MAINTAINING THE MUSIC—Erica Williams, second from right, is bringing her love of music to lowincome children as part of her quest for a Girl Scout Gold award. Williams, seen here with fellow Westlake High School band members Ross Eckley, Kristen Augustyn, Maddie Embrey and Katie Crooks, says children at Camp Many Mansions in Thousand Oaks love the program. “Their eyes just lit up,” when they saw the instruments, she said. Erica Williams sees two undeniable truths when it comes to music.

The senior-to-be at Westlake High knows she wouldn’t be the person she is if she hadn’t participated in music programs since elementary school.

She also knows the money needed to fund such extracurricular activities is increasingly scarce, denying the next generation of students the same opportunities she enjoyed.

“All the budget cuts are creating a lot more difficult time in the music community,” said Williams, 17. “Music is a huge part of my life. All my friends I’ve met through some form of band. It’s just important to me, and I want to spread it into the community.”

Williams is putting her mouth where the money is not; it’s part of her quest to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award—the pinnacle achievement in the national Girl Scouts program.

Fulfilling a project that’s been two years in the making, Williams has brought together three local nonprofit agencies to teach music to kids from lower-income families in Thousand Oaks.

Using a “music van” provided by New West Symphony, Williams and four of her friends visited students at Camp Many Mansions for three days in late July.

They spent between three and four hours each day teaching the youngsters the basics of music theory and how to read, write and play music. The children also had the chance to become familiar with various instruments.

Williams plans to continue the work on alternate Fridays during the 2010-11 school year, not only earning the 65 hours of community service required to complete her project but also sharing her passion with dozens of kids who seem eager to embrace it.

“They were amazed. As soon as we walked in with all the instruments their eyes just lit up,” Williams said.

The tools required to make the sweet sounds have been Williams’ focus from the outset. When she embarked on the project more than two years ago, she originally envisioned asking the community to donate instruments that she in turn would hand over to organizations such as Many Mansions.

However, the Girl Scouts’ goal award board had concerns about the project being sustainable, leading Williams to tweak her original concept into more of a teaching format.

Friends eventually directed her toward New West Symphony, where she caught the attention of Erin Boskovich, director of the symphony’s Music Van Program. —All it took was one look at Williams’ proposal and Boskovich was hooked.

“I contacted her and said, ‘I’m helping you any way I can. What do you need?’” Boskovich said. “I honestly was blown away. That a girl her age could put this together and did put this together on her own was fabulous.”

With the curriculum in place and New West Symphony’s “musical petting zoo” at her disposal, Williams’ next step was to join forces with Many Mansions, a countywide affordable housing provider. The organization also provides services such as summer camps and after-school programs for its younger residents and gave its seal of approval when Williams pitched her idea of musical instruction for the kids.

“It means a tremendous amount to us,” said Rick Schroeder, president of Many Mansions. “To have someone come out—in Erica’s case with music—is very uplifting for the kids. It’s a different kind of thing than what they’re usually exposed to.

“We’re trying to broaden their minds . . . let them know they’re part of the broader community and there’s lots of opportunities out there for them.”

Schroeder was also quick to credit the Girl Scouts for making community service such an important part of the education process for young women who advance through the program.

“I think the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts and other organizations that allow our youth to get involved with the community is a great thing, and it’s really worthy of our support,” Schroeder said.

And, in this scenario, it could be the impetus that creates a new generation of music-loving students ready to follow in Williams’ footsteps.

“To some of the kids, this is the spark,” Boskovich said. “To introduce a child to an instrument . . . it can change their life in so many ways.

“(Williams) wants it to be this living, breathing thing where kids who do show an interest will be helped along the way. She wants to pay it forward, and that’s how she explained it to me. She wants to light that little flame.”