Let It Be

I saw Maureen McGovern in concert in Rochester, NY last week. Apparently, she is a big name with the Baby Boomer generation, due to her movie soundtrack hits and success in Broadway productions such as Pirates of Penzance, The Sound of Music, and Little Women. During her musical review, she connected pivotal events in the U.S. and moving episodes from her own life to songs -- singing covers of tunes by Pete Seager, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan. Of course, she also sang her own hit songs, such as:



What amazed me was not only how well she performed (she's 61) and how perfect her tuning was during a cappella renditions of pop song extractions - but how well she connected to her audience. When she broke into Let it Be after describing the assassination of JFK, the whole crowd held its breath. She reminded me of how much we connect important times in our lives to music, from an argument, to a first kiss, to a tragedy. She also reminded me of how therapeutic music can be during a challenging time in one's life.

Here's the review from Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle: Maureen McGovern Carries It On With Grace.

And, just for inspiration:

Drumming our way into Fall

Today was the Drum Circle Event at the Interactive Resource Center for "OneCity OneBook"! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I hoped it would be a fun, informal lunch hour that brought some much needed joy to a few people.

What I experienced was so much more than that. While I watched the men and women drumming on pails and buckets, laughing, and moving to the beats, I was reminded of a few very important things:

1. Improvised music and rhythm is FUN. No stressing over notes, accuracy, entrances...just plain old impulse and movement.

2. Adults are scared of kid-like things. When they let go of their inhibitions and join in, they remember what it's like to be a child again. It feels free.

3. Community service is good for the soul. Sharing an experience with others in need really puts things into perspective.

I hope these happy thoughts bring a smile to your face as you kick off your Fall season. Do something nice for someone today!

WB&PF!

Save the Date....

The Music Academy of North Carolina will be hosting its 2^nd Annual Woodwinds, Brass & Percussion Festival on Saturday, November 20^th from 8:45am – 5:00pm. This is the first year that the festival will be open to the general public!

Students can perform for ratings and constructive comments from experienced music teachers to help them prepare for upcoming All-County, District, All-State, and College Auditions. Master classes will be available throughout the day by Brass Instructor Wayne Bennett, Woodwind Instructor Justin Gore, and Percussion Instructor Andrew Dancy.

For more information, check out our website at www.MusicAcademyNC.org. Don't forget to register by Friday, November 12^th.

The Soloist

Every other year, the Greensboro Public Library organizes "One City One Book" events centered around one particular book. This year, that book is Steve Lopez's The Soloist, which tells the story of the friendship between Steve and Nathaniel Ayers. Nathaniel is a classically trained musician who dropped out of Julliard when he developed schizophrenia. He became homeless, living on the streets of Los Angeles, where he and Steve met.
Programming and book discussions are concentrating on the main themes of the book: homelessness, mental illness, friendship, and the healing power of music. MANC is very excited to be a part of this programming:
Friday 10/1 12:30pm at the Interactive Resource Center - our percussion instructor Todd Ayers will lead a fun, free, drum circle!
Sunday 10/17 12:30 - 3:30pm at MANC - Themed student recitals - free & open to the public.
Book Discussion Group - TBA!

Other events include a stage production of The Soloist at Triad Stage, an exhibit at Guilford College Art Gallery, and a Symphony concert with cellist Julie Albers, preceded by a visit from Jennifer Ayers-Moore (Nathaniel's sister).

We hope you'll take advantage of these fun, educational events around the city this fall!

Welcome!

Please welcome our new string teacher, Stephanie Greco:

Stephanie Greco is currently a graduate assistant at the University of NC-Greensboro school of music. She graduated magna cum laude in 2009 from Florida State University with degrees in Music Education and Violin Performance. Stephanie is an experienced teacher, having maintained a private studio for the past ten years. As a performer, Stephanie has played in masterclasses for artists such as James Ehnes, Michael Davis, Janet Sung, and the Audubon and Cavani string quartets. In Tallahassee, Stephanie was a contracted member of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and assistant director of the fundamentals violin class for the youth orchestra. Summer festivals include the Brevard Music Center, the Hot Springs Music Festival, LyricaFest, and the Aria International Music Academy. In addition to performing classical music, Stephanie enjoys playing Irish, Old Time, and Bluegrass music. Her principal teachers include Marjorie Bagley, Beth Newdome, William Goodwin, and Melody Brock.

and our new piano teacher, Jacob Hahn!
Jacob received his Master of Music degree in piano performance from Syracuse University, and his Bachelor of Music degree from Capital University. While at Syracuse, he received a Certificate in University Teaching through the Future Professoriate Program. Jacob has also studied at the Kodaly Institute of Pedagogy in Kecskemet, Hungary. Currently, Jacob works as a staff accompanist at Catawba College, and is also on the faculty at the Community Music School at the College. As a performer, he has won the Concerto Competition at Capital University, and placed 1st at the 2006 OMTA Collegiate Buckeye Auditions. Recently, Jacob was awarded the Evalina Vernon Honsinger Memorial Prize for excellence in keyboard performance from Syracuse University.

Piano Teacher on Tour!

Piano faculty member, Christy Wisuthseriwong is playing in a series of saxophone concerts this week with saxophone professors Steve Stusek (from UNCG) and Drew Hayes (from Guilford College). The group will be performing solo and duo saxophone and piano music at:

Duquesne University in Pennsylvania
Youngstown State University in Pennsylvania
University of Maryland - College Park
University of North Carolina - Greensboro

The program at UNCG is on Monday, September 13th at 7:30pm, in the Organ Recital Hall of the Music Building. The concert is about 1 hour long, and is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

MANC on the West Coast

Our Sustainable Funding team just returned from a whirlwind trip to Seattle, WA, where we were lucky enough to see the view from the Space Needle, eat some fresh seafood, and experience the brief period of summer weather. The majority of our time was spent focusing on how to improve upon things at MANC, and ensure a long-lasting impact in our community.

A few of us had a chance to stop by the Experience Music Project, which is an interactive pop culture museum. Tourists can experiment on different instruments within sound-proof studios, and even record their own Demo CDS. Guitars, basses, keyboards, and other instruments are on display, including a special gallery featuring 50 extremely rare guitars used by famous musicians like Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison. A massive piece of artwork piled high with guitars is entitled, "Roots and Branches".

The most interactive part of the museum is the "On Stage" area, where you and your friends or family can get on stage and play along with an automated instrument. Our Music Academy folks chose to set the guitars on the manual setting and put their training to work!

Thanks to Jonathan Holley for the details.