PACO - Ghana Collaboration

Taking PACO out into the World! Collaboration with SOS Music School in Accra Ghana

The PACO-Ghana collaboration is a program started by Caitlyn Flexer in collaboration with Senior PACO alum Cristina Ruotolo  in 2021 between the students of PACO and the students of the SOS Children's Village in Accra, Ghana.   Our students from Debut through Senior teach and guide these young Ghanian musicians aged 8 to 16. They meet for one hour every week over Zoom throughout the school year, teaching repertoire, chamber, technique, music theory, and more. There are currently 15 PACO student volunteers who are working to support and encourage these younger musicians to learn and discover music. 

Year 1 (2020-21):

• PACO delivered 23 instruments to Accra, Ghana.

• 10 PACO students gave weekly 1-on-1 online lessons to students in Accra.

• Encouraged resumption of AYS (Accra Youth Sinfonietta), with 42 members

• String program at SOS primary school formed, thanks to PACO’s instruments and stipend

Year 2 (2021-22):

• PACO students started teaching younger students at the SOS Children’s home.

• Highlight: Ode-to-Joy concert 

Year 3 (2022-23):

• 8 PACO students/alums continue to give weekly 1-on-1 lessons to AYS & SOS students.

• The Accra Chamber Orchestra was formed, for young adults.

• Planned concerts/recordings in May & September with SOS, AYS, and adult musicians.

• Highlight: Christmas concert of PACO’s students playing the instruments PACO delivered.

Year 4 (2023-2024):

• PACO Students continue to give lessons to SOS students

• PACO Ghana Fundraising Concert.  Total donations: $4153

• A shipment of  28 violins, 4 violas, 1 cello were sent to Ghana! 

• PACO student goes to Ghana to help teach and learn in person.  This in-person collaboration led to a masterclass between Ghana students and PACO faculty.

Year 5 (2024-2025):

• PACO students continue to give Zoom lessons to young string players in Ghana.   15 PACO student volunteers give over 100 hours of Zoom lessons.

This program runs on the generosity of our student volunteers and from donations from local luthiers, parents and friends.  We ask that you consider donating to the program to help it thrive.  

Your donations will help send shipments of instruments, strings, shoulder rests, rosin, and more items for the students of the SOS Children's Village as they outgrow instruments and their program expands. 

We will be collecting these items at each of our concerts in 2025-2026. We would love for you to join our project and support our mission in any capacity. Whether you choose to contribute financially, have spare instruments or gently used strings that you’d like to donate to the students, or know someone who might like to teach a student in Ghana, we’d greatly appreciate your contributions of any form.   

Please donate to the Ghana program by sending a Zelle payment to pacofinancials@gmail.com with Ghana in the subject line, or by check made out to PACO with Ghana in the comment line.  Every donation big or small helps!

• https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yMGyZ2NYpjfT7CgzYmnqe3lV7IVkwNueVPtBmVSxdhE/edit#slide=id.g35f391192_00

• https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Zi4cWEfrplnRq9evOhDI76R8t0f7dqvPORA8xPP5lx4/edit#slide=id.g35f391192_00