News

Kiwanis Club awards $500 for HSO's youth ensembles

Kiwanis president Stephanie Bagby presents a check to Emily Shelton-Poole, chair of HSO's Education Committee.

By Bill Moss, Published: January 9, 2013

The Hendersonville Kiwanis Club awarded a $500 grant to the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra for youth scholarships.

As families face a still struggling economy, they have few discretionary funds to help their children with  music instruments, lessons, or program fees, symphony leaders say.
"The amount of each scholarship award is dependent upon the need or cost of the request, the family financial situation and the recommendation of the teacher," said Donna J. Hastie, president of the symphony board. "Dire family economic conditions are not a prerequisite for aid, but many of our applicants come from a variety of challenging situations."
Examples include single parent families living at the poverty level but trying to provide meaningful opportunities for their children; lost employment; children living in compromised housing or families trying to provide musical education for 4-6 kids.
The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra underscores the importance of music and the arts by providing an avenue of music education and opportunity to area youth. The grant from the Kiwanis Club will give the HSO additional resources to provide scholarships for those in need.
The Youth Symphony education program was founded in 1982 and this year is celebrating its 30th Anniversary.