KidWorks Blog
Six years ago, professional musician Joe Cristina had a conversation with himself. He asked, “How does a Christian artist, musician and person of faith function in the secular world and make an impact and grow in their faith?”
Our December 2018 KidWorks “Volunteer of the Month” heard God’s answer, and he hasn’t slowed down since.
Summer just wouldn’t be complete without a chance to attend a free music concert featuring the talented students in the KidWorks Avanti Music program.
“A Conversation with KidWorks” is Sunday, July 22, at 12:30 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, located at 600 St. Andrews Road in Newport Beach immediately following the 11:11am service.
In addition to hearing our students perform, the program will feature touching stories shared by KidWorks youth, parents and volunteers.
“So many cities in Orange County are really just a short drive from KidWorks four centers in Santa Ana, and we hope the ‘Afternoon with KidWorks’ event will inspire not only St. Andrew’s members to consider volunteering at KidWorks, but anyone in the region who wants to lend a hand,” says Lisa Gels, our Manager of Partnerships & Donor Relations. “You, your family and friends will fit right in with our warm and welcoming families and team.”
Lisa adds that holding the concert at St. Andrew’s is part of the church’s long partnership with KidWorks, including holding “serve days” where church members help clean and refurbish our Dan Donahue Center, rummage sales and volunteering as tutors.
Greg Chao, a church member, has been volunteering at KidWorks since March. This most recent school term, he’s tutored a fifth grader in math and a high school student in physics.
“I see firsthand how valuable serving as a tutor is for these hard-working students,” Greg says. “One student told me she has no one else to turn to for homework help. The need is great, and I know church members would have a lot to contribute as volunteers at KidWorks.”
KidWorks Avanti Music was founded in 2012 by Joe Cristina, a professional musician with 38 years of experience in composition, arranging, orchestration and production.
“I know that ‘A Conversation with KidWorks’ is going to really impress everyone who attends when they see the level of talent and scholarship within the KidWorks Avanti students,” Joe says. “Our program is aboutusing art and music to express your inner feelings, faith and observations about your surroundings.”
No advance reservations are needed to attend “An Afternoon with KidWorks.” We warmly invite you to enjoy the music and learn more about KidWorks.
Three-year-old Stephany Torres can’t yet tell you a whole lot about why she wants to join her brothers and sisters at KidWorks—she just knows it sure looks like tons of fun.
Next year, she’ll be eligible to enroll in our state-licensed preschool, where she’ll learn colors, shapes, counting to 20 and maybe even how to write her name. For now, she says that the KidWorks preschool holds out an irresistible allure: “Toys!” she shouts, when asked what she most looks forward to.
Stephany’s parents—Jesus and Karina—head a family that embodies our hopes and dreams for the central Santa Ana community. They are an especially close family and share KidWorks’ passion for instilling in children a love of learning, the arts, leadership and spiritual development.
All of their other children are active participants in KidWorks various programs: Evelyn, 15; Jesse, 11; Ashley, 10; Andrew, eight and Alex, five.
Music and baseball are at the top of the list of the Torres’ favorite activities, and they find ample opportunity to enjoy both through KidWorks’ programs.
Evelyn is an accomplished musician and singer who is part of our Avanti Music and Love in Music programs. She is also an active member of our Youth Empowerment Network (YEN), a group of dedicated teens who develop, design and address issues that impact themselves, their families and their neighborhoods. Also involved in Love in Music are Ashley, who is learning the violin; Jesse, who says playing the flute is the best way to relax after taking a grueling math test at school (he’s also a YEN member) and Andrew, who says the piano lets him express himself creatively.
Jesus is a dedicated father who coaches baseball and watches over his children when Karina is at the Dan Donahue Center attending Parent Advisory Council meetings or otherwise helping out. Karina is also very active in making central Santa Ana a safer place.
Recently, she helped form a Neighborhood Watch group for the apartment complex where she and her family live. The City of Santa Ana required that she secure a minimum of 10 signatures from her fellow tenants—so Karina rallied all the residents and got 30 to sign up.
“When we walk in the neighborhood, we still have to pass by gangs and observe illegal drug use,” Karina says. “The presence of these situations can start to seem normal, but it never should. KidWorks is a place that reminds us of the limitless potential for good in our community.”
