WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — The only conservatory for fine arts in Washington Heights not only provides individual and group lessons in music, theater and orchestra for school-age children — it does it all for free.
When Adan Vasquez, president of the Association of Dominican Classical Artists, launched the Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts (WHCCFA) in 2011, he said he initially enrolled students through word-of-mouth.
“We got some kids and they told other kids,” Vasquez said. “We also sent notes to principals of local schools and organizations.”
It was a rough in the beginning, Vasquez admitted, but over the years the program, which works with students out of the Alianza Triangle Building 530 West 166th St., has picked up steam.
The conservatory is wrapping up an online campaign that has exceeded its $20,000 fundraising mark — with plans to expand the program by adding teachers and increasing certain departments.
Last year alone, WHCCFA received a whopping 200 applications for the program, which Vasquez said stands out because of its curriculum structure.
“WHCCFA is different in that we do one-on-one lessons with the kids once a week in cello, violin, clarinet and so on, in addition to them receiving the other early music education," he explained.
Kids enroll in the conservatory for a six-year run, focusing on a different aspect of music each year — from music theory to orchestra to chamber music, Vasquez said.
“Depending on the talent, we work with the student and arrange the private lesson plans,” he said.
WHCCFA is currently working with 126 students, 66 of whom are six-year members. They range in age from 6 to 12 years old, Vasquez said, although sometimes the conservatory will accept older students if they have previous music and arts experience. The other 60 students are local high schoolers trying to get additional credits to graduate, Vasquez said.
Vasquez described the enrollment process as his "most serious commitment," with the hope of continuing to grow the program to include a larger woodwind department, more teachers, a bigger theater program and support more students.
“That’s why we did the Kickstarter,” Vasquez said of the campaign the organization launched last month. “We want to be the place where kids with talent in our community will have a space so they can develop their talent and take it beyond.”
Vasquez said WHCCFA will open up a new round of applications for the fall semester in early June. The only requirement is “that are kids committed to practice and attend,” he said.
“You show us you're willing to commit, really want to be part of the project, and you're in" he said.
