“By faith we’ve traveled to perform in Miami and our 19 student members, ranging in age from 10 to 16, are having a tremendous time,” said Gloria Gumbs, President of Partners for Strings, Inc. “This was a dream that I and the president and CEO of Miami Music Project, Anna Klimala had four-years ago. Seeing it and experiencing it first-hand is like open heavens. Our Partners for Strings Virgin Islands Youth Orchestra is performing with the Miami Music Project Leaders Orchestra at their annual unCLASSICAL concert today, Friday, April 11 at the Miami Beach Bandshell.”
The theme is Miami Vibes, but the Partners for Strings Virgin Islands Youth Orchestra is bringing Virgin Islands music culture to Miami on a professional world-class stage. Ms. Gumbs said, “We’re very honored to take the sound of “Quelbe”, the ‘official’ music of the United States Virgin Islands, to Miami. We’re featuring the medley, ‘Sly Mongoose/Queen Mary’, arranged by Teaching Artist, Kandis Gumbs. We’ll close out our section of the concert by combining our talents with Miami Music Project to perform the jazz classic, ‘Take Five’, also arranged by Kandis Gumbs. Partners for Strings Board of Director, James H. Gumbs, Jr. is adding his talents on the bass guitar to this selection. Ms. Klimala. who throughly enjoyed our arrangement commented, ‘This is a version of Take Five you can dance to’. Liber Cuervos, Director of Education and Programs for Miami Music Project, who is conducting the selection, said in the rehearsal, ‘It was perfect. We’re not going to change a thing.”
The Partners for Strings Virgin Islands Youth Orchestra is run by Partners for Strings, Inc. a 501(c)(3) organization based in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Established in 2020, this FREE all-year-round after-school music program teaches ages 6 to 17 how to play orchestral instruments and read music. Strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, and steel pan instruments are taught during weekly sessions at G-Clef Music Academy. Partners for Strings established an Alliance Partnership in 2021 with Miami Music Project, one of the largest socially transformative music initiatives in the United States. In preparation for the trip, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism provided gift bags for Partners for Strings to present to Miami Music Project at the concert tonight.
Ms. Gumbs, added, “We are asking for everyone’s support, becase there were a few areas that were not financially covered for our Miami Music Trip. We really need Virgin Islands support now to reach our goal. We practiced, traveled, rehearsed and we’re about to go on stage. Your help will mean that we don’t come back in debt. Please give now through our online donation app. We urgently need your support. Thanks in advance to all who are supporting us. God bless you.”
Give directly to Partners for Strings through this GIVELIFY APP LINK at https://giv.li/jrspwf For more information, call (340) 228-1126 or visit www.partnersforstrings.org. Partners for Strings really appreciates your kindness.
