WECREATIVE ARE


Stephanie Yoder teaches students to make beautiful music together.


At a certain age, I realized I had unfinished business. I had left college to get married and raise my children and along the way enjoyed playing and teaching piano. But it was time to finish what I set out to do.


I chose Penn State Abington because it was in my backyard and offered tuition-free courses through the Go-60 program. After completing my Integrative Arts degree, I realized that full tuition would’ve cost me a lot of money. So I decided to endow the music program to thank them. A lot of the endowment has gone toward the AbingTones. I am impressed with their enthusiasm and talent. That’s exactly what I was hoping to happen with my gift.


Kids today are so tech-oriented. So often, the traditional arts suffer. But music is a big part of life. It matters a great deal for kids to have a well-rounded education that includes knowing something about music.


You have to expose them to things they didn’t know they were missing.


– Anonymous donor, Music Enhancement Endowment


As a trained classical singer, I was always focused on perfecting my own sound. My dream was to work with solo performers as a voice professor. But when I was asked in 2010 to build a choral program here, my whole outlook changed. I discovered the beauty and camaraderie that come from the ensemble sound.


The kids in our coed a capella group, the AbingTones, and our female choral group, the Trebelmakers, are all good friends. We were talking about the use of cell phones during rehearsals and one student said, “I don’t even know who I would message because all of my friends are here!” Another student blogged that the moments he has shared with the group will stay with him for a lifetime. It was the most moving thing I’ve read.


The endowment funds have helped us build a music lab, bring in professional accompanists, hire live musicians for our first musical, reimburse students in our music appreciation course for performance event expenses and support practical experience opportunities for our new Integrative Arts tracks in music therapy and the music business. It’s been a wonderful four years.


– Stephanie Yoder,


Integrative Arts Coordinator, Choral Director


CONVERSATIONS IN C A R ING


Thanks to an anonymous donor, our music program goes above and beyond.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16