What can 100 days of practice accomplish? This spring, twelve young string players in New Jersey answered that question with extraordinary generosity. Encouraged by two dedicated teachers, they committed to a 100-Day Practice Marathon and invited family and friends to sponsor their daily practice. Along with gifts from concert audiences, their determination raised enough to purchase and ship a professional 16.5-inch viola to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
For Excellencia’s violist, this gift is transformative. Until now, he had been performing on a student-sized viola—an instrument too small for a grown man’s arm length, restricting his technique and limiting his musical expression. His new viola, crafted from beautiful tonewood and complete with a professional bow, hard case, Everest shoulder rest and rosin, offers the rich sound and proper fit every serious musician deserves.
Though separated by an ocean, these students and this musician are connected by the same passion: a belief that music matters and that sharing it can change the world. Every scale the students practiced, every sponsor who encouraged them, and every donor who contributed has become part of Excellencia’s future. Soon, as the ensemble prepares Mozart for the Fandango Project, the sound of this new viola will carry the hopes of a community that believes music can build bridges, inspire hearts, and create lasting change.