Author: Regina Schneider

Categories
Piano Available

Piano Available to Good Home

A generous family from Fairfax Station, VA recently contacted the Academy about gifting their Straube upright piano and bench to a good home. If anyone is interested in accepting this gift, please contact us ASAP.

The piano is approximately 90 years old and is free of charge; however, the family requests the recipient to pay for the moving expense, which averages around $250-300 (when using a professional piano moving company) depending on the distance traveled, number of stairs involved, etc. Also, acoustic pianos usually require a tuning from a professional piano tuner after a move as well. 

If you think you have a need (and a space) for this piano, it’s a great opportunity to look into. We will handle this on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please email us at academy@gmu.edu  (no phone calls please) and put “Piano Available to Good Home” in the subject (or simply Reply to the Newsletter email). A recipient will be matched as soon as possible.

Please note that these opportunities typically come up several times throughout the year, so keep checking the Academy Newsletter!

Categories
Faculty News

Faculty Enrichment Fund Awardee: Claire Allen

The Academy values the importance of our teacher’s professional development. The Faculty Enrichment Fund annually provides partial and full reimbursement for teachers to attend conferences, workshops, and teacher training sessions. Our violin teaching artist, Claire Allen, attended the American String Teachers Association and Suzuki Association of the Americas conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Claire writes:

“I am grateful to be a recipient of the MCAA Faculty Enrichment Fund this year. The funds helped cover a portion of the conference registration fees for the first ever co-located American String Teachers Association and Suzuki Association of the Americas conference in Louisville, Kentucky! I had a fantastic time at the conference and got to learn from so many incredible teachers from throughout the Americas. I attended sessions on left hand technique, building community within a private studio, teaching music theory in group classes, and strategies to support neurodivergent learners – just to name a few!

I also presented my own session, titled “Creating A Diverse Repertoire Sequence for Intermediate Violinists,” which shared suggestions and strategies for working with students at this level to create a personalized selection of repertoire from composers outside of the stereotypical dead European white men that we so often focus on in the classical music world. And finally, I was incredibly honored to be recognized as a Distinguished Young Teacher by the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and was thrilled to receive this award alongside the other recipients at the opening keynote session. Attending the conference was affirming, educational, and inspirational, and I know that the connections I formed and teaching tips I learned will fuel me for the rest of my career. Thank you for the support in attending this event!”

Categories
Announcements

Virginia House Of Delegates Honors MCAA & AFYP

This week, Delegate Kathy Tran presented our Executive Director Mary Lechter with House Resolution 804, in honor of Acting for Young People’s 25th anniversary in 2022. Co-signed by Delegate David Bulova and unanimously approved by the entire House of Delegates, the Resolution highlights AFYP’s long history in the surrounding community, and the even greater impact these programs have had, made possible in collaboration with Mason Community Arts Academy.

“I’m truly humbled by this honor.” notes Ms. Lechter. “This recognition is especially meaningful, as we have had the opportunity to work with children from both the Tran and Bulova families in our Acting and Music programs over the years. Perhaps most important of all is the feedback Delegate Tran shared in person, and includes in the Resolution itself, commending our staff and faculty for the authentic experiences they provide for our students. It has always been my goal to provide a warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment in which students can learn and grow. I am touched that we’ve been acknowledged for this core value of our programs.”

We look forward to providing quality arts education to the community for the next 25 years and beyond!

Written by Mary Lechter
Edited by Regina Schneider

Categories
Piano Available

Piano Available to Good Home

A generous family from Stafford, VA recently contacted the Academy about gifting their Story and Clark upright piano to a good home. If anyone is interested in accepting this gift, please contact us ASAP.

The piano is approximately 30 years old and is free of charge; however, the family requests the recipient to pay for the moving expense, which averages around $250-300 (when using a professional piano moving company) depending on the distance traveled, number of stairs involved, etc. Also, acoustic pianos usually require a tuning from a professional piano tuner after a move as well. 

If you think you have a need (and a space) for this piano, it’s a great opportunity to look into. We will handle this on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please email us at academy@gmu.edu  (no phone calls please) and put “Piano Available to Good Home” in the subject (or simply Reply to the Newsletter email). A recipient will be matched as soon as possible.

Please note that these opportunities typically come up several times throughout the year, so keep checking the Academy Newsletter!

Categories
Piano Available

Piano Available to Good Home

A generous family from Alexandria, VA recently contacted the Academy about gifting their Wurlitzer upright piano to a good home. If anyone is interested in accepting this gift, please contact us ASAP. The family is moving in mid-March, so they are hoping to find a recipient as soon as possible.

The piano is approximately 65 years old and is free of charge; however, the family requests the recipient to pay for the moving expense, which averages around $250-300 (when using a professional piano moving company) depending on the distance traveled, number of stairs involved, etc. Also, acoustic pianos usually require a tuning from a professional piano tuner after a move as well. 

If you think you have a need (and a space) for this piano, it’s a great opportunity to look into. We will handle this on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please email us at academy@gmu.edu  (no phone calls please) and put “Piano Available to Good Home” in the subject (or simply Reply to the Newsletter email). A recipient will be matched as soon as possible.

Please note that these opportunities typically come up several times throughout the year, so keep checking the Academy Newsletter!