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GOING Green 44 www.nAPAVA L L E Y L I F E magaz ine. c o m The Napa School of Music, opened by Peter and Victoria Sykes ten years ago, has been teaching private music lessons and a number of group programs to students young and old in the Napa Valley for 10 years. The school teaches classical, jazz, pop and rock and most instruments including voice, piano, guitar, bass, woodwinds, strings and brass and more. Over 350 students take a weekly lesson from the school’s seventeen highly qualified teachers. The school was recently certified ‘“green” under the Napa Green Business Program. Their efforts include purchasing materials with recycled content and reducing waste throughout the school. They also performed energy upgrades to their facility such as installing motion sensors and CFL lights throughout their business. Director Peter Sykes says, “Many of our students have developed musical skills that have helped them excel at school in subjects like math and language as well as developing the self-confidence to speak in front of their class. A number have gone on to study music at a college level, and some have chosen music as a profession as a direct result of the instruction they have received from our school. I would say everyone who incorporates learning a musical instrument has an advantage over those that do not. The research about brain function and playing music is now well studied and confirms this idea. It’s also a great way to connect with a community of like-minded peers. And it’s fun!” The school is open year round on Monday through Thursday from 2–9 p.m. at 4032 Maher St. in Napa. Phone is 707-252-4040 and website is www.napaschoolofmusic.com For more information on the Napa County Green Business Program visit www.greenbusinessca.org or contact Danielle Schmitz at dschmitz@nctpa.net. NAPA VALLEY BUSINESS SPOtLIGHT by the Napa County Green Business Program NAPA SCHOL OF MUSIC


NVLife_JanFeb_2015
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