Annual Giving Report | 2016-2017

07 “It immediately caught our attention,” Lily remembers.

“We had heard of very few conservatory programs at the high school level, so it was really a unique concept.”

They were intrigued enough to make the trip halfway around the globe, flying from Hong Kong to San Jose for an in-person interview.

“We were a little jet lagged,” Scott laughs, “But it was inspirational for us to see the school and hear what Valley was hoping for with the Conservatory and how that lined up with what our vision was.”

It’s a vision the Homers had a hand in shaping, and one that has become reality as the Conservatory now offers students not only a beautiful building to play in, but great faculty to train them.

“Most schools have one teacher who teaches all of the music classes, but we have the blessing to actually specialize and hire teachers who are experts in strings, voice, percussion, and orchestra,” Lily says. “And as a result of having high-caliber faculty, we now have high-caliber students who come here to train.”

Students who sometimes stay in the Homers’ lives for over a decade due to the K-12 nature of the program—an aspect of the school that initially drew the Homers to Valley.

“When Lily and I were here for our interview, we were excited by the idea of training students from elementary through high school; we thought it was a great advantage to students,” Scott says. “It’s also a great experience on a personal level to connect with students, and really form relationships with them. Teaching a kid since third grade and then watching them graduate high school is a privilege, but does remind you that you’re getting older.”

Though they might feel old, the Homers show no signs of slowing down, with trips to Nashville to record music for a Japanese anime movie, and Scott jetting off to China to be a concertmaster for a pop orchestra. Even with their busy schedule, Lily and Scott still make it a priority to share their passion for travel with their students.

“We’ve been able to see the world and broaden our horizons musically as well as culturally. We want that same experience for our students,” Scott says. “Valley has been really supportive of us taking students overseas—to China, Indonesia—and it’s something we look forward to doing more.”

No matter where their next adventure takes them, Lily and Scott appreciate the journey God has taken them on to get here, even that brief pit stop in the storage closet.