Elementary Students' Violin Program in Jeopardy

The violin program at  is in jeopardy. The program’s founder and director, Lori Franke, was told the school would have to slash $17,000 from the program’s budget toward the end of the school year.

“How do I choose the kids who get to have lessons?” Franke asked. “Either I can’t take any new students or we can only run the program until December.”

are to blame for the cut, which amounts to half the program’s budget, she said. Because the school received less money than usual from the district, the violin program can’t count on financial support from administrators.

“Our money comes through fundraising and the school district,” she explained. “[School administrators] had to cut our funding because there wasn’t enough for what other people and programs needed, like tutorial services.”

While the number of students varies from year-to-year, Franke said she ended last year with 75 students, grades kindergarten through 5th, learning to play the violin.

She started teaching the instrument at Del Buono in 1995 and said it continues to be the only string program in the .

“There are great band and choir programs in the GUSD, but what about the kids who don’t want to sing or play a blowing instrument?” she said. “I’m dyslexic and I was able to use learning the violin to help me in other areas of my life. Everyone learns in different ways.”

Few of Del Buono's students, Franke said, would ever pick up an instrument if it weren’t for the program.

“A lot of my students are from low-income families and they wouldn’t have the opportunity to play without the school program,” she said. “I charge $140 a month for private lessons and there is no way a lot of those kids could pay that kind of money.”

Kids, she said, have a right to thrive through music. Many of her past protégés have gone on to play in middle and high school as well as college.

While raising $17,000 by next school year is daunting, the program has support from a high-profile Gilroyan. 

Mayor Al Pinheiro first got introduced to Franke’s program when her students joined a delegation with Gilroy’s sister city of Angra, Portugal in 2006. 

“I fell in love with those kids,” he said. “How they played, how well behaved they were and respectful. I got hooked.”

Learning to play an instrument is one thing, he said, but the program also teaches students about discipline, responsibility and the importance of good character.

“It goes beyond the music,” he said.

To help raise the funds, Pinheiro and Franke cooked up the idea of hosting a benefit dinner and concert Friday, July 13. For $25 attendees can enjoy a pasta dinner prepared by local chefs Sam Bozzo and Gene Sakahara.

Mariachi Juvenil Alma de Mexico, Baile Folklorico Juvenil and Franke’s students plan to perform throughout the evening. A live auction and raffle with Pinheiro acting as master of ceremonies will also take place.

Both the mayor and Franke hope the event produces the funds needed to keep the program intact. If it doesn’t, they plan on holding more events until they make their mark.

Either way, Franke won’t give up until the stringed instruments at Del Buono are making music again.

“The school has a lot of violins,” she said. “We have all the equipment you need to make the program happen. What a shame it will be for them to sit unused. I want to distribute them to the students and let them be played.”

The Antonio Del Buono Violin Program benefit dinner and concert is Friday, July 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the I.F.D.E.S. Lodge-Portuguese Hall, located at 250 Old Gilroy St. Tickets can be purchased at Al Pinheiro Insurance Agency, located at 190 First St., or through parents of Antonio Del Buono students.

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