When My Day Counts participant Scotland received a violin from his late Aunt in 2015, he was excited to learn how to play it. He wasn’t sure how to go about getting violin lessons however until he began a RYTMO program in 2024 through the My Day Counts facility in Anaheim.
RYTMO’s Executive Director Mike Anderson, learned of Scotland’s desire to learn to play so spoke to Dr. Debbie Schroeder, Founding Executive Director of nearby Vibrant Minds Charter School (VMCS) to see if they were running any music classes he could attend. Coincidentally, VMCS had recently introduced violin lessons and so Debbie invited Scotland to join.
When Scotland went to his first lesson at VMCS, he was told by his instructor that his violin was in very poor condition and needed refurbishment. “My family brought it to a music shop to get an estimate on how much the repairs would cost,” Scotland explained. “They informed me that the violin was only good for display. At this time though, I had a burning desire to learn how to play.”
When the RYTMO team heard of Scotland’s predicament, they reached out to Arturo Echarte, Founder/Executive Director of Acoustic for a Change in Dana Point, an organization that refurbishes gently used musical instruments and donates them to underprivileged children and the organizations that work with them. “Arturo was absolutely happy to help,” Mike said. Within a few weeks a violin was sourced and presented to Scotland by Mike and Mark Roos (RYTMO’s Program Director) during a special presentation that Scotland’s peers and My Day Counts staff were invited to attend.
Scotland said he was profoundly grateful to receive the violin and is thoroughly enjoying the classes at VMCS. “I enjoy my instructor, Miss V. I am grateful for the guidance she has provided for me,” he said.
One thing that has stood out to Scotland during this journey, is the importance of using music as a form of personal expression. “I would like to thank Mike Anderson and Mark Roos for introducing me to the wonders of music and helping me to develop my interest in playing an instrument,” Scotland said.
Since participating in RYTMO, Scotland has also discovered a passion for creating his own music. He looks forward to one day performing in front of an audience to show how he has progressed in his musical ability.
Read more about My Day Counts here.
