Boonville Youth
music
program

One of the greatest challenges for broad-range arts programs in modestly populated rural areas is providing consistent high-level instruction, ideally in small group and one-on-one settings. Since the spring of 2018, the Academy has brought volunteer composers and performers from its programs to frequently guest at the Boonville-based Anderson Valley Jr./Sr. High School's small (yet determined) Music Productions classes, directly encouraging several students to pursue creative studies in college.

Thanks to generous benefactors* who believe in the power of music to transform young people's lives, the Academy is excited to strengthen its relationship to Boonville youth by connecting them to Academy alums and staffers who return to Boonville as Artist-Citizens-in-Residence, beginning in 2022.

Each semester, two artists are funded to live in Boonville for up to four months to provide a variety of civic services including teaching music according to their area of expertise and mutual area of need within the school district. This is supplemented by regular multi-day visits from performers based in the San Francisco Bay Area (from a broad range of demographic and aesthetic backgrounds) who are on hand to coach, mentor, play with, and play new works composed by the students. Additional visitors include Faculty Performer mentors from the Bahlest Eeble Readings program as well as associated Composer Fellows.

For the school year of 2023-2024, the Academy is pleased to welcome Dustin Carlson (Cycle 10) and Shane Cook (Cycle 12)!

**Lariat Futures Innovators Foundation, The Sandy Mailliard Donor-Advised Fund, and Anonymous