Immanuel Music School 2016 (report and statistics)

Students at the Immanuel Music School:

The Immanuel Music School had 78 students learning to play an instrument in 2016 (96 in 2015 and 124 in 2014). In addition to that, from September 2016, 40 more children (ages 3-5) in Immanuel Day Nursery (kindergarten) have joined Kodaly class lessons with singing games to develop a sense of beat, pitch and rhythm.

Of the students playing an instrument in Immanuel Music School, 15 students are 6 year old children in the Immanuel Day Nursery. The rest of the students come to lessons after school in the afternoons and/or during the weekends either in Home of Praise or in Immanuel Lutheran Church.  In 2016 only 10 students living in Nong Mai area (close to Home of Praise) came to lessons more than 10 times.

 Most of the members receive their lessons and go to orchestra rehearsals in Immanuel Lutheran Church where something is going on every day during the week. 21 of the musicians in Immanuel Orchestras in 2016 are former Immanuel Day Nursery kids.

In addition to offer free music lessons to children and youths in the deprived area surrounding Immanuel Church and the Home of Praise Community Center, Immanuel Music School also wishes to expand the work to other areas and churches in Bangkok and to other parts of Thailand.

At present two of our scholarship students come from other parts of the country: Reehpaw Saenthawidet (Fiw) from Chiang Rai in North Thailand and Narongthep Somphorn (Best) from Buriram in North East Thailand. Immanuel Music School, represented by Fiw, has also been teaching in Samrong Church once a week, and Immanuel Music school’s teacher, Varin Artvilai (Ton), has been teaching hymns, liturgy, choir, violin and singing once a week at LST (Luther Institute Thailand). Our full-time students have joined the choir and hymn rehearsals, helped teach violin, guitar, drums and piano, and played at the service there.

As in 2015, 2016 has also been a year where we have tried to continue emphasize a higher level of teaching quality and artistic excellence. Three of Immanuel Music School’s students are now studying music at universities: Sinsupa Pantawong (Fai) a violin student at the school is on her 2nd year at her Bachelors in Music Performance (violin) at Mahidol University’s College of Music, Fiw (cello) and Anongnath Duangwong (Ice), playing violin, were accepted at Princess Galyani Wathana Institute of Music and started their bachelors in Music Performance in August 2016.

Narongthep Somphorn (Best), and from August 2016 also Sudawadee Thaparut (Pupae), have been full time scholarship students at Immanuel Music School. The scholarship program gives the students a well-rounded musical education to can prepare them for advanced musical studies. The students also get the opportunity to practice what they learn by performing and teaching the younger students. This becomes an example which we hope the younger children will want to emulate.

Many of the younger, eager students in the Immanuel have attended more lessons, rehearsals, concerts and performances in 2016 than earlier years. The school has offered orchestra rehearsals and sectionals, individual lessons (violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, drums and piano), string quartets, band, choir and sight singing lessons. We have never had students attending activities more than 200 times a year before, but in 2016 amazing 11 students passed that record, with 3 children (all 9 years old) coming more than 300 times!

On the other hand, the total number of students playing an instrument in Immanuel Music School this year has again dropped. But thanks to volunteer teacher Ishanti Chaurasia, since September 2016 all the children in Immanuel Day Nursery (around 60 kids divided into 3 classes) have received Kodaly "readiness music" class lessons 2 times a week.

In addition to our 5 full-time scholarship students and our concertmaster (full time teacher) in 2016:

11 students (2015: 0 students) have come between 200-343 times (4-7 times a week),

10 students (2015: 19 students) have come between 100-199 times, (3-4 times a week)

14 students (2015: 16 students) have come between 40-99 times (1-2 times a week).

22 students (2015: 35 students) have come between 20-39 times during 2016.

15 students (2015: 26 students) have come between 10-19 times (too little to make much progress).

(59 students have come to lessons less than 10 times, but that is too little to count as members.)

The age of the students playing an instrument in Immanuel Music School in 2016 ranges from 6 to 24.

10 students were between 19-24 years old,

9 students were 16-18 years old,

11 students were 13-15 years old,

33 students were primary school students,

15 students were kindergarten students.

(In addition 40 more children aged 3-5 years old received Kodaly music class lessons).

Many of the students in Immanuel Music School really like to come to Immanuel Church and Home of Praise. In addition to coming for music lessons, many of them also join other activities like English lessons, Friday Club, Camps, Sunday school and services. 20 of the active members in Immanuel Music School in 2016 are baptized.

Music Staff at Immanuel Music School:

We are very thankful for all the time, effort and knowledge given to our students during 2016!

Jonathan Mann, famous orchestra conductor from the UK began as the Artistic Director for the Immanuel Orchestras from 1^st June, 2015. Before this he had worked as a guest conductor for three concerts. He has given much of his time also in 2016 to the Immanuel Music School free of charge and has managed to improve the orchestra’s playing to such a high level of quality. This has led to people in the wider Bangkok community noticing this exciting project and wanting to attend Immanuel Orchestra concerts. It has also led to people in the Bangkok Arts community wanting to help the project and collaborate with our young musicians.

