The Delaware Valley Conservatory of the Arts was officially founded in 2019, but its history, as with most, predates the founding.
As a junior in college (ca. 2006/2007), our founder, Samuel Hickok, was struck by how much his parents had to sacrifice for him to get the musical education he had, and how, for many families, that would be prohibitive. Particularly formative experiences included the inclusivity of the Salem Boy Choir (now defunct) under Darrell James (now, unfortunately, deceased) and the Strath Haven Marching Band under (unfortunately also deceased) Jack Hontz. Previously and Econ and Math major, Mr. Hickok switched to a Music major, to better help meet that need.
When he graduated college, his church, Delaware Valley Christian Church, allowed him to test the concept, and, in 2009 the first annual Delaware Valley Christian Church Performing Arts Camp started. The following year, Anastasia Verdoljak and Ben Abrahamson joined him, and the general format of the camp took form. This camp lasted until 2018, when Mr. Hickok moved closer to his job in the city of Philadelphia, and, accordingly, switched churches. It is with this in mind that the Delaware Valley Conservatory of the Arts was founded: to provide high quality instruction to any person interested, without ties to other institutions and so with the flexibility to fit in a variety of neighborhoods. As we slowly and responsibly ramp up our activities, we anticipate serving the community for years to come.