Home > Featured News > Article: Private lessons in voice, piano, guitar, Suzuki violin, drawing and photography offered through Community School of Arts
Students in the Suzuki violin program from Evangel University's Community School of Arts play in the 2012 Christmas Concert. Budding local artists of all ages have found a home at Evangel University’s Community School of Arts. Since 2008, the CSA has been offering classes in music, drama and art, uniting Evangel faculty and students with those in the surrounding community who share a passion for the fine arts.
Director Susan Sheets says the idea for CSA came during the 2007-2008 academic year when she and Dr. Michael Kolstad, chairman of the Music Department, shared a vision to offer classes and lessons in the fine arts to the surrounding community. The two met with Dr. Nathan Nelson, Humanities Department chairman, about including art and drama instruction along with the music. Together, they made the CSA a reality.
Opening to the community in 2008, the CSA initially offered classes and lessons in voice, piano, worship piano, guitar, Suzuki violin, drawing and photography. Since then, the CSA has decided to only offer private lessons. Instructors include Evangel faculty, graduate students and even qualified undergraduate students.
“It is a nice way for our EU music and art students to develop their teaching skills,” she says. “All of our student instructors are highly recommended to us by a EU professor.”
Sheets says the instructors personally schedule, organize and promote their own lessons. While the instructors hold many lessons on campus, she says several instructors also teach in off-campus studios or from their homes. Recitals take place in Evangel’s Barnett Recital Hall.
Currently, the Community School of Arts offers lessons in drawing, digital photography, voice and several instruments. Sheets says the age range of students is 4 to 70.
“We are always adding new instructors and instruments options and are open to anyone who desires to teach private lessons in music, art and drama.”
While the CSA does not currently offer any drama courses, Sheets says one of the plans for the future is to hold a community theatre production. Other goals include offering a public speaking class and music education classes to private preschools and schools that do not have music programs in their curriculum. A community choir is also part of future planning.
Kolstad says the CSA serves as a valuable community outreach program for Evangel. He also says it allows fine arts students who may have never heard of Evangel to connect with the university.
“It is a wonderful recruiting tool,” he says. “For many participants this is their first exposure – and often only exposure – to the university.”
Anyone interested in beginning lessons can find the current lesson offerings on the Community School of Arts page. To get in touch with an instructor to set up lessons, email the CSA at CommunitySchoolofArts@evangel.edu for contact information.
