Mission Statement

By the grace of God we make this steadfast pledge: to glorify God by promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ which brings salvation to the human soul and thus enables the individual to worship God as Creator and personal Savior (John 3:16; 4:23; Rev. 4:11; 5:12-14); by promoting the beauty of holiness and the bestowment of “glory due unto his name” in Christian worship and culture (Psalm 29:2; 2 Chron. 20:21; 1 Peter 1:15,16); and by promoting with particular emphasis the artistic and spiritual development of Christian college-age students preparing for professional careers and/or ministries in music (2 Chron. 34:12; 1 Chron. 25:5,6; Heb. 13:13-16).

Causes for Establishment

A major cause for the establishment of VSC is the realization that many young musicians engaged in a four-year undergraduate program must spend their summer vacations engaged in non-music employment to pay for their college education rather than in investing their time and energy in the development of their musical abilities. During this four-year period of collegiate preparation when sustained skill development is most critical, students find their training interrupted by summers of virtual exile from artistic nourishment. These stagnant periods cause discouragement, dulling of performance acumen and retrogression of musical skill hard-earned during the course of the previous academic year. Over the span of a four-year degree, summers accumulate to a year’s time, the benefit of which is irretrievably and forever lost.

Another major cause for the establishment of VSC is the realization that music faculty of Christian colleges are often in a similar situation to that of their students, i.e. in not having the opportunity nor resources to improve their musical and professional skills during the summers. The Christian music teacher also often loses a year in four by having no other recourse but to engage in non-musical, non-professional occupation to meet financial obligations. This waste of time and mind diverges from the core principal of Christian stewardship.

Another major cause for the establishment of VSC is the realization that to our knowledge there is no summer-long conservatory program in existence with strong scriptural, conservative, fundamental values in regard to music. While secular summer music programs generally offer outstanding musical instruction they provide an environment that undermines Christian values. Some of the other well-known Christian summer arts programs offer no stand against CCM nor voice the kind of cautionary perspective most fundamental Christians hold regarding the classical concert world. There is a need for a summer-long conservatory for college-age musicians that glorifies God with the highest Biblical values (1 Cor. 10:31).

Philosophy

VSC upholds that holiness as an essential factor in worshipping God scripturally, whether such worship manifests itself in direct musical praise or in the testimony of one’s daily conduct or in the intrinsic nature of one’s culture as it affects men and appears unto God (I Cor. 10:31; Heb. 12:14; Psalm 29:2; Lev. 11:44; 1 Pet. 1:15, 16). Whether direct or indirect, public or private, worship is perhaps the most important and profound function of the soul saved by Jesus Christ. True worship can only occur when the state of the worshipper and the act worship are sanctified by the Holy Spirit and attuned to the Word of God. Worship must reflect God’s nature and values. Encouraging a desire for Christ-like holiness, cultivating an understanding of it and preparing the application of it to ministry and performance are paramount objectives of VSC. VSC upholds that an essential factor for achieving beauty, upon the foundation of holiness, is the zealous application of the God-called musical artist to sustained development of musical skill in an environment conducive to artistic growth under the meticulous, systematic and nurturing instruction of highly proficient Christian teachers (2 Chron. 34:12; Psalm 33:3; 1 Chron. 22:15; John 5:30; ).