Mason Community Arts Academy
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Music

District Orchestra

Pictured above: Abigail, Vickie, and Noah at the District XI Junior Orchestra event this past weekend at Mason.

Colin Chen, Vickie Chen, Abigail Dalton, Hunter Do, and Noah Nguyen all successfully auditioned into the District XI and District X Honor Orchestras this year! All five students study with Teaching Artist Claire Allen.

Interested in private music lessons? Click here to learn more!

Categories
Music

Calling All Young Violinists Who Want To Go On An Adventure

Calling young violinists (ages 7-14) who want to go on an adventure! One of a musician’s greatest adventures is performance. What are the essential skills of a great performer? How do we get more comfortable in front of an audience? And how can music from adventure movies inspire us? Join us for eight exciting Friday night sessions, culminating in a thrilling recital performance in June!

SEE SAMPLE VIDEO FROM ACADEMY TEACHING ARTISTS CLAIRE ALLEN AND HANNAH PRICE

This compact 8-week session starts Friday, April 22nd and runs through June 3rd, with an exciting recital performance on Saturday, June 4th. Get in on the action now!

Take a look at some final performance snippets from our recent “Storytelling & Movie Magic” Violin Class held earlier this semester:

 

 

GET FULL VIOLIN CLASS DETAILS HERE

 

Categories
Events Music

Violinists Claire Allen and Matt Richardson Present Fundraising Concert

Join Violin Teaching Artists Claire Allen and Matt Richardson for an evening of music celebrating the violin on Friday, April 1, 2022 at 8:00pm – livestreamed on our YouTube channel!

Featuring works by Bologne, Clarke, O’Connor, Shostakovich, and Sarasate, this concert will highlight the versatility and virtuosity of the violin. This concert is being presented as a fundraiser for two summer programs directed by Ms. Allen and Mr. Richardson, Violin Bootcamp and Violin Academy. Donations received during this event will go directly to support student scholarships for these programs. The recommended donation is $10 per audience member viewing, but any amount will be gratefully received.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel MasonArtsAcademy to view the concert on April 1st.

Donations can be made online to the Mason Community Arts Academy Excellence Fund from March 21-April 2 and your donation will be designated for these summer violin programs.

 

SEE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

 

 

Categories
Community Outreach Music

Piano Available to Good Home – 02/19/22

A generous community member from Herndon, VA recently contacted the Academy about gifting her acoustic upright piano to a good home. If anyone is interested in accepting this gift, please contact us asap.

The piano (pictured above) is a 51-year-old Everett acoustic upright. The piano itself would be free of charge (to a good home); however, the recipient is required 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. As per usual, 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. 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
Music

ACMP Scholarship Recipients Shared the Joy of Playing Together… Again!

Four aspiring string players received merit scholarships for their stellar accomplishment in the Summer Arts at Mason 2021 strings programs. Reflecting on their experience, the scholarship recipients shared their excitement of performing together in person and their most memorable experience in the summer.

The merit scholarship is sponsored by the Associated Chamber Music Players (ACMP) in support of our summer music programs, Mason Strings Camp and Mason Chamber Music Intensive.

 

 

Isaiah Garrett, Halyn (Chloe) Kim, Avery Lee, and Abby Poppe received this year’s ACMP scholarships after a comprehensive review of their applications, essays, program participation, and feedback from the program director and string faculty.

Garrett, a first-time program participant assigned as the First Violinist, said that attending the Mason Chamber Music Intensive program “was like a breath of fresh air,” and the diverse group of instrumentalists reminded him of the joy of creating music and learning from one another along the way.

“I learned how to lead an ensemble without a conductor and how to communicate with the pianist,” said Garrett. “Additionally, I enjoyed playing with the second violin soloist and learned both of our parts well to understand how they fit together.”

 

 

Poppe said that working with other committed musicians motivated her to be a better violist and taught her valuable lessons of being a collaborative artist. “When we finished playing, I was proud of what our hard work could accomplish,” said Poppe. “The challenge of this camp expanded my range of abilities and showed my potential. I was proud when I learned a more difficult song.”

 

“There is no better way to emerge from the isolation of the pandemic than by playing chamber music!” said Professor June Huang, assistant professor of violin and director of strings at George Mason University, who directed both of our strings and chamber ensemble as summer programs. “This past summer, the participants at the Mason Strings Camp and Mason Chamber Music Intensive came together determined to create music. Their positivity, resilience, and musicianship made the world a celebratory place to be and reminded us all that every note counts.”

Mason Strings Camp and Mason Chamber Music Intensive are summer music programs designed for serious young musicians who wish to gain ensemble experience in their music learning. Directed and coached by Mason Dewberry School of Music string and piano faculty, programs include small ensemble and chamber music performance opportunities, and students work directly with esteemed musicians and orchestra directors in all aspects of music enrichment.

In addition to challenging repertoires and talented faculty, Lee, who was selected as a Concertmaster, shared that the close-knit community made playing music enjoyable. “It has been a pleasure to make new friends in both my orchestra and quartet who enjoy playing an instrument as much as I do.”

Although the programs have ended in the summer, our young musicians found new opportunities to apply their recently developed skills and continued collaborating with other young musicians.

 

 

“I really enjoy how the viola sounds with other instruments,” said Poppe, who decided to try out another orchestra program and auditioned for The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestras.

“Through the Mason Strings Camp, I learned the importance of being able to cue to start performing at the right time,” said Lee. Shortly after the program, Lee auditioned for the American Youth Debut Orchestra, the beginner-level orchestra of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (AYPO). She was selected as the concertmaster and started her very first full-year orchestra experience.

Congratulations on our ACMP scholarship recipients and program participants. We wish all the best to our young musicians as they embark on the next chapter of their musical journey.

 

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