Our Mission
At DCMA we believe in transformative power of music and its ability to express the emotions that can not be expressed in words. Our mission is to Inspire, Educate and Nurture our students and community. We provide high quality instruction in professional, friendly, and respectful environment. We discover talents, help to improve learning skills, self- discipline, and self-confidence of our students. We encourage creativity and self-expression. We build outreach partnerships to serve broader community involved in music and performing arts.
Collaborative Performances
We believe that students get the greatest level of motivation, confidence and self-esteem playing side by side with their teachers. Following the tradition taken from our own experience playing with our mentors, collaborative recitals at DCMA bring the artistic relationships between students and teachers on the advanced level. The students participating in these recitals get recognition both from the teachers and audience at the same time. DCMA collaborative recitals had great success at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington DC, Slavic Festival in MD, Palisades Community Church in Washington DC, Arts in Spotlight in Fairfax etc.
Retirement Communities
It is extremely important to honor senior citizens with attention and gift of music, especially from young talents. The power of music to bring joy, purpose, connectivity, and healing to the older generation is immeasurable. DCMA actively collaborates with retirement communities and assisted living facilities in the DMV area to bring engaging and interesting music programs for their residents. DCMA faculty and students are always welcomed with excitement by senior music lovers. .
Faculty Performances
It is always inspiring for students to see their teachers perform. Students get acquainted with numerous repertoire they could learn and play in the future. In addition, young musicians observe their mentors as performers and can relate to their own experience on stage. As DCMA faculty we play recitals of classical music and world music around the Washington Metropolitan area. In addition, we promote music from our native country Ukraine performing in a professional ensemble Gerdan well known in the USA for its unique representation of Ukrainian music and Eastern European Music.
School Assemblies
DCMA founders Solomia Gorokhivska and Andrei Pidkivka are known in the Washington Metropolitan Area for their outstanding workshops and performances at school assemblies. For the past ten years, musicians performed and conducted educational outreach programs in more than 80 public and private schools in Maryland, Virginia, and DC for the K-12 grade students. Their live music programs educate young audiences about the music and culture of emigre communities from Eastern Europe, and their intersection with American music. Additionally, workshops on classical and movies/video games music are received with appreciation and a great enthusiasm by the participating audiences.
Student Recitals
Through the school year our students have multiple performance opportunities. Twice a year, in winter and late spring we organize recitals where students demonstrate their achievements in their music learning. We invite parents, relatives, and friends to attend and share their success with them. In addition, DCMA students are offered to participate in special recitals dedicated to certain holidays such as Halloween, Valentine’s, St.Patrick Day. During these recitals students can play something fun and easy. They are encouraged to dress up according to the holiday theme.
Professional Developments
As DCMA faculty we are actively participating in DMV area education workshops, seminars and conferences. For the past seven years we have been working with the MD Department of Education developing and leading professional development training in instrumental music for MD music educators. We were invited as guest clinicians to Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington DC area, Magnet Art School in Annapolis, MD, McDaniel College, Montgomery College, Georgetown University etc. The breadth of experience in our performing and teaching allows us to cover many aspects of the music education field in our professional development sessions. Our workshops and masterclasses on classical music and world music bring a unique experience for interested students and music professionals.