Varin Artvilai (Ton) has been a full-time teacher and conductor in Immanuel Music School since June 2015. Prior to this he was paid part time for several months. Ton completed his Bachelors in Performance (Violin) at Mahidol College of Music in April 2014. He started to learn violin at the Immanuel Music School and at Home of Praise when he was a child. 

During 2016 he has taken on greater responsibility for the music school in general, the organization and training of the orchestras, individual teaching, music theory lessons and administration. In March, Ton had the opportunity to go with Jonathan Mann to London and Cardiff to experience the high level of music making in Europe. Ton was invited and sponsored to join Suzuki Book 1 training 23-28^th October 23rd-28th, 2016 at Mahidol University.

Solveig Meling Johannessen started Immanuel Music School together with Dag, her husband in the year 2000. Due to Dag's health situation they had to move to Norway in October 2016. From Norway Solveig has still done administration and following up on teachers and students through online medias.

Tanutt Tanavoravongsa (Tong) has been teaching piano in Immanuel 1-2 afternoons per week since 22^nd June 2015. This is a valuable skill we can offer our students.

Pongsathorn Surapab (Now) has been teaching Best double bass since February 2016.

Our scholarship students have been helping to teach individual and group lessons throughout the year.

Thank you very much to the following music teachers who have helped out, free of charge, teaching in the Immanuel Music School in 2016:

Amy Boese, music teacher at ICS and violinist, has been helping out in the Immanuel Orchestra for all the big concerts in 2016. She has even been leading the orchestra rehearsals in the preparing of Vivaldi’s Gloria.

Ishanti Chaurasia, Kodaly teacher, has since September 2016 volunteered to teach all the 3 classes in Immanuel Day Nursery 2 times a week and she has also taught musicianship to our 2 full-time scholarship students this period.

Jennifer Moberg, Suzuki violin teacher, has been teaching violin on Thursday afternoons since September 2016.

Saara Nordblom has been helping out occasionally teaching cello students and playing in the orchestra.

Yohan Jeon, student at ICS, has been teaching violin for 2 hours on Saturdays throughout the year.

Joonas Vapaavuori, cellist helping the orchestra in March and April.

Brittany Whitfield, volunteer for one month, teaching piano.

Musicians from Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra: Paal Svendsberget (Violin), Lars Lunde, (Violin), Kjell Aage Stoveland (Viola), Leonardo Sesenna, (Cello) and John Harrison (Double Bass), for supporting, teaching and playing throughout 10 intensive days in September/October 2016

Pongthep Jitduangprem (Golf) for helping out at concerts, and for teaching a few viola lessons.

Stephen Maniam, for teaching one day in January and coming from Malaysia to help regarding the concert 1^st October.

Activities in Immanuel Music School during 2016:

In 2016 Immanuel Orchestras have had many more performances outside Immanuel Church than earlier years, more people than before have visited the school, and also media has shown increasing interest in our activities, especially in the 3 last months of the year.

Immanuel Music School has arranged two big orchestra concerts where Immanuel Orchestras have played the entire programme. The first was in Kukrit Institute 30^th April where the A-orchestra played a full symphony (J. Haydn Symphony No.104) for the first time. The next orchestra concert was 1^st October at SET-building. The 300 seats there were fully booked. For this concert all expenses except sound and video were covered by sponsors, and we received almost 300,000 Baht in donations which is much more than we have ever received before. Having 5 musicians from Kristiandsand Symphony Orchestra help prepare and perform in the concert was a nice addition and inspiring for the students

Immanuel Orchestra also performed Vivaldi’s Gloria together with BMS choir (Bangkok Music Society) for the first time before Christmas.

In 2016 Immanuel Music School played at 3 different arrangements in Khlong Toey Slum Area arranged by other organizations.
 In January a small group from Immanuel Orchestra performed at Duang Pratheep Foundation, In June we were invited to play at 70 Rai at a joint concert with many other organizations working in Khlong Toey, and in September Worldship Orchestra from Japan visited and played a joint concert with Immanuel Orchestra under the expressway close to Home of Praise. This event was realized through a cooperation with Silpakorn University

Throughout 2016 Immanuel orchestras and groups from the orchestra have had many small concerts and performances at shopping centers, restaurants, and TV studios, especially the 3 last months of the year after the king of Thailand died. Many TV channels, magazines and people interested in our program also came visiting to Immanuel Church.

The Immanuel Children’s choir has been invited to sing with Bangkok Opera for 3 projects in 2016.  The first concert was in May where we joined a “Space” concert with “The Planets” and songs from “Star Wars”. The next concert was in July where the Immanuel kids sang the children choir parts in Carmina Burana, and in October the Immanuel kids had the opportunity to join the big choir singing the Thailand Royal Hymn for 160,000 people.

We arranged 3 camps during 2016 (2 for the A Orchestra and one for the Immanuel Junior Orchestra). This is 1 more than planned thanks to a great offer from a very good supporter of the music school to use his private house in Cha-am as a camp site for free.

