Category: Music

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Acting Community Outreach Music

Arts By George 2018 Performance!

Students and faculty from Mason Community Arts Academy were invited to perform at this year’s Arts By George! fundraising event hosted by George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. Led by directors Libby Curtis and Mary Lechter, the ensemble performed a musical number featuring actors from our theater division, a solo pianist, young violin students, an adult student singer, student flutists, and faculty violinists, pianists, guitarists, and percussionists.

“The Academy was honored to be a feature presenter for Arts by George 2018!” said Director Libby Curtis. “I was so proud of all our students and faculty – and excited to perform alongside them! – and received many wonderful comments from those in attendance. As the biggest fundraiser for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, I’m also happy to report that we received several donations because of the great work and enthusiasm that our students displayed. I can’t thank everyone enough for going the extra mile to make this a great success!”

 

Please enjoy these photos taken by students, parents, and faculty throughout the evening:

 

Approximately 500 gala event guests enjoyed the ARTS by George! Benefit on September 29th. Overall, the benefit garnered more than $140,000 in support of CVPA student scholarships and community arts programs, which include Great Performances at Mason, Green Machine Ensembles, and Mason Community Arts Academy. Thank you to all of the patrons, donors, artists, students, faculty, and staff members who made ARTS by George! 2018 such a success!

 

Categories
Community Outreach Instruments in the Attic Music

Academy Receives Dale Earnhardt Foundation Award

Dale Earnhardt Signed Guitar

We are thrilled to announce that the Academy has been honored with the Legend Leadership Award from the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, specifically for our Instruments in the Attic donation and outreach music program. The prestigious grant award continues the late great Dale Earnhardt’s commitment to supporting programs that focus on children, education, and environmental/ wildlife preservation.

The award includes a generous financial gift from the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, earmarked for expenses related to musical instrument repair and for scholarship funds for two Mason student “Teaching Scholars”, plus an official certificate, a book about Mr. Earnhardt, and finally a signed, limited edition Epiphone electric guitar (pictured above).

 

Dale Earnhardt Legend Leadership Award

 

“On behalf of the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, we would like to congratulate you, and the Instruments in the Attic program, as one of our selected Legend Leadership Award Winners,” stated Dale Earnhardt Foundation representative Rhonda Phipps in a letter to the Academy. “In recognition of this creative program, and the leadership of your [Mason] students, [the grant award will] help the program to continue and expand. Congratulations on all your achievements and we know that you, and Instruments in the Attic, will continue to make a positive impact with the students in your community through the universal gift of music.”

The Instruments in the Attic program accepts gently-used instruments from generous community members who no longer have need of them, but can’t bear the thought of throwing them away. As funding allows, the Academy repairs the instruments to playable condition (as necessary) and then places them in various school or community music programs and into the hands of deserving young students who might not otherwise be able to participate in the joy of music-making.

Through the Teaching Scholars program (also part of Instruments in the Attic), a select group of Mason School of Music students (often Music Education majors) are awarded scholarships based on academic achievement and passion for music education. These Teaching Scholars are sent to local schools in the community to provide auxiliary music classes for young students, as well as auxiliary support to the music teachers in those schools.

 

Academy staff with Dale Earnhardt guitar
(Academy staff with the Dale Earnhardt limited edition Epiphone guitar)

 

The financial award from the Dale Earnhardt Foundation will allow for more instruments to be repaired and “re-used”, and will increase the number of Teaching Scholar scholarship awards that can be given. The heightened exposure of the program will also provide long-term sustainable benefits.

We would like to give a very sincere thank you to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, and the Earnhardt family, for recognizing our efforts to give access to quality music education and experiences to all community members, and for helping us “recycle” the love of music for all to enjoy!

 

Dale Earnhardt Foundation Logo
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DALE EARNHARDT FOUNDATION

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSTRUMENTS IN THE ATTIC

 

Categories
Acting Art Events Music

Students To Perform At Arts By George Gala, Sept 29th

Arts By George Logo Image

Looking for the perfect Date Night? Mason’s annual Arts By George fundraising gala event, which provides student scholarships and support to the College of Visual and Performing Arts – including its community arts programs – will take place Saturday, September 29th. This year’s activities will include performances by some of the Academy’s very own music and acting students!

