Rob Middleton
LaVilla School of the Arts honors its location on hallowed ground once filled with musicians, artists, and countless performance venues hosting the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and so many others. Their middle school students transform the significance of this space into the inspiration for their own dreams, artistic and academic.
Serving a diverse population of 1100 students from all over the city, LaVilla offers 9 arts areas in addition to excellent instruction in core academic areas of study. LaVilla has always been an “A” school since opening its doors in 2000. They have presented student performances all over the world and hosted world class guest artists of every stripe to teach and perform alongside the students.
Spring at LaVilla is when students are preparing to give their final performances of the year. In May there are performances by the Guitar, Dance, Orchestra, Piano, Band, and Vocal Departments. According to music instructor Christopher Banks, “These represent some of the most mature performances of the year in the same part of town that has witnessed so much of Jacksonville’s Arts history, our history!”
To see students perform check the calendar at www.duvalschools.org/lavilla. If you have an elementary-aged young artist looking for some inspired friends to go to school with, audition information is also listed on the website.
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