Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Dennis Augustine and his 15-year-old son, Jason, practice together.

The Augustine mission is keeping music alive

By Mark Kregel

Dennis Augustine and his family are determined to keep music alive in Saratoga.

"I can't tell you how many people have come up to me and said they wished their parents pushed a little harder in having them continue their music lessons," Augustine said.

Augustine, a retired foot surgeon, has initiated performing arts grants, which provide funds for Saratoga school music programs. The program was started in 1993, after the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District announced it would no longer fund music programs. Seeing what he felt was abandonment of an important part of education, Augustine launched the grant program.

"I think people look at music as a luxury, yet we still fund sports programs," Augustine said. "With sports, when you get older, you incur more injuries and can't play. With music, you can play it a lot longer."

One of the goals of the grant program is to provide scholarships for high school graduates going on to music school. Another is to assist Saratoga public schools with music programs. Augustine awards grants of up to $2,500 every year.

In December, he donated $500 for a new tuba for the Redwood Middle School band. He also donated $1,000 to the Redwood Middle School Band Uniform Fund.

"He's a real gentle, positive and well-rounded adult," said Vicki Wyant, music director for Redwood Middle School. "He cares about everything in his life."

Wyant said Augustine has watched the school's music department grow and is still involved even though his son has graduated.

Augustine has continued to grow musically. On his 40th birthday, he started to learn the saxophone, and he believes his son kept going with his clarinet in school as a result.

"It's a true statement that kids follow suit after their parents," Augustine said.

However, Augustine said that he can't continue with the grants on his own. He's looking for contributions from the community.

"We have a fairly well-to-do community of people who are able to give money, and we expect that," Augustine said. "It would be nice if other parents provided matching grants as well. It is more imperative than ever that the public sector take a proactive role to help fill the void."

Augustine is also currently working on a book, Gifts From Spirit: A Skeptic's Path. He describes the book as somewhat autobiographical, telling of his retirement from surgery and pursuit of fulfillment.

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