Greg Fernandes, a former private school music teacher, envisioned a place where kids from his hometown of Brockton could practice playing their instruments without fear of ridicule, learn classical music theory, and be supported to excel academically, all while being in a nurturing, enriching afterschool program. In 2021, he founded the Rose Conservatory.
SouthCoast Community Foundation (SCCF): What is the purpose of the Rose Conservatory?
Greg Fernandes (GF): We are trying to make a musical shift in the lives of the kids in Brockton. We want to provide access to an exceptional arts education, focused on music theory. We have a heavy emphasis on our kids enriching our large community.
SCCF: What inspired the creation of the Rose Conservatory?
GF: It wasn’t always the coolest thing to play an instrument growing up in Brockton. As a kid who played violin and piano from the age of three, it wasn’t cool. I was bullied. When I was young, and I went to a conservatory, I was the only person who looked like me. When I played in a concert, I was the only person who looked like me. I heard comments from kids when I was a kid. I heard comments from adults when I was a kid.
I really wanted to create a space for kids to feel comfortable, to feel safe, to feel they could express themselves, to appreciate classical music – and so, we have. We are trying to reclaim and rename the ‘school to prison pipeline’ – to forge a new path, a new pipeline of musicality, scholarship and education.
We created a space where playing violin is the coolest thing. It’s a culture where there’s so much for them to try – and they do. These kids want to practice, they want to get better. They’re confident, and we’re reinforcing that.
SCCF: What brought you to this role?
GF: For years, I was a teacher in private, so-called ‘elite’ schools. I worked for schools that pushed kids to be great, to be better, that provided all these resources. When COVID hit, all the schools shut down, and I had nothing to do. I ran into an old friend running a mentor program, and he asked me if there was anything I could do outdoors with music for them, and I said ‘of course there is!’ So, from there the program began…it started by taking old tires and turning them into drums that we could play outside. And, now it’s grown into a nonprofit with 43 students, seven types of musical instrument instruction (with free use of instruments), and academic and other supports. The same way they did at those private schools, we push them to be great in many ways. And they rise to the occasion.
SCCF: What’s a day like for a student at the Rose Conservatory?
GF: We think of a single parent, and what they would want their child to have done by the time they arrive. A typical day is academics/homework for the first hour, music for the next hour and a half, and a STEM or arts project to stimulate their minds after that. We always include a full, hot meal for our students. So, when a parent picks them up at 7:00, they can just go home and spend time with their child.
SCCF: What’s the most surprising part of this work?
GF: The results we’ve seen in such a short time are amazing. Kids who had aggressive behaviors in school, and this program has changed them – in academics, in behaviors, and in their ability to be their true, creative selves.
The most rewarding thing is that when 7 pm comes, no one wants to go home. They want to be here and to play their instruments.
Learn more about the the Rose Conservatory at roseconservatory.com