Elville Center for the Creative Arts – Winter 2025 Update!

Over the past several months, the Elville Center has been hard at work for several organizations and school music programs, working to “Make a Musical Difference in the Lives of Children.” The second semester is already underway, and the school year is flying by – I now have a senior and sophomore in high school and it seems like yesterday I was attending their first elementary school music concerts.

Dundalk Elementary

Recently, I visited two times with Emily Sessa, Instrumental Music Teacher at Dundalk Elementary School, a Title 1 school. This bustling school has many students interested in band, orchestra, and its rock band (yes – an elementary school with a rock band) – pretty cool!

In all, thanks to “instrumental” donor support, the Elville Center donated 35 much-needed, fully refurbished instruments to this comprehensive music program. They included numerous violins, two clarinets, an alto saxophone, a cornet, two Fender electric guitars (one purchased new by the Elville Center from The Band Shoppe Sykesville), two cellos, a snare drum set, several amps, and more! It felt great to support this new relationship for the Elville Center.

As is the case with many schools, due to instrument shortages and financial constraints, students at Dundalk Elementary are waiting for instruments to arrive so they can begin playing their instrument of choice. To this end, the Elville Center was able to help! Ms. Sessa mentioned the following after my recent visit:

“Thank you so much for your generous donation to Dundalk Elementary School!! I was already able to start five more students on violin lessons today. I have two students who have claimed the cellos as well. Thank you so much for your support!!”

Harriet Tubman Elementary

Harriet Tubman Elementary School, which opened its doors to students in fall 2022, was another new school relationship we supported recently. Instrumental Music Teacher Maggie Malat manages her time between Flower Hill Elementary School, Washington Grove Elementary School, Harriet Tubman Elementary School, and Cashell Elementary School – a busy and dedicated teacher!

The school, which shares inventory among the other county schools mentioned above, is always in need of instruments to supports its growing program – especially violins. Again, thanks to donor support, the Elville Center delivered several violins, a cello, two trumpets, two trombones, and a saxophone – all fully refurbished to the program.

Ms. Malat was grateful for the donations, and said, “I received the donations that were dropped off yesterday. Thank you so much!! This program continues to grow through the support of donations like these. I can’t thank you enough – this makes a huge impact! The instrumental music programs in Title I schools rely on the support of organizations like your own to provide much-needed access to equipment that may otherwise not be available.”

Last but not least, I received the most remarkable and heartwarming poster from Harriet Tubman’s principal, Ms. Malat, and its student musicians! It was signed by several students thanking the

Elville Center for the instrument donations – such a kind gesture from this wonderful school’s administration, music teacher, and student musicians.

Baltimore Classical Guitar Society

Did you know that Baltimore is considered “The Mecca of Classical Guitar?” If you didn’t, well now you do – and two primary reasons for this are the Baltimore Classical Guitar Society and Manuel Barrueco, one of the most widely respected and legendary classical guitarists in the world, who makes his home in Baltimore.

I have been privileged to know Manuel and his wife, Asgerdur, for about eight years at this point, and BCGS’s educational programs are beyond outstanding – including its Guitars for Change and Guitars for Veterans programs. Thanks to an extraordinary donation by one of Elville and Associates’ Client Care Program members, which he wanted directed to a specific cause, we were able to purchase six brand-new Alvarez classical guitars with cases for BCGS’s initiatives, and we refurbished six additional classical guitars received from donors over the past several months. They are waiting in my office to be delivered to Manuel and Asgerdur as we speak and I cannot wait to see them!

New Website

Thanks to a new vendor relationship here at Elville and Associates, the Elville Center for the Creative Arts is launching a brand-new website on February 21st! I’ll be sure to send the link out once it is up and running. We are hopeful this new site will afford us the opportunity to reach even more donors looking to support and further music education, as well as teachers in need of assistance for their programs.

Your support is critical – critical! – to further our important work! We have distributed so many instruments recently that I can actually see the floor of my office and don’t trip over instruments! We are always looking for donations of instruments of any kind in very good condition (no pianos – sorry!). And, to refurbish those instruments, purchase new bows and cases, equipment, and other supplies we need your monetary donations!

If you are in a position to do so, please support the Elville Center with a tax-deductible donation! As a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, all donations to the Elville Center are tax-deductible.

Thank you for your interest in and support of the Elville Center for the Creative Arts!

With appreciation,

Jeffrey Stauffer

Executive Director – Elville Center for the Creative Arts, Inc. jeff@elvillecenter.org

443-393-7696 x117

Community Relations Director – Elville and Associates, P.C. jeff@elvilleassociates.com

443-393-7696 x117

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