Both senior and junior orchestras have had 2 weekly rehearsals during the year with some kids joining both orchestras. This is a great opportunity for the students to bond socially and also spend more time working the music to higher levels in an environment they may not get to experience often.

In end of April Immanuel Music School invited and welcomed new kids for a summer school. These kids together with some young kids from the junior orchestra made the ground for a new C orchestra starting up from June 2016.

During 2016 Immanuel Music School has received free tickets to several concerts and operas, mostly with Bangkok Opera.

What did not go as planned:

All the small performances on shopping malls, restaurants and private arrangements and also media visits have been very good for the marketing and income of the Immanuel Music School, but it has also led to cancelled lessons for the younger kids and new beginners. In November and December the children in Home of Praise only got about 2 lessons per months partly because of this. Also the violin teaching in the kindergarten was hit badly.

The new beginner orchestra ended up being in Immanuel Church for each rehearsal, and we never managed to make it a collaboration with Home of Praise.

The choir which started up in Immanuel in February only had a few  rehearsals, but instead Immanuel's children choir arise, and the choir joined 3 project with Bangkok Opera in 2016.

We didn’t manage to arrange the planned music camp in May 2016 for youth from all the Lutheran Congregations in Thailand. The idea probably came too late, and we didn’t have enough money or time to do it.

Economy:

Immanuel Music School has had some very good and faithful persons as sponsors since 2015, supporting and encouraging both the teachers and students whenever we need it. Last half of 2016 we got more new contacts, and the income increased. Thank you very much to both old and new sponsors!

In 2016 Immanuel Music School had income of total 1,243,023 THB.  The expenses were 1,224,677 THB so we had a surplus of 18,345 THB.

Details regarding the expenses in 2016:

Music teacher’s salary (violin, piano and double bass teachers): 382,150 THB (In 2015: 285,675 THB),

Scholarships to 3 university students: 339,280 THB (In 2015: 203,822 THB for 1 student)

Support to fulltime students in Immanuel Music School: 136,000 THB (In 2015: 136,790 THB)

Fees for applying and to do auditions to music study at universities: 10,850 THB (In 2015: 15,700 Baht)

3 Rehearsal camps: 48,808 THB (In 2015: 61,079 THB for 2 camps)

Orchestra concerts: 65,555 THB (In 2015: 110,967 THB)

Sheet music: 2,806 THB (In 2015: 17,168 THB)

Repairing of instruments, included new bows: 33,939 THB (In 2015: 23,730 THB)

Repairing of laptop and music stands: 660 THB

Food: 5,814 THB (not included food at camps), (In 2015: 32,770 THB)

Administration: 14,388 THB (In 2015: 27,323 THB)

Bank and Paypal fees: 2,561 THB, (In 2015: 9,735 THB)

Expenses marketing: 160,500 THB (Music for Life gala dinner project started in 2015, not completed, but we got an income of 650,000 THB in 2015).

Web page: 5,998 THB, (In 2015: 5,600 THB)

Travelling expenses (not included travelling to camps and our big orchestra concert): 9,828 THB, (In 2015: 9,339 THB)

Rewards: 4,440 THB (In 2015: 450 Baht)

Concert tickets: 600 THB

Reconciliation Discrepancies: 500 THB

Total: 1,224,677 THB

Income:

Most of Immanuel Music School’s income come from donations given by private persons (most of them living in Thailand) wanting to support the work, but we have also got donations from some groups and organizations like choirs and orchestras. For the first time Immanuel Music School has received donations from 3 different foundations (220,000 THB) and also from Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (15,000 THB). In 2016 only 23,200 THB came as donations from companies.

Many of our sponsors first heard about Immanuel Music School/Music for Life through a concert, performance, or through Immanuel Music School’s Facebook page. Some of them bring their friends and contacts to Immanuel Church to visit the music school. And many of them again become new supporters. 

Lately also reports in media, like TV and magazines, about Immanuel Music School have played an increasing role as marketing of the school. Many new people heard about Immanuel Music School for the first time through the Asiola campaign going on from September to 1^st December 2016. Immanuel Music School received 55,345.79 THB from this campaign, but the amount was given to us in January 2017, so it is not included in the summary of income from 2016.

Instruments:

In 2016 Immanuel Music School has received donations of 8 second hand instruments including 4 violins, 1 viola, 2 cellos and 1 small electric piano. We have also received donations of 3 new instruments (2 electric pianos and 1 full-size cello). For money donated we have bought 1 new, small viola, 1 guitar and some new violin- and cello bows.

Our only ¾ cello broke in 2016, and it can unfortunately not be fixed. Also one ¼ violin broke. Both incidents were accidents made by new beginner students.

Immanuel Lutheran Church:

During 2016 Immanuel Lutheran Church has let Immanuel Music School use several rooms in the church for free for rehearsals every day. We really appreciate it. Thank you also for your patience regarding so many kids going in and out of the doors all the year but we hope the music school also provides you with a lot of joy!

Thank you to everyone who has supported Immanuel Music School/Music for Life by giving of your valuable time, finances, instruments or supported in any other way. We could not have survived without you!