Spotlight on Patrick Cole, Board Chairman

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A lifelong devotee of the arts, Patrick Cole says he and his wife have a house filled with music. Like many parents nowadays, they played music to their daughters before they were born, and it was his daughters’ musical interests that first connected him with ETM-LA. For several years, his girls have studied violin with ETM-LA Director Victoria Lanier, and when she approached Patrick four years ago with information about the New York ETM model, asking his help in forming a board, he and his wife were eager to contribute their efforts.

“ETM is a world-class learning experience that introduces the instruments, the voice, and music skills at a critical time in a child’s development. It’s a no brainer. Everyone supports this kind of work in their hearts. We all want to stimulate people’s learning in any way we can, and this program is exceptional,” Patrick says.

A large part of Patrick’s life has been dedicated to theater. The former owner of The Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End, he has also worked on the festival circuit and as a producer and director. For several years, he published the Journal of Beckett Studies, an academic journal of theater literature.

As a child in the cultural capitol that is London, Patrick regularly took in local concerts, and credits that exposure in part for a certain inner peace and intellectual rigor he is now grateful for as an adult. He believes music and the arts play a civilizing role in the world, and offer all of us a common touchstone. For him, helping ETM-LA provide music education to children across Los Angeles means something much larger than creating future virtuosos and budding stars. He views music as a critical ingredient to a healthy society, and says that as responsible citizens, we should be certain they are passed on to all members of our community.

Patrick hopes to see ETM-LA grow in ways that further this vision while maintaining a local model that addresses the specific needs of Los Angeles. “You have a very diverse community here in Los Angeles. The artistic elite is walking side by side with some of the poorest members of our community, and their children all meet…as good citizens.  One of our responsibilities is to teach each other those things that we all share.”