The hands of Kyle Durant (17) volunteer instructor “Afternoon Tunes”
“Afternoon Tunes” Makes Beautiful Music in Worcester Church Community Outreach Matches Talented Teens and Local Students By Victoria Ix When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to get off the bus at the end of the day. The fake lunch I ate in front of my friends had long worn off and I needed a real meal. A sub sandwich, General Hospital and homework constituted a normal afternoon. Times have changed. Many young people are doing things after school every day – sports, lessons, tutoring. Some teens are volunteering their time after school and doing things that make a positive difference in the lives of people in their community. Actually, this happens every Friday afternoon during the school year at “Afternoon Tunes,” an outreach of All Saints Church, Worcester. “Afternoon Tunes” matches gifted teen musicians with students from the Greater Worcester area for weekly, low cost, private music lessons. High school virtuosos teach for free and on their free time so that little children can learn piano, flute, clarinet, violin, guitar, saxophone and drums. According to All Saints website, Afternoon Tunes “loans each student an instrument, cleaning supplies, music, a music stand, and a metronome/tuner.” Under the direction of the program’s paid Music Education Coach and Consultant, Mrs. Nike Mavodones Beaudry, the volunteer “instructors” learn how to teach music, how to encourage little people as they master the fundamentals. Mavodones Beaudry teaches music at Venerini Academy School. She invited Kyle Durant (17) to consider teaching piano. For the past three years this high school senior has volunteered his Friday afternoons to teach eight different children. He always thought about being a teacher, but this program gave him the chance to find out. When I asked him why he agreed to be a volunteer instructor, Kyle said he thought, “I have a passion for music and a passion for teaching so let’s put them together.” Kyle credits the program with confirming his desire to teach. He will begin studies this fall at Assumption College in English and Secondary School Education. “The kids really have taught me a lot of skills. It 18
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