CNN iReport

CHECK OUT THIS AWESOME VIDEO OF CLASSICAL CHAPS IN ACTION:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRzCbaJVvwA

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE:

www.classicalchaps.com

--The Classical Chaps website has links to photos, videos, articles and other great press about Classical Chaps.

Updates:

--Griffin is being awarded $1,250 from the NPR radio show From the Top for his outstanding work in music outreach. He will use this money to start a program like Classical Chaps in Boston, MA where he now attends college (Griffin is a freshman at Harvard University).

--Classical Chaps is still going on this year! Griffin coordinated a partnership between Friendly House and a Portland music center (Community Music Center, 'CMC') so that the lessons can continue at Friendly House for years to come.

Classical Chaps Overview:

   Classical chaps is unique from any other program in the country because it has been foreseen entirely by a high school student. It emphasizes the power of music education on all levels--from students to teachers and beyond. Classical Chaps not only serves to cure America’s lack of easily accessible public music education, but also gives way to social change in the lives of participating students. It brings structure, discipline, excitement and accomplishment into the lives of students who may not otherwise be able to find these qualities in their lives.

  Classical Chaps is a free violin-lesson program that now 18 year old Griffin Gaffney created in November of 2008 for students of NW Portland's non-profit community center, Friendly House. After holding a benefit concert to raise money to purchase ten violins, Friendly House enrolled nine students to participate in the program's first year. Each student has a personal violin provided by Friendly House on loan for the year of instruction. From November 2008 to June 2009 Griffin taught once-weekly group classes to the students at Friendly House.