Teacher’s goal is to offer arts education to all

Pamela DeBoard has been sharing her musical abilities for several decades. She has taught in local classrooms, gives piano lessons and runs the HEARTS program, a Kailua-based nonprofit arts education organization that provides dance, choral and musical theater opportunities for children in grades 2 to 12. This year, DeBoard established a choral program for homeless children at the Weinberg Village in Waimanalo, following the mission to provide arts education to children regardless of socioeconomic status.

"These kids have difficult financial circumstances but are good-quality people. This quality after-school program is something that most other kids take for granted. The (homeless) kids were in awe. They were well behaved, appreciative and polite," DeBoard said.

She believe all children deserve an arts education.

"It helps them learn how to have relationships with other people, and it gives them a sense of pride when they are able to share their abilities," she said.

These accomplishments are the reason DeBoard is one of the Star-Advertiser’s 10 Who Made a Difference in 2011.

HEARTS, which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year, has choirs, tap classes and a musical theater troupe, with about 100 children participating. Twenty percent of the students are on full scholarship, according to DeBoard, who has been invited to bring a youth group to Carnegie Hall in New York in June 2013.

DeBoard began the HEARTS venture to fill a gap as she watched the performing arts classes in public schools fall victim to budget cuts, said Brenda Lumeng, whose 8-year-old granddaughter, Vanessa, has been attending DeBoard’s classes for two years.

"Pam’s devotion to her organization is making a profound impact on the lives of the participating young people in the community," Lumeng said.

"Pam is a firm believer in giving back to the community, so the kids perform at nursing homes and retirement homes free of charge," said Jill Anzalone. "I love to watch how the choirs bring a smile to the faces of those who are elderly, sick, frail or alone."

Anzalone has been volunteering to help DeBoard for the past six years. Her daughter sings in the choir, and her son took piano lessons.

"She’s so selfless in all that she does. People love her so much. She is so giving of her time and energy," Anzalone said. "She’s firm and strict, but the kids have a good time. She motivates the children to strive to do better not only in choir, but in their everyday lives. She helps them develop confidence in themselves while teaching them to remain humble.

"Tuition fees don’t cover equipment, venue rental fees and stipends for the HEARTS staff (including three teachers and a piano accompanist), so Pam does everything without getting paid."

Music has been a constant in DeBoard’s life.

"I’ve been directing choirs since I was 19 years old," she said. "When I was about 5 years old, I started playing piano. My mom would sit by my side for about an hour and a half providing constant encouragement. My mother also insisted that we know how to sing."

She offers that same encouragement to her students. "Music education really empowers people," she said.

"It gives them a sense of worth. The skills learned onstage transfer to other areas of life, including job interviews and presentations. Once you learn to act, it’s easy to succeed in these areas."

» For more information on HEARTS, visit www.heartshawaii.org.