At Lynchburg City Schools (LCS), we believe the arts are essential to a well-rounded education. They prepare learners for academic and career success, promote holistic student development, and provide an avenue for young artists to participate in the city’s rich cultural landscape. Follow along for the second installment of a three-part series exploring LCS visual arts, music, and theatre programs.
Community Rallies Around LCS Music Programs
In April of 2024, community members came together to raise more than $126,000 for the Ginger Paris LCS Strings Fund through the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation (GLCF). Named in honor of the LCS Strings director, the fund will support the program in perpetuity through yearly grants administered by the LCS Education Foundation.
Paris is in her 50th year teaching LCS elementary students the Suzuki strings method. With tenacity and dedication, she’s helped build a remarkable program that has become a beloved local tradition and benefited countless students. LCS is the only school division in Virginia that offers free Suzuki violin lessons to all kindergarten through fifth-grade students and orchestra to all sixth through 12th-grade students.
LCS Strings Director Ginger Paris leads Paul Munro Elementary students in a special performance to celebrate the launch of the Ginger Paris LCS Strings Fund.
Coinciding with the fund's launch, the GLCF hosted “Celebrating LCS Strings: Past, Present, and Future," an event at the historic Academy Center of the Arts theatre. The evening was proof of the incredible impact the program has had on students, alumni, and the greater community. More than 75 alumni sent in testimonials about the positive effects of LCS Strings on their lives, and 20 formed an alumni orchestra to perform at the event. Community members and local businesses gave generously.
An LCS alumni orchestra at the event to celebrate the launch of the Ginger Paris LCS Strings Fund. Photos by Andrew Wilds Photography.
“It’s not entirely untrue for me to say that LCS strings literally set me on the path I have followed for my entire life,” said 2011 Heritage High School graduate Adam Birce, who provided a testimonial for the event. “I am now 41 years old and have built my professional and personal life around music, and I may not have had the opportunity or encouragement without the program. It really was, and is, one of the most genuinely amazing programs I have ever been involved with.”
Funds will be used for needs like new equipment, instrument repairs, the annual LCS Suzuki Festival, and educational programming. For example, in October, LCS Strings students enjoyed a special performance and Q&A by Finn Magill, an award-winning fiddler, violinist, and composer who has been featured on PBS, NPR, and TEDx. Students learned about different musical styles and walked away inspired to hone their skills.
LCS Strings students enjoy a special performance and Q&A with award-winning fiddler, violinist, and composer Finn Magill in November, thanks to the Ginger Paris LCS Strings Fund.
Skills and Friendships to Last a Lifetime
There’s a reason alumni and current students’ families rallied to support the LCS Strings program. LCS Strings graduates and students feel deeply connected to the program and its teachers. Some go on to become professional musicians. Others carry the skills they develop through LCS Strings into their lives and careers, even if they don’t pursue music after graduation. Whatever path they choose, the program leaves a lifelong impact on students, helping them develop discipline, creativity, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
“I’d probably say LCS Strings is the most significant program my children have been a part of in their academic careers so far,” said Megan Huffman, the GLCF Director of Community Outreach and SHARE Greater Lynchburg. “My sixth grader is in her seventh year of violin and has taken part in countless performances and recitals. The way it’s impacted her self-confidence and academic performance is incredible.”
LCS Strings helps students develop confidence and essential skills from an early age.
Students and alumni of LCS band programs reap similar benefits to their LCS Strings counterparts. In addition to improved academic performance and transferable skills, band students and graduates develop quality friendships with their teachers and fellow musicians.
“Band saved my kid, and I mean that with everything in my being,” said Heritage High band booster president JaVera Bolden. “The teachers and the kids in marching band are a family. They welcome you as you are, and they don’t judge or expect you to be someone you’re not. Band helps students find themselves and see how much they’re worth and what they have to offer.”
Heritage High “Big Orange Marching Machine” members perform at the Lynchburg Classic marching band competition.
Marching and indoor bands help students find community, bonding over a shared love of music. Friendships and musical skills forged over long hours practicing and performing spur students toward holistic development and future success. And while band is mostly offered at secondary schools, programs like the Dragon Drummers drumline at R. S. Payne Elementary School provide opportunities for students to start experiencing the benefits of playing in a band early.
“My experience with drums as a kid got me to where I am today. I hope to provide similar opportunities for my students and give them a head start if they decide to continue playing music in middle and high school,” said R. S. Payne music teacher Benjamin Hill, who started the Dragon Drummers in January. “Even if they don’t, the experience on its own is valuable. Music education can bolster academic and social success, helping students develop skills they’ll use their whole lives.”
The Dragon Drummers program gives R. S. Payne Elementary students opportunities to experience the benefits of playing in a band early.
The Soundtrack of Lynchburg
Though they gather in auditoriums, football stadiums, and classrooms to practice and perform, the LCS music community isn’t confined to school buildings. The band, strings, and choir programs are celebrated across the city. Community members cheer students on at their performances, and in turn, students bring their music out into the community.
Strings students perform at Hillcats games, brick dedications at the Awareness Garden, Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra shows, and various public events. They’ve played free concerts at River Ridge Mall and the Academy Warehouse Theatre. Students have even had opportunities to perform with professional musicians; last school year, a Heritage High string quartet played with a touring Beatles vs. Rolling Stones cover band at the Academy.
These Heritage High students played with a touring Beatles vs. Rolling Stones cover band at the Academy last school year.
“When we play out in the community, I always tell students we are giving a gift to the people in the audience. It’s wonderful for them to be able to share what they’ve learned and give the gift of music to their community starting from such an early age,” Paris said.
Like LCS Strings students, band students play at various public events, most notably the cherished Lynchburg Christmas parade. They also host the iconic yearly Lynchburg Classic marching band competition, bringing musicians and families from all over the region to Lynchburg for the past 50 years.
Both LCS high schools and all three middle schools perform the National Anthem to kick off the 50th annual Lynchburg Classic marching band competition.
Middle and high school choir students join forces in the winter to sing Christmas carols at elementary schools. Sandusky Middle School choir students perform three times a year at local retirement homes and sing the National Anthem at local college sports games. These opportunities aren’t just meaningful for audience members; they’re a chance for students to connect with community members they might not otherwise encounter.
“They really enjoyed it and said they look forward to when we play for them,” said Sandusky Middle seventh grader Philip Cherny, reflecting on his experience singing for residents at local senior homes. “It’s important because they don’t get to interact with people from younger generations often. We get to lift their spirits by singing songs they know.”
Sandusky Middle students give a special Veterans Day performance at The Summit senior living community. Photos by Jonathan Mitchell.
Join us next week as we explore the impacts of LCS theatre programs.