WHAT: Arts By George Fundraising Event
WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2018 – starting at 5 PM
WHERE: de Laski Performing Arts Building at Mason in Fairfax  See Map
COST: $275 per person
PARKING: Free parking in Lot K, or paid parking in Mason Pond Parking Deck

 

Arts By George Activities

 

If you have never attended an Arts by George event before, there is a reason why they have dubbed it “An Evening Like No Other”. Attendees can stroll through the Performing Arts Building to interact with multiple sets of performances from Mason students (including one special performance from our Academy students!), enjoy fine buffet-style dining, and more – all starting at 5pm and going through to the featured concert performance at 8:30 PM in the Center for the Arts.

Highlights include:

  • 10 open studios and rehearsal halls showcasing more than 100 talented Mason students (plus a special performance by Academy students!)
  • 3 of the region’s finest restaurants with an elegant buffet
  • 60+ exclusive silent and live auction items including theater, sports, cuisine, and travel
  • 1 dazzling performance by Grammy Award winner The Manhattan Transfer featuring Mason’s own American Festival Pops Orchestra and Mason Vocal Jazz Ensemble, followed by an on-stage champagne toast with The Manhattan Transfer (pictured below)!

 

Manhattan Transfer Photo

 

Proceeds support Mason student scholarships in Art, Dance, Music, Theater, Arts Management, Computer Game Design, and Film and Video Studies, as well as the Great Performances at Mason season, The Green Machine Ensembles, and Mason Community Arts Academy. (Guests can allocate their support specifically for the Academy!)

Need a reason to bring out that fancy dress? Time to dust off that tux? Be a part of the arts at Arts By George. It’s a date!

LEARN MORE AND BUY TICKETS!

 

Categories
Music

Vivace Takes Musicians Up A Level

Vivace Program

This Fall, the Academy is proud to introduce an exciting new program called Vivace! Musicianship, geared to dedicated music students who are looking to enhance their musical studies. Conceived by music faculty members and developed by a collaboration among all our music faculty and the administrative staff, Vivace! offers to take students to a new level of skills, understanding and performance.

Vivace! consists of an Art of Music class for students at every age level which will teach them about music outside of the simple mechanics of playing their instrument or singing. The course will cover ear training, music theory, keyboard skills, music history, and will also give them the opportunity to have workshops with professors from the Mason’s School of Music. Older students will participate in Chamber Music in the Spring semester, where they will develop their teamwork and leadership skills, learn enriching chamber music repertoire together, and have extra performance opportunities outside of our annual recitals.

 

Student ensemble performing at a recital

 

Leading Vivace! are Academy Piano faculty Masha Feygelson (the Vivace! coordinator) and Misha Tumanov (the Art of Music teacher).

“I am thrilled to be coordinating Vivace!, our highly anticipated program for serious young musicians,” said Ms. Feygelson. “Our goal with this program is to offer a step beyond private lessons, and provide a comprehensive, well-rounded musical education at Mason Arts. Vivace! is for any student looking to expand his or her knowledge and appreciation of music.”

“So many times during lessons students ask why? — Why did Beethoven write B-sharp instead of C? Why does Tchaikovsky’s music sound so different from Bach’s? Why is 4/4 time signature sometimes written as C?” added Mr. Tumanov. “There are so many fascinating why’s and how’s and who’s in the world of music, but as every teacher knows, there’s never enough time in a lesson. These questions are not just interesting, they are essential for learning, understanding, and enjoying music to the fullest. Besides learning about the history and theory of music, students will also train their ears to listen for and sing intervals, chords, and melodies. I am very excited to be working with this group of talented young musicians this semester!”

 

Music students discussing music

 

A few spots remain in the Vivace! program for the 2018-2019 school year, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 20th. The program is open to music students Grades 7-12 (older group) who are enrolled in a weekly 45 or 60 minute private lesson (at the Academy), and Grades 4-6 (younger group) who are enrolled in a weekly private lesson of any length.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT VIVACE! AND APPLY NOW!

 

Categories
Events Music

Grand Piano Celebration, Sunday, September 23rd

Linda Monson with grand piano

Get ready for a fantastic afternoon of piano music at Mason School of Music’s annual Grand Piano Celebration, located in Mason’s Center for the Arts on the Fairfax campus . Performing artists include Mason professors as well as some of the Academy’s very own faculty members!

WHAT: Grand Piano Celebration
WHEN: Sunday, September 23, 2018 at 3 PM
WHERE: Center for the Arts at Mason in Fairfax  See Map
COST: $20 Adults, $5 Youth, $15 Seniors
PARKING: Free parking in Lot K, or $8 in Mason Pond Parking Deck

 

Preview Video featuring Academy Piano Instructor Linh Trinh An:

 

Proceeds will help support student scholarships for Mason School of Music students.

 

GET TICKETS THROUGH THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS