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| TEENS WATCH INTENTLY at the Powerhouse Youth Center in Fillmore recently as David Peralta, a member of the Simon Bolivar Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra and a music missionary at Knights Creek Church at Scio, demonstrates music on his viola. The world-class musician, who seeks to interest children, youth and adults in music will play and have instruments available to try out during a free Community Coffee House February 15 at the Lifeway Youth Center in Belfast |
BELFAST - A Community Coffee House at Lifeway Youth Center
here will host a world-class Venezuelan musician this month who will be
encouraging children and youth to become involved in music.
David Peralta, a
music missionary at Knights Creek Church at Scio and a member of the Simon
Bolivar Venezuelan National Symphony Orchestra, will play at different times
during the 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. event on Friday, February 15.
Other local musicians
also will play during this free event, with coffee, tea, and a full dessert bar
being provided. All ages are invited to enjoy a relaxing evening at the Center
at 21 Main Street, Belfast.
In addition to
playing a variety of music on his viola, Peralta also will discuss how he began
in music at the age of 14 in his native country as part of an
internationally-recognized El Sistema (The System), founded by Jose Antonio
Abreu, which has trained hundreds of thousands of children, a large percentage in
poverty, to take lessons and excel in music. Children, youth and adults at the
coffee house event will have an opportunity to try out some instruments.
Peralta rose through
El Sistema, becoming a member of the orchestra in 2004. He has performed with
it in some 40 international venues, including private receptions for the Queen
of England and Prince (now King) Felipe VI of Spain, at the Latin Grammys,
Carnegie Hall in New York City, prestigious international music festivals and
many major U.S. and international cities.
The musician came to
Allegany County as a music missionary last February at the invitation of
Knights Creek Church and currently serves as its minister of music and
outreach. He plays with fellow Venezuelan musicians, members of the Escriban
family of Houghton, at the church's Sunday morning services, and also provides
music during the church's Celebrate Recovery support ministry on Saturday
nights and other church-related and community functions that exposes the public
to music it might not otherwise come in contact with.
He and Daniel
Escriban also provide free music lessons to children and adults weekly
following the church's free Community Dinner after Sunday morning services.
The musicians
currently instruct 11 children as part of the church's vision of developing a
local or county-wide version of a children and youth choir and orchestra, much
like a 900-member ministry in the jungles of Venezuela, founded by Daniel's
wife, Raquel Acevedo Escriban, in which he and Peralta participated as
instructors.
Further information
about Lifeway and the coffee house is available on Facebook at Lifeway Youth
Center of Belfast, NY, lifewayyouthcenter@gmail.com or (585) 365-2293, with
additional information about Knights Creek Church and its music and other
ministries at www.facebook.com/KnightsCreekChurch, bps461@msn.com or (484)
435-0503.
