VSPA Music Recital: Bright Students, Proud Families, & Inspirational Music Teachers

The Valverde School of Performing Arts (VSPA) held their annual Fall Music Recital in the David Drier Hall of the Community Center in Rancho Cucamonga's Central Park. Fifty-one students performed a music composition for their respective musical instrument which can be broken down to 27 vocal, 19 piano and 5 guitar pieces. According to Frank Valverde, the owner of VSPA, the students' ages ranged from five years to 21 years old. The Fall Music Recital was an exceptional experience for both the students and the audience. It provided an excellent outlet for the students to bring out the music within that would have otherwise been kept silent. And it gave the audience, made up of proud parents, grandparents, relatives & friends, an opportunity to encourage and motivate their own "STAR" as well as the other "STARS" with their supportive applause and cheers.

With the incredible amount of young talent, one would think that the recital would be chaotic and haphazard. However, the music recital itself had an overall organized flow. All students were seated in chairs labeled with their names in the order that they were to appear on stage. As one student performed their piece, two more students who followed after the current performer would move forward and stand to the left of the stage. There, they quietly waited for their turn to showcase their talent.

The stage was divided to accommodate the three different musical skills. A microphone was positioned on a stand in the center of the stage for the vocalists, the piano was angled to provide a clear view of the pianist faces to one side, and the guitarist chairs were placed to the other side. The Community Center at Central Park provided the stage, the chairs, microphones, piano, tables as well as the stage lighting to help with creating an environment suitable for the music recital. Vocal students were allowed to introduce themselves and their song while the respective teachers presented their piano and guitar students.

Depending on the skill level, some musical compositions were brief while some were averaging 3-4 minutes in length. The musical recital promptly began at 7:00PM and ended at 9:30PM. It was wonderful to see the younger children perform with such concentration on their music pieces, then see their faces light up with accomplishment when the end of their performance was marked by the resounding applause of the audience. Having attended several Talent Competitions this past year, the atmosphere at the VSPA Fall Music Recital was refreshingly non-competitive. It was an inspiration and a joy to watch other students giving hugs & expressing an encouraging, "Good job!" to their fellow students after each of their performances.

The VSPA Fall Music Recital not only showcased their inventory of student talent, but it also taught and continues to teach the youth to become their own "cheerleaders" and to appreciate the talents of others. This helps to build a community of youth who can find value in their peers in addition to building their own self-esteem via performing in front of a large audience.

The night ended with smiles and an inner pride that always accompanies the fruits of hard work. Congratulations to the students, teachers, parents and event coordinators for a job well done!