FIX the ViSTA Theater!

Hi! My name is Debi Ruud. I have been teaching voice to hundreds of wonderful people for 25 years now. Twelve years ago, when I signed the lease for what was then “The Voice Shop,” my singing school, I had just enough square footage for a very small performance, “Space.” Even though it was very small, we were able to do all kinds of creative things in that space. A few years later, I knocked down a wall, literally, and created an even bigger space. Big enough to do so much more. I had so many dreams ….But there was a problem…

The noisy bar that moved in around the same time, that shares a wall with me, made it almost impossible to do any performances in the space unless it was a “louder” musical performance of some kind. No poetry readings or straight plays with “tender” moments would work. I tried EVERYTHING I could think of to fix the problem, including asking the landlord and the bar owner for help. I got bids from contractors for soundproofing etc., but to no avail. It was just too expensive for me to do on my own. I have been battling this noise issue for over ten years now.

Fast forward to 2016. The space on the other side of me became available, so we decided to “bust through the wall” and expand the school. We changed the name to “Fresno Music Academy & Arts,” and we added classrooms, and yes, we added onto the ViSTA theater space. We got some better lighting, made the stage bigger etc., but the problem remains…really the only actual performances we could and can do in the ViSTA are “louder” musical things, like our student showcases or bands. The rest of the time, the space sits unused. The noise problem remains and has ever since and the sound and lighting systems are in desperate need of an upgrade. My dream of making a groovy little intimate theater space has been dashed for years, and I have felt powerless to do anything about it. It costs money to “Fix” this problem. Lots of money.

Then something happened. A few months ago, a little miracle happened, and my perspective changed. I became energized about my little theater again. I got this crazy idea that with the support of the community, we all could “Fix the ViSTA.” There are so many people in our community that love and support the Arts. There are so many people in our community that have been to a performance at the ViSTA and have experienced the “noise” for themselves but love the “vibe” of the space. If you have not been there, I hope that you will be able to at some point!

So, instead of being a “Debi downer” about this, I want to do something about it! I’m reaching out to YOU, my community, my friends and my loved ones. We can do this, and this little theater can become the great addition to our community that I dream about.

If you help to "FIX the ViSTA," your name will be permanently placed on the wall of the ViSTA Theater. I know it is possible with your help!

Why is it called the ViSTA Theater, you ask? Well, it's an acronym for Voice Shop Theater Arts. When we changed the name from the Voice Shop to Fresno Music, Academy & Arts, I was sad. That had been the name of my school since 1998. So John came up with ViSTA to keep that legacy alive! My hope and prayer is that you will join me in this vision to "Fix the ViSTA."

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support! I love you!