATION TO OVER 250 STUDENTS EACH YEAR AT THE SANTA MONICA CAMPUS, BRINGING TOGETHER A DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION AS A COMMUNITY OF MUSICIANS. CLASSES AND ENSEMBLES RUN FROM SEPTEMBER TO JUNE, AND ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO 16-WEEK SEMESTERS. INDIVIDUAL LESSONS OCCUR YEAR-ROUND.SOL-LA SUPPORTS ACCESS TO MUSIC EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN, AS WELL AS HIGH STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE AND ACHIEVEMENT. WE PROVIDE TUITION ASSISTANCE TO OVER 50% OF STUDENTS IN OUR ON-CAMPUS CLASSES. AS SOL-LA IS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL, WE EMBRACE CHILDREN OF ALL LEVELS AND WE BELIEVE THAT MUSIC SHOULD BE PART OF EVERY CHILD'S EDUCATION. SOL-LA SUPPORTS THE COMMITMENT AND TALENT OF PARTICULARLY HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS. STUDENTS ARE CONSISTENT WINNERS AT COMPETITIONS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AS WELL AS RECIPIENTS OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS AND ACCEPTANCES TO PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY AND SUMMER MUSIC PROGRAMS.

ST. ANNE SCHOOL PROGRAM: SOL-LA'S SATELLITE PROGRAM AT ST. ANNE SCHOOL, THE ONLY NONPUBLIC TITLE 1 SCHOOL IN SANTA MONICA, CA, IS FLOURISHING. IN 2010, SOL-LA FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH CROSSROADS SCHOOL'S ELIZABETH MANDELL MUSIC INSTITUTE (EMMI) AND THE CROSSROADS COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOUNDATION (CCOF) TO PROVIDE MUSIC EDUCATION AT NO COST TO STUDENTS AT ST. ANNE SCHOOL, WHERE MORE THAN 40% OF FAMILIES MEET THE FEDERAL FOOD PROGRAM POVERTY CRITERIA. THE PROGRAM BEGAN WITH A BEGINNING CLASS OF 18 FOURTH GRADE CLASS VIOLIN STUDENTS AND HAS GROWN RAPIDLY TO NOW SERVE 260 K-8 GRADE STUDENTS. IN ADDITION, STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND STRING ENSEMBLE, MUSIC THEORY, AND CHORUS CLASSES ON THE SOL-LA CAMPUS WITH SUBSTANTIAL TUITION ASSISTANCE. THE ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF THE MUSIC PROGRAM ARE WEEKLY LESSONS WITH A SOL-LA MASTER TEACH IN VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO, ORFF, AND CHORUS, AS WELL AS BI-WEEKLY PRACTICE SESSIONS FOR STRING PLAYERS WITH MENTORS FROM LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS. IN ADDITION, COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM THE UCLA HERB ALPERT SCHOOL OF MUSIC (HASOM) ACT AS SENIOR MENTORS. INSTRUMENTS ARE PROVIDED TO EACH STUDENT, THE MAJORITY ON LOAN FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER, AMERICAN YOUTH SYMPHONY, AND MANY PROVIDED THROUGH DONORS.STUDENTS IN SOL-LA SATELLITE AND ON-CAMPUS PROGRAMS COME TOGETHER TO PERFORM SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

SOL-LA'S MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR UCLA HERB ALPERT SHOOL OF MUSIC AND UNIVERSITY MUSIC STUDENTS PROVIDES TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES, WORKING WITH HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED LEADING EDUCATORS IN THE FIELD OF MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS. ADVANCED LEVEL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH SOL-LA FACULTY MEMBERS, WHILE MENTORING YOUNGER STUDENTS THROUGH AFTER SCHOOL INSTRUMENTAL PRACTICE SESSIONS. THE ROLE OF THE MENTOR IS TO SERVE AS A PRACTICE SUPERVISOR, COACH, FRIEND, AND ROLE MODEL, TO INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO THE ART OF TEACHING.