Fun in the Sun

The Music Academy of the West probably never had a more lively campus than the other day when 350 Fun in the Sun kids visited for some fun in the sun. I had a bit of a problem getting there because of a school bus stuck in the gate and driveway. It was so stuck I couldn’t sneak around, so I parked my car and walked to another entrance.

These kids, third graders through junior high, have been part of a six-week program given by United Way of Santa Barbara County to reverse summer learning loss. “Many are at risk of falling behind their peers without special help,” says president/CEO Steve Ortiz. He is proud of the fact that the National Summer Learning Association has named Fun in the Sun the winner of the National Excellence in Summer Learning Award.

The program has adult mentors, daily reading and writing, arts, nutrition, health education, activities to build self-esteem, even swim lessons and family fun nights. As Montecito Bank & Trust chairman/CEO Janet Garufis said, “The kids are also given financial education.” I wish someone (me?) had given my kids some of that!

For seven of their 21years, Fun in the Sun has partnered with Montecito Bank & Trust and the Music Academy of the West, which is a win-win for all. When I arrived at the academy, it was a carnival atmosphere with all sorts of games being played. There was a fancy game of musical chairs going on with a small live orchestra providing the music. Face painting was a big item, and many loved banging away on instruments.

Music Academy of the West president/CEO Scott Reed high-fived all the kids when it was time to go into Hahn Hall. The special treat was “Compose Yourself,” which is an interactive orchestra performance. Academy alumnus Jim Stephenson wrote the score to introduce children to the wonders of the orchestra. It amuses them with unusual “instruments” such as playing bottle music and hosaphones, with the oboes doing a snake charm and the basoon, French horn, trombone, tuba, and harp tooting away, keeping the kids laughing and learning about classical music. Jim has performed the 50-minute production more than 350 times around the world.

It was time for a box lunch and then goodbye until next summer. The bus had gotten unstuck and they could go home.