Members of the Violin Club hosted and performed in front of students and their families on Thursday, April 24, at 5 p.m. on the fourth floor of the CWU library. The performance provided a relaxing environment for anyone wanting to come study, mingle or listen to some music. Aside from the violin performances, they also held a fundraiser for future excursions, notably to see the Seattle Symphony.
Violin Performance major, Lynn Ramos, elaborated more on the fundraiser. “We’re going to see the Seattle Symphony and a violinist, Augustin Hadelich, perform with them. And we want to raise money so we can have more trips like this in the future,” Ramos said. “Maybe even travel to conferences and share our music.”
The Violin Club said they wanted to show their community that they are proud of their work. With some extracurricular music departments having funding requests denied, most notably the mariachi band, some music majors are showing concern towards the rejected proposals.
Speaking more on the denied request, music education major, Isaac Draculano said, “It’s sad, knowing that I don’t get to hear some of the stuff happening at our school. I feel like sometimes they try to hide it.”
Being part of the Mariachi Band himself, Draculano noted how this was similar to the defunding of the rugby players on campus. “I’ve heard that there was defunding, but I did not know who or where it would be affecting,” Draculano said.
This defunding of certain programs and extracurriculars is not only lowering morale, but also the trust amongst students towards the school. Not knowing if, or when a club will be defunded can put a rail in students’ lives or plans. Not only are students not being told when their clubs and groups are being defunded, some students were not aware of any defunding at all.
Through community and awareness, the Violin Club created an atmosphere for all. Despite the defunding of areas in the music department, the club members stepped up, each member performing a solo piece, and even some duos and group performances. The club members each took turns playing their instrument and all showed their support for their fellow members, as they hoped to reach higher.
