Gerardo Carrillo, 16, is confident in the way he presents himself. Carrying his classical guitar and wearing a bright pink shirt designed to stand out in a room, he takes the stage in the Pioneer Chapel of Central United Methodist Church, located near the corner of Central Avenue and McDowell Road.
Unlike the other young performers that night, Gerardo does not read off any sheet music. Alone on the stage, he proudly looks out to the room filled with other students and their family members.
When he plays, his attention turns to the music. He fixates on his fingers as they shift their place on the fret board. He runs through his pieces with strength and control, smiling to the audience at the end of each one. Once finished, he respectfully bows to the applause.
“He likes the attention,” joked his sister Sariah, 17, who also performed that night on the viola. Their 12-year-old brother Helaman also played, joining two other young guitarists to perform two exercises at the beginning of the concert.
The performances held on Tuesday evening marked the first day in a week full of spring recitals for Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children, a nonprofit that offers free music education for close to 400 students in Phoenix. There were 12 recitals spanning through Saturday in what can only be described as a “marathon,” according to Rosie’s House artistic and executive director Becky Bell Ballard.
“I think I should count the number of hours,” Ballard said. “It’s rewarding at the end. It’s just really high energy, so of course at the end you’re exhausted. But it’s definitely worth it.”
The recitals capped off the 18th anniversary of Rosie’s House, which in addition to providing free music classes and opportunities to perform around the city, also donates a free instrument for each student to practice with.
According to many of the staff and faculty at Rosie’s House, few programs like this exist in the United States. And while the academy is focused on teaching music, its goals branch further out into how music can affect the livelihood of youth.
A humble past and humble present
Rosie’s House started in 1996 in a small house near the Arizona State Capitol. Its founders, Rosebell and Woody Schurz, grew up in Munich, Germany during World War II and immigrated to the United States at a young age. Rosebell, or “Rosie,” played violin. Under its original name “The Christmas House,” Rosebell and Woody provided a place for about 45 young students to receive music lessons.
In the years since that first home, Rosie’s House has grown in enrollment but has still remained in the same general area. The academy changed its name in 2002 and has shifted locations twice: to a larger space near Seventh Avenue and Buckeye Road and then to its current location at the Central United Methodist Church in 2007.
About 65 percent of the students in the program are Hispanic and many of them live in the Central Phoenix area, Ballard said. About half of the students attend schools that offer limited art programs, while others come in addition to their school’s music classes.
Ballard said Rosie’s House is the only tuition-free program in Phoenix. The academy receives funding from a multitude of sources, including corporations such as Salt River Project and Wells Fargo, foundations such as Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and the National Endowment for the Arts, individual donations and some federal funding.
“The families value that opportunity, so they stay involved,” Ballard said.
Students also pay back through performances around the city, Ballard said. For instance, a Rosie’s House van takes student musicians to play every month at the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center to patients and staff. They also host an annual First Friday evening with the Central United Methodist Church.
“It’s kind of like a jam session,” Ballard said of the First Friday event. “They can play whatever they want, it’s very much a freely programmed opportunity for the students.”
Brian Mancini, the head of the strings department and a guitar teacher at Rosie’s House, joined the academy 12 years ago when it was at the Buckeye Road location. He said what really differentiates Rosie’s House from its beginnings are these opportunities for students to perform out in the city.
“It’s not an isolated situation where they just come here one time a week to Rosie’s House to express themselves,” Mancini said. “They’re taking what they learn here, and elsewhere, of course, and bringing that to the community.”
Evolving as a musician, and as a person
Many families have their children attend classes at Rosie’s House for several years. Gerardo Carrillo, the father of Gerardo, Sariah and Helaman, had three other children graduate from the program. Gerardo, Sariah and Helaman, who play in church and compose their own songs, each started their lessons at 8 years old.
“Music has helped them grow intellectually,” their father Gerardo said. “I don’t have any problems with them at school. It has given them more ability and capacity to study.”
Ballard herself started playing piano and French horn in elementary school. She said music taught her lessons that influenced her development in adolescence.
“For me, (music) was my world. It was where I found inspiration. Music helped give me life skills, responsibility, discipline. It helped me take criticism,” she said. “Growing up with music firsthand, I know how beneficial it is.”
Those lessons can be seen in the recitals, as student after student comes up stage to perform. Some play in a group, some are accompanied by a pianist, others play solo. From the youngest students to the oldest, each is able to get through their pieces, many of them with joy after it’s over.
The lessons were also recognized in the Governor’s Arts Awards on March 25. Rosie’s House was awarded for its work in art education at a ceremony at the Mesa Arts Center.
“It felt like all of the work that our community has been diligently doing was recognized,” Ballard said. “The value of what we provide was recognized.”
Snezana Krstic started at Rosie’s House 14 years ago after moving from Serbia, formerly known as Yugoslavia, in 1999. She is one of the longest-lasting teachers at the academy.
Like many of the educators at Rosie’s House, Krstic has an advanced degree in her field, holding a master’s degree in piano performance from the Belgrade University School of Music. She said she believes the music her students learn spreads joy to the world.
“The mission is to share music and goodness of the world through music,” Krstic said. “They learn from the best geniuses that we have in our hands from 400 years until now.”
Five of Krstic’s students performed at a Wednesday night recital at the church. The styles of the pieces played ranged from the work of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to the “Pocahontas” staple “Colors of the Wind.” None of them used sheet music.
“I just love those faces enjoying music,” Krstic said. “The enthusiasm and happiness in their eyes, that’s what keeps me going.”
Taking the stage
Three recitals were held Wednesday night at the church grounds. Ballard could be seen running from room to room, listening in on the performances and taking photos of the students with their teachers.
At a combined saxophone, violin and piano recital, 9-year-old Mina Vining walked to the stage. After bowing to the audience with a smile on her face, she played a gentle and confident adaptation of J.S. Bach’s famous “Minuet in G.”
Her mom, Becky, said she wanted Mina to get a head start on her music education and that she is likely to return next year. She said she is happy for the opportunities Mina gets to perform.
“It’s actually kind of fun,” Mina said after the recital ended. “It’s just something I like to do.”
Some extensive initiatives are planned for the upcoming school year at Rosie’s House. Ballard said the academy was working with the ASU School of Music and Arts Integration Solutions in Tucson to create a curriculum that can be offered in partnership with schools.
The classes would be designed as an after-school program and would touch on music lessons, theory, composition, technology and STEM concepts. Loyola Academy and Phoenix Collegiate Academy signed on as partner schools, and Ballard said they hope to launch a “beta version” of the curriculum this upcoming school year.
In the future, Sariah hopes that Rosie’s House turns into “a McDonald’s,” in the sense that there would be many similar academies providing music across the United States.
“Like a big organization,” she said. “I think it should grow. I think they should do it everywhere.”
Classes continue at Rosie’s House for two more weeks. A few end-of-the-year concerts are scheduled for May, including a “fiesta” for families and students, a “Great Performers Concert” showcasing nine of the top student musicians, a senior recital for graduating students and a performance by Rosie’s House students from the Phoenix Collegiate Academy.
Contact the reporter at motarola@asu.edu
