One instrument can change the world

When I first met Mayra during my first year of teaching a little over 4 years ago, she was simply an 8th grader who enjoyed playing her violin.   I had no relationship with her or her peers in the program I had come into and I knew very little about them.  It wasn't before long that I saw Mayra coming in everyday in the mornings to practice her violin.  It wasn't hard to realize that this was a girl who loved music--to listen to it, to make it, and to share it.  Over the past four years, I have seen her grown tremendously as a musician, but more importantly as a person.  She has encompassed the true meaning of a leader.  Recently, she professed to me that she wanted to continue to pursue music in her higher education and even more so, she wanted to become an orchestra teacher.  I, of course, was overwhelmed with joy--not because I had someone to follow in a career path I had chosen, but because I knew there was a love and passion that had been fostered in her that she now wanted to share with the world.  We need help buying her violin so that she can continue her joy and move forth in spreading joy through the making of music.  I asked Mayra to share her own testimony and you can read it below:

"I started playing the violin in the sixth grade.  When I signed up, I didn't really know what it was. I just knew I loved music.  I became very close to my teacher and after 2 years, we got a new teacher.  I have had this teacher for five years now and she has proven to me that anything is possible as long as you work hard.  She has inspired me to follow my dreams and that's what I'm going to do now.  I'm a senior at Northwest Classen High School and I'm looking forward to going to Oklahoma City University.  I will study and major in music education and spread the enjoyment of music that my teacher has spread to me.  I have had many opportunities and wonderful expereinces because of music and I want music to be a positive experience for others as well."