The Gifford Youth Orchestra (GYO), established in 2003 by Dr. Crystal Bujol, announces the hiring of an Executive Director, Charles R. “Casey” Lunceford II.
Retired (as of August 31st) Provost of Indian River County for Indian River State College (IRSC), Mr. Lunceford joins the GYO (September 6th) at a time of celebration and tremendous growth as the organization approaches its 20th Anniversary in 2023.
Casey Quote:
“A life-long Vero Beach resident, Mr. Lunceford holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Music Education. Prior to his Provost duties, Mr. Lunceford, an IRSC employee since 1997, was Associate Professor of Music and served as Director of Instrumental Music for the College for seven years. In 2004, he was appointed Academic Director of Mathematics and Natural Science and promoted to Dean of Arts and Sciences in 2006, overseeing biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and the performing and visual arts at IRSC. In 2014, he was promoted to Provost.”
The GYO program is focused on music education and performance for underserved children in Gifford and neighboring rural communities.
Based on an initial request made in 2003 by Gifford resident Annie Powell, the GYO was launched under the visionary leadership of Dr. Crystal Bujol and a resourceful team of colleagues with the shared vision of offering young people a creative alternative path to higher education and achievement. This dedicated team felt that a successful music program for youth, grounded in music appreciation, education, practice and performance, would empower children to acquire essential habits and skills, and develop the necessary self-discipline to help them achieve their full potential, while positively impacting their community and society.
Dr. Crystal Bujol Quote:
“The GYO does not operate in order to profit off of what’s missing in Gifford. Its intention has always been to add wonderful and lasting value to Gifford.”
For the past 19 years, the GYO has delivered gleaming musical instruments into the hands of over 250 students – all of whom arrived with varying degrees of enthusiasm and apprehension, emotional and material support, social resources and creative talent. Our dedicated teaching staff, under the direction of Joan Haar, has welcomed and successfully guided these children to appreciate music and the arts, read and interpret music notation, and play various stringed instruments in the classroom as well as on stage in front of live audiences. Recently we have added piano and the vocal arts to our music curriculum.
The GYO program has not only taught these students musicianship and performance skills, it has given them a well-earned measure of pride, self-confidence, and personal dignity that will benefit them throughout their lives. As active, engaged members of their community, our students continue to develop valuable social skills and model a healthy maturity among their peers, and with their parents, teachers, and other adults.
As Dr. Bujol has often said, “The GYO is determined to faithfully serve its mission in making a significant and lasting difference in the lives of the many children we serve. We will continue to do whatever it takes to get the parents and caretakers to the table, to get the children to the classroom, and to support and inspire them to remain wholeheartedly motivated and engaged, whether it be for a few months or several years. Our experience has shown that what our music education program offers is so powerful and transformative, it truly changes the trajectory of the lives of our precious children. This has been consistently demonstrated many times over during our 19 years of community service.”
For the 2022-2023 school year, the GYO will continue to offer classes at Gifford Middle School (GMS) and the Gifford Community Center where GYO staff will continue to offer in-person musical instruction.
As to the future, the GYO’s vision is to build something else that is beautiful in Gifford; a Cultural and Performing Arts Center with state-of-the-art practice rooms, a recording studio, office space, and everything needed to enhance the services offered by this 19-year-old music education and performance youth enrichment program. This dedicated facility will enable the GYO to expand its programs and touch the lives of even more children.
For more information on GYO and how to donate, go to www.gyotigers.org.