The Torres family has come to rely on KidWorks at all times. For several years, Jesus could not find work due to a slowdown in the commercial and residential construction industry and was forced to take a job in Texas for eight months working on oil rigs. At the time, Karina was pregnant with Alex.
“While I was away, KidWorks became a second home for my family,” Jesus recalls. Adds Karina, “It takes time for me to build up trust, and I soon came to see that KidWorks would be there for us no matter how big or small a need my family might have.”
Says Sonia Rios-Guzman, our Parent Engagement Coordinator: “Both Jesus and Karina constantly demonstrate to their children what it means to have a servant heart. Our staff and volunteers are so delighted every time we see them walk through our doors.”
“It seems as though our family is always coming from or going to KidWorks,” Karina laughs. We are grateful for the amazing ways KidWorks is making so many positive changes in the lives of our children, our family and our community. We are excited to see even more students and families served at KidWorks in 2018.
KidWorks wouldn’t have it any other way!
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer
This April, our KidWorks blog series will highlight two extraordinary students. All of our students are “stars” in our humble estimation, and the two we’ll introduce you to this month are examples of how your support develops them in ways that make them contributing members of society throughout their entire lives. In this installment, we are proud to feature Liliana Ledezma.
When you’ve been in the music industry as long as KidWorks volunteer Joe Cristina, recognizing exceptional talent almost becomes instinctual.
When he first met Liliana Ledezma, he knew there was something special about this 18-year-old Mater Dei High School student.
She was one of the very first KidWorks students to enroll in Avanti Music, founded by Joe in 2012 to help our students learn from a professional musician with 37 years of experience in composition, arranging, orchestration and production.
“Lili’s a gifted musician,” Joe says. “She has what we in the music industry call ‘chops.’ Her proficiency includes the flute, piano, ukulele and vocals. She’s also been a big part of live performance musical events hosted by KidWorks.”
Joe also sees a deeply considerate and caring person in Lili, who believes strongly in justice and searching for truth.
“Lili does not settle for the easy answer,” Joe says. “She asks very direct questions in order to get to the underlying truth.”
Another strong trait Joe appreciates in Lili is her encouraging nature.
“Although Lili might be tired from a week of school and work, she is always quick to offer help to another Avanti Music student,” Joe says. “She’s very accepting of new students. Lili makes people feel welcome.”
Joe says there is also a lighter side to Lili that’s just as engaging as her musical talent and sense of fairness.
“She’s really funny.” Joe says. “Her comedic timing is just as finely tuned as her musical talent!”
By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer
As the pews filled up at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach this past weekend, over 1,200 worshipers were in for a delightful surprise.
They were about to enjoy a Sunday concert and Sunday worship service featuring students from KidWorks’ Avanti program, who joined with Brandon Muchow, St. Andrew’s Minister of Modern Worship & Production, and several other professional studio musicians.
It all came together thanks to the efforts of KidWorks’ volunteer Joe Cristina, who began a KidWorks music program in 2012 called Avanti Music. In Joe, the students learn from a professional musician with 37 years of experience in composition, arranging, orchestration and production.
“The ‘KidWorks/Avanti Music Concert’ was a bilingual presentation, and therefore was a true bridge-builder since residents from Newport Beach and Santa Ana worshipped together,” Joe says.
There are 18 KidWorks students currently participating in the Avanti program. Those who performed at the St. Andrews concert included Lilian Ramirez (vocals) Liliana Ledezma (vocals and flute), Melisa Luis (piano), Julie Cons (violin) and Luis Lopez (guitar).
The second event was held in the church chapel, and was equally well received. Lilian Ramirez joined Brandon Muchow and Hector Rivera on vocals. Emily Barrios, 12-years-old, recently joined Avanti, and she joined in on percussion and vocals.
David Benavides, Executive Director, KidWorks & Councilmember, City of Santa Ana, also spoke to the congregation, sharing KidWorks’ story.
Dan Wendell, Minister of Missions & Outreach at St. Andrews says he is delighted with the result: “Having the students up front, leading through worship was a beautiful example of extending the family and valuing them as part of our community. I was particularly encouraged to learn that as a result of Avanti’s work, Lilian Ramirez, one of the vocalists, will be leaving for San Francisco State University to study music in just a few weeks. The ministry is changing lives."
