Community Arts Blog and Events | Mason Arts Academy GMU

Music

Music Composition Student Wins NAfME Competition

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date November 2, 2018

We are happy to share that Winston Schneider, a Music Composition Explorations Summer Workshop participant for several years, was selected as a winner of the National Association for Music Education’s Student Composers Competition for his piece “Scherzo of the Feather Stars”, which will be performed on November 13th at the NAfME National Conference.

Winston, a young composer from Omaha, Nebraska who just turned 11 years old, has had quite a year. Along with the NAfME Composer Competition win, he has also been selected as one of six pre-college composers from around the world to compose a new piece for MATA Jr. to be played in New York City. Winston also won first in NAfME’s Electronic Music Composition Competition (K-8 division).

He plans on returning to Mason in Summer 2019 for another composition workshop. “I learned so much in the summer intensive with Professor Camphouse,” said Winston. “I liked listening to all of the interesting pieces… and it inspired me to compose new pieces. I especially liked the Samuel Barber string piece – that inspired one of my string quartets. We had fun and intriguing assignments. Overall, it helped me grow as a composer.”

“Winston Schneider is a fine young gentleman and gifted young composer,” commented Professor Mark Camphouse. “He is a joy to work with and has a very bright future!”

You can listen to Winston’s piece “Scherzo of the Feather Stars” here:

The Academy would like to congratulate Winston on his impressive achievements and look forward to seeing him again soon!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MUSIC COMPOSITION EXPLORATIONS SUMMER WORKSHOP
(Summer 2019 information will be updated by January 15, 2019.)

Community Outreach

Academy Adopts More Green Practices

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date October 30, 2018

Like many of you, we have been reading the research and reports of the threat posed to our planet by climate change, and the increasing levels of plastic clogging up landfills and polluting our oceans, and we are determined to do our part to help. Along with some longstanding practices, we will be rolling out some new eco-friendly initiatives across the organization over the next few months.

“George Mason University has a strong commitment to environmental research and study, and sustainability on every level,” stated Academy assistant director Matt Geske. “Mason Community Arts Academy is happy to contribute to that commitment. With the emerging study of the connection between art and nature, it’s only natural!”

New practices will include:

Moving away from plastics/ styrofoam to paper/ bio-degradable reception supplies for our Academy special events (music recitals, theater showcases, student art exhibits, etc) and office breakrooms whenever possible
Reducing our purchasing of bottled water; making filtered water available to Academy staff, instructors, students and family members to fill re-usable water bottles
Recycling used batteries/ disposing of them properly
Updating windows and lighting for energy efficiency, with the support of our wonderful Academy building owner, the GMU Foundation

Practices which will continue:

Utilizing the paper and plastic/ bottle recycle bins at the Academy office, provided by Mason Facilities
Re-purposing used materials for theater program props, scenery, etc
Tending our new Butterfly/ Honey Bee Haven flower beds surrounding the Academy building, provided by Mason Grounds, and also tending to indoor plants throughout the Academy building’s offices and classroom/ lesson spaces
One of our biggest “going green” outreach initiatives, our Instruments in the Attic program, which collects gently used musical instruments (otherwise destined for the dumpster) from generous community members, repairs them, and gets them back into the hands of music students

The university has an Office of Sustainability, which handles environmental issues on a much larger scope and scale, and includes the Patriot Green Fund, which has been a strong supporter of our Instruments in the Attic program for many years.

Together, even small efforts can make a big, long-term impact on sustaining our wonderful planet Earth!

Community Outreach Music

Academy Awarded ARTSFAIRFAX Grant For School Outreach Program

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date October 26, 2018

We were honored to find out recently that we were awarded a Project Support Grant from ARTSFAIRFAX, the county’s officially designated arts agency. The Faculty Chamber Ensemble Music Enrichment Project will send faculty chamber music groups into several local schools in Fairfax County to enrich the student experience through chamber music, interactive performance, and teaching.

“The educational and artistic goals of the project are to allow traditionally under-resourced students with an interest in music to have a more enriched experience through working directly with Academy faculty,” explained Academy Faculty Coordinator (and grant co-writer) Claire Allen. “Using chamber music as a vehicle to demonstrate the importance of working together for a goal and exposing them to a high level of playing and repertoire will encourage them to have a better appreciation of music and hopefully instill a lifelong desire to participate in their school music programs.”

“This project expands existing programs that fulfill multiple points from the Academy’s mission statement: creating impactful arts advocacy through community arts education engagement, creating community partnerships with schools, and building career paths for professional artists,” stated Academy Executive Director Libby Curtis. “In Mason Community Arts Academy’s ten year history, it has worked hard to create sustainable and enriching arts experiences that have developed deep ties to our surrounding community and schools.”

The project will culminate in a joint recital performance by the chamber groups, where students (and there parents) from the participating schools will be invited to attend the recital and a reception with the artists. The performance will also be free and open to the general public. More details to follow in the Spring!

The mission of ARTSFAIRFAX is to be “the voice of the arts, dedicated to fostering dynamic and diverse local arts, ensuring that arts thrive by providing vision, leadership, capacity building services, advocacy, funding, education, and information.”

The Academy would like to express our deep appreciation for the support received from ARTSFAIRFAX for this project.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMS

Community Outreach Instruments in the Attic Music

Academy Sends Flutes To School In Nairobi

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date October 19, 2018

The Academy was thrilled to send a small selection of flutes, all of which had been donated through our Instruments in the Attic program, to a high school for girls in Nairobi, Kenya. As part of a larger music education initiative led by Mason School of Music Professor Lisa Billingham, the delivery of the flutes was accompanied by new recorders provided by West Music.

The recent trip was made possible by a GEO Global Discovery Grant awarded to George Mason University. Mr. Leonard Wekesa, a music teacher at the State House Girls High School which accommodates around 500 girls, was responsible for the invitation to Nairobi.

Nairobi schoolgirls with donated flutes

“When we arrived at the school, we realized that they only had two guitars – both with broken or missing strings. Along with the flutes and recorders already delivered, we have sent new guitar strings,” said Dr. Billingham. “In March 2019, I will return to Nairobi with members of our University Chorale to continue our work in the area of music education, including a workshop with their choir. We look forward to continuing to build relationships with teachers in Nairobi and appreciate the contributions from the Instruments in the Attic program that allow us to share a larger scope of music education.”

We will continue to share more updates on this wonderful initiative as it moves forward!

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSTRUMENTS IN THE ATTIC

Acting Music

Academy Vocal Student Lands Major Role In Local Play

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date October 18, 2018

Julie Kashmanian, vocal student of Academy Voice Teaching Artist Seon Gyu Park (and a Theater student at Mason) was recently cast for a major role in an adaptation of the famous play “The Diary of Anne Frank”, which ran for 6 performances at F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville, MD.

“I’ve been teaching Julie since the Summer of 2017,” said Ms. Park. “She was shy but had a great voice and acting skills. It’s been a wonderful journey to polish her beautiful voice and joyous time to have lessons with her. I look forward to many good things from her in the future!”

Julie K voice student in play

“Being in ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ is a huge honor, and I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to help tell this important story!” exclaimed Julie. “I am also very thankful to Seon for helping me to develop my voice. I had struggled with my voice for a while and her instructions really helped me recover my vocal health.”

Julie K voice student dancing in play

Congratulations, Julie – well done!

LEARN MORE ABOUT PRIVATE LESSONS WITH SEON GYU PARK

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