Gifford Academy for Performing Arts celebrates groundbreaking for new facility

GIFFORD — A state-of-the-art recording studio, four-to-five soundproof practice rooms and a music lab with eight pianos are a few of the amenities that will be housed in a new rehearsal facility planned for Gifford youth musicians. The building will also have a lobby that can hold up to 80 people, providing space for small recitals along with community meetings.

The Gifford Academy for Performing Arts students. PHOTO BY NICK SAMUEL

“We have a staff that is determined to help uplift the spirits of our children,” said Rev. Dr. Crystal Bujol, who founded the Gifford Academy for Performing Arts – formerly known as the Gifford Youth Orchestra – 23 years ago. “The young people knew they were being loved. So when they got up to perform, their self-esteem was just glowing.”

The Gifford Academy for Performing Arts (GAPA) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new site on Tuesday, April 21 at 45th Street and 32nd Avenue in the heart of Gifford. More than 100 people – including Indian River County commissioners, Vero Beach city officials and student musicians – were present at the event.

The facility is slated to have a grand opening in early 2027.

“The groundbreaking means so much to me because we finally get to have a place called home. The facility is handcrafted just for the students,” said sophomore Nina Ruebusch, a superior-rated musician who plays the Parola Cello and is part of the First-String Ensemble. “It’s amazing to see the program flourish. It fills my heart to see these kids filled with passion for music. I’m so grateful for everything (this organization) has given me.”

New home for Gifford youth musicians

The new facility not only gives the performing arts group more space, but also more hours to serve its weekly roster of 102 students, said the academy’s Executive Director Charles Casey Lunceford. Lunceford said he expects the enrollment numbers to double when the building is constructed.

“This building will help us have our own home. It will also help us with our budget and have lessons whenever we want,” Lunceford said. “It will give us a lot more flexibility for the students and parents. There’s obviously a need because people are interested in participating.”

The $3.2 million building – just under one acre – will be located down the street from Gifford Middle School where the academy hosts its annual summer camp. The youth orchestra program provides weekly music lessons in violin, viola, cello, percussion, piano and voice.

Rendering of the new rehearsal facility for The Gifford Academy for Performing Arts. PHOTO BY NICK SAMUEL

Parent Denise Miles, whose son Chanton Taylor is a violin and piano player and is also part of The First-String Ensemble, said the rehearsal facility is well-needed and a place for the children to learn and become leaders. The music academy not only helps students with performing in front of a large crowd, but also improves their public speaking, Miles said.

“(The academy) helps them to stand in front of people and do speeches,” Miles said. “It helps them get over that fear of standing in front of an audience.”

Evan Robinet, music director and strings instructor, said he’s very excited about the academy’s new home. Robinet said the new building will help the music organization have its own identity.

The youth orchestra’s major showcases will continue to be held at other venues, including Salt of the Earth Ministry Church, The Emerson Center, The Environmental Learning Center, the Gifford Community Center and the Gifford Youth Achievement Center, Lunceford said.

“It’s good for our kids to perform at different venues. It exposes them to different environments and opportunities,” Lunceford said.

Building confidence

Former Gifford student musician Javan Crosdale, a violin player who began rehearsing with the academy at age six and was part of its first class, said the performances help build the students’ confidence.

Former GAPA violin teacher Joan Haar (left) with former violin student Javan Crosdale. PHOTO BY NICK SAMUEL

“Working toward improving an art is really important. I remember working toward a song and eventually being able to perform it,” said Crosdale, a Florida State University graduate who now works as a Cloud DevOps Engineer. “Seeing your progress pay off is really important. Going up there and performing is something you have to believe in yourself to do. It’s a gratifying thing. It’s great to have an audience clapping for you.”

Crosdale, who comes from a musical family, said his mother plays the organ and his sisters play the violin and viola. Crosdale said the Gifford orchestra group allowed him to express himself with music and have community.

“We performed in a lot of different places,” said Crosdale, who was a member of the Gifford Academy for Performing Arts for 12 years. “Being able to see around the country…it’s hard to describe the impact. It’s something you don’t realize how big of an impact it had until afterwards.”

Joan Haar, the original instructor at The Gifford Academy for Performing Arts, was the group’s only teacher in its starting years. Haar, who taught for 19 years, said she gave lessons for beginner violin players.

Haar said the new facility for the Gifford academy is a “dream come true.”

“The kids (performing) in the community motivated them even more. They see more of the world,” Haar said of the youth group which has also traveled to states around the country including Nevada. “They got to do really nice things with different groups that they probably wouldn’t normally meet. They got unique opportunities.”

Video by Nick Samuel

The Gifford Academy for Performing Arts hosted its “Home Grown” Annual Spring Concert at Salt of The Earth Ministry Church, located next door to the new site, immediately after the groundbreaking. The young musicians performed classical songs from historic composers including Mozart, Beethoven and Bach in front of a crowded audience.

The music academy will host its piano recital on Tuesday, May 12 at the Gifford Community Center.

The Gifford Youth Orchestra rebranded its name to The Gifford Academy for Performing Arts in 2025. Last year, the music academy partnered with Youth Guidance Mentoring Academy to create an audio and engineering lab where students can learn different aspects of music recording.

Lunceford said the organization is still raising funds for the new facility. Those interested in making donations can visit The Gifford Academy for Performing Arts website.

Photos by Nick Samuel

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