Welcome Karen!

We are thrilled to announce that Karen Hayden will be joining our voice faculty!

Karen Hayden comes to The Music Academy of North Carolina from Greensboro Performing Arts, where she has taught voice lessons for the past year. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and will receive her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from UNC Greensboro this May. Operatic roles have included Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Lisetta in Haydn’s Il mondo della luna, Mrs. Nolan in Menotti's The Medium, and Miss Todd in The Old Maid and the Thief. Karen has also sung as a chorus member in various operas with the Magnolia Baroque Festival, UNCG, UNCSA, Greensboro Opera, and Piedmont Opera. She is looking forward to joining The Music Academy community.

Louisville Leopard Percussionists

This weekend I caught the last 10 minutes of an HBO special about a group called The Lousiville Leopards Percussionists, and it didn't take long before I was in tears watching these kids. A group of about 65 students between the ages of 7-12, this Kentucky-based nonprofit brings together children of all different backgrounds and teaches them to play a number of percussion instruments, including marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, drums, and bongos to name a few.

In 2006, this group performed at the International Association of Jazz Educators concert in New York City, playing "Spain" as one of their opening numbers to introduce Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, and Jack DeJohnette. Wow!

What really got me was not how talented these kids are (and they are), or how hard their teacher worked to get them to that point, but the looks of absolute joy on their faces as they played. The HBO special highlighted the students learning and growing through music: overcoming obstacles, learning teamwork and dedication, and having that sense of overwhelming pride as the audience went wild for their version of "Sing, sing, sing".

Check out the video below:

Sing for Hope in NYC

The non-profit Sing for Hope recently distributed 60 pianos all over New York City in order to bring "art to the people". Volunteers are unlocking the pianos every morning and standing by all day to make sure things run smoothly for 2 full weeks, before the pianos are all donated to schools and hospitals. A video of someone playing a piano in the Brooklyn Bridge Park is below, and you can read the full story here.

Pretty cool!

Opening Night

Welcome to The Music Academy's debut in the blogosphere!

We plan to update this page with photos and reviews from our events, competitions, festivals, and recitals, and maybe someday post videos too! Check back here for updates on our faculty, student successes, and the latest info from the music community in and around the Triad.

Thanks for reading and sharing with your friends.

Happy Summer!