Thriving Charities gives $30K to support UVI’s music program

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) is pleased to announce that it has received a $30,000 gift from Thriving Charities Advocates (TCA), a professional fundraising organization and Economic Development Commission beneficiary on St. Thomas.

The gift will be used to support the University’s music program, specifically to enhance the recording capabilities of UVI’s recording studio. “Thanks to the ongoing generosity of Thriving Charities Advocates, we have made steady progress as we build the recording studio in different phases,” Dion Parson, UVI chair of the Communication and Performing Arts Department, said. “We have been able to purchase mics, cables, and software thus far and our next step is to buy soundproofing materials. The overall purpose of the recording studio is to make it a performance space that we can use as a teaching classroom and a recording space where we can create quality recordings.”

Designed to engage students deeply with music and the arts, UVI’s music program prepares graduates to teach in the K-12 education system, with specializations available in piano, voice, steel pan, percussion, and various woodwind or brass instruments. In addition to offering a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, UVI also offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Performance, and a Music Industry Certificate to provide students with training to become audio engineers and successful entrepreneurs in the music business. Acclaimed jazz musician Dion Parson directs the program, bringing his expertise and vision to ensure students are exposed to a broad spectrum of musical knowledge.