Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – What would the world look like if every child played a musical instrument? Last July, Kevin Shanley and Heidi Thompson set up a Go Fund Me account to raise money to purchase instruments for the Instituto de Artes Musicales Puerto Vallarta (IAMPV), a non-profit that provides music education and performance opportunities for local children.
“There are more kids who want to study at the IAMPV than there are instruments. I learned this one evening after a concert Deborah and I attended in Puerto Vallarta last winter. After enjoying Don Moline’s fundraising concert, I met the IAMPV director, Daniel Oliveros, who told me that what his school needs is instruments, so that more children will be able to take lessons, practice and eventually make music like their friends,” Kevin said.
“We came back to Chicago with a mission. We have been blessed with music in our lives – Deborah’s gifts, our many talented friends – and we think that if we work together, we can find the resources to get the kids of Puerto Vallarta the instruments they need. We hope you’ll help us!”
Grammy award-winning cellist Donald Moline, now retired, was a cellist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 39 years and has established a distinguished orchestral, chamber music, solo and recording career. He has performed in virtually every corner of the globe with many of the world’s greatest conductors and musicians.
For the past several years, Mr. Moline has been performing classical concerts in venues throughout the Banderas Bay area to raise funds for the Instituto de Artes Musicales Puerto Vallarta, and he has generously donated all of the proceeds to IAMPV projects.
IAMPV is an educational music institute whose mission is to bring the joy of music to children and young adults in the greater Puerto Vallarta area. This is accomplished through a comprehensive program with many levels of instruction and different musical disciplines. Musical instruments are provided to beginning students, but there are not enough to go around.
The goal of Shanley and Thompson’s Go Fund campaign was to raise enough money to purchase 60 instruments. To date, 21 instruments have been purchased and received by children who are now taking lessons. Ten more have been ordered and are due to be delivered any day, and $2400 USD is needed to pay for the final order of 27 instruments that the IAMPV still needs.
If you believe music education is important and wish to make a donation, click HERE. No amount is too small, every little bit will help IAMPV make a difference in the lives of the children of Puerto Vallarta.
To learn more about IAMPV visit the official Facebook page.