Lilian and our Avanti students are equally grateful to Joe and the staff at St. Andrews for providing them with such a special opportunity to perform.
"I couldn't get this experience anywhere else than KidWorks and Avanti,” she says.
Knowing Joe’s commitment to Avanti and our students, we can’t help but say, “Encore!” to him and “Bravo!” to St. Andrews for providing such an extraordinary opportunity.
“I just wanted to celebrate a great collaboration between Gather and Send in featuring the students of Avanti/Kidworks at the 5:30 and 11:11 services. Having the students up front, leading through worship was a beautiful example of extending the family and valuing them as part of our community. I was particularly encouraged to learn that as a result of Avanti’s work, one of the vocalists will be leaving for San Francisco State to study music in just a few weeks. The ministry is changing lives.”
By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer
Editor’s note: This is an update to a previous KidWorks blog story about Avanti, founded in 2012 by KidWorks volunteer Joe Cristina. In Joe, the students learn from a professional musician with 37 years of experience in composition, arranging, orchestration and production.
KidWorks student Lilian Ramirez might not yet have a GRAMMY award on her shelf, but just give her a little time.
The 18-year-old high school senior recently contributed several vocal tracks to a Latin/jazz/fusion album project being written/produced by Joe and fellow professional musician, Victor Cajiao.
Both Joe and Victor lead Avanti classes at KidWorks that are very popular with our youth.
“Lilian will be on two of the album’s tracks,” Joe says. “One is an original titled ‘Through the Dark Night / The Lamp.’ It’s a modern lament psalm that has an end section that speaks of hope coming to the neighborhoods in Santa Ana.”
Lilian found the entire process exhilarating.
“The recording experience was phenomenal!” she says. “It was more difficult than I thought it would be. Getting that perfect sound is tedious but once you pinpoint it, it feels amazing. I felt the adrenaline pumping the entire time. I never thought I had that energy in me.”
Lilian will begin attending San Francisco State University this fall.
“I want to become a full-fledged musician and earn my Bachelor of Arts degree in music,” she says. “I also want to become a composer and record music.”
Joe is very encouraged by Lilian’s God-given musical talent. He also says her participation on the upcoming album is giving her priceless insight about what it’s like to be a professional musician.
“During the session, Lilian sees how we do sound checks, monitor her vocal levels, and keep performing each piece over and over again until we get a take that’s the keeper.”
Joe expects the album he and Victor are producing to eventually be available on iTunes and Amazon.
So, as they say in the music business, “stay tuned”!
By Glenn Leibowitz, Community Volunteer and Content Writer
“Music has always been part of my life, and as I grew older I decided to make it my career,” says Shellsea, a 17-year-old high school senior and KidWorks’ student.
Shellsea’s dream is well on its way to becoming true.
She is one of 18 youth who participate in a KidWorks program called Avanti, founded in 2012 by volunteer Joe Cristina. In Joe, the students learn from a professional musician with 37 years of experience in composition, arranging, orchestration and production.
Joe and KidWorks also thank St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach for their strong support of our music program.
“Avanti is designed to guide serious, college-bound students to reach their artistic goals by gaining performance and theoretical experience by working with music industry professionals,” Joe explains.
Avanti offers performance experience and college preparatory music classes, along with exposure to music genres that include pop, rock, jazz, sacred, classical, Latin and world music.
Lilian is an 18-year-old high school senior enrolled in Avanti. She shares Shellsea’s goal of becoming a musician.
“Avanti has given me access to so many things I never had access to before,” she says. “I am getting so much help with my musical future!”
Liliana, a 17-year-old high school student and KidWorks youth adds: “I could not afford such musical training on my own. Avanti has given me more than just the material instruments to pursue music. I have also been given the opportunity to perform what I love and to express myself.”
The students also get a chance to build their musical confidence in front of live audiences. They've performed at Steamers Jazz Club, Village of Hope, Santa Ana street fairs and St. Andrew’s Church.
We are so grateful to Joe and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church for helping our youth to develop their God-given talent for music.
By Glenn Leibowitz, KidWorks Community Volunteer and Content Writer
