Aspire opens it programs

By Nikki Meade

The Greenup Beacon

DeNeil Hartley is the Founder of Aspire Conservatory. A school of the arts founded in June 2015 preparing to begin its 8th full school year of services. It started as a ministry program of a local church and then incorporated as an individual 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

DeNeil Hartley spent 23 years as a public school music educator and doing music lessons on the side in the evenings. Through this, she identified a need in the community and went for it. She says “My experience in the elementary school classes having the special needs students, I really felt drawn to providing services for them once they leave the public school setting. This will be the second year of providing the services for the special needs community. So far, we have had a small group of special needs adults who have participated. I have a friend who is a community access worker for adults, she was looking for music classes. So we now offer music therapy services. Our clients suffer from a number of disabilities such as severe anxiety, Down Syndrome, autism, and multiple handicaps. The facility where we hold our services is fully accessible at first baptist church 1701 Winchester Ave. Students can come from anywhere to the classes and there is a branch in Louisa as well.

Aspire offers private music lessons, piano, voice, guitar, violin, viola, woodwind instruments, brass instruments, and drums group art classes for all ages as well as private art lessons, Musical theater classes, Individual music therapy sessions

Special needs classes for all ages, both youth, and adults. Aspire is currently providing music therapy services to Hoops Family Children's Hospital at Cabell Huntington Hospital and Ramey Estep adolescent residential treatment center. and regroup and other counseling services to participate in groups and individual music therapy

We work as a community partner to offer two afterschool art programs in local elementary schools Oakview in Ashland and Campbell elementary in Raceland and preparing to partner with Charles Russell Elementary to do an academic and enrichment program. Last semester we served over 525 clients through our programs.

Right now the biggest goal is to raise community awareness and education. An inclusive art program for special needs people.

We have been lucky to have been supported through grant funding by the foundation for the tristate and the Pallottine Foundation of huntington. In the 1950s the military used music therapy to assist soldiers with TBI and pain management. That is kinda where music therapy started. There are only 70 colleges in the united states that have accredited music therapy programs. Many only offer it at the master's level. They do it in the education field and cross over into medical and psychology fields also completing an internship. They have to be nationally board certified within a short time post-graduation.

Inclusive music classes will be led by the music therapist Inclusive art classes will be led by an experienced public school art educator with experience working with special needs students.

Currently enrolling for classes, although some are already filled. They are divided into classes by grade and age levels. We started the Inclusive arts program because we feel that the arts are and should be for everyone. Often times students with autism are drawn to the arts as an outlet for communication. Many special needs adults who have graduated from the public school system do not have access.

Fine and gross motor skills, social skills, behavior management as well as appropriate cognitive level and memory skills. We want all of our students to feel welcomed, valued, loved, and feel safe, and comfortable being themselves

It is our mission to promote both recreational and performance-driven music making and fine arts education within the community in a positive, friendly, Christian atmosphere; and to enhance personal mental, physical and spiritual well-being through arts-related experiences.

We are pursuing potential grant funding and donations to offset expenses for special needs students to participate. Many special needs families have a lot of expenses for medical and therapeutic services and we would love to be able to help them be able to afford to participate. If anyone would like to sponsor a student you may contact Aspire Conservatory to make a tax-deductible donation. aspireconservatory@gmail.com 740-534-2656