The CU Middle School Ensemble Program and the new Piano for Dreamers initiative each received funding from the CU Office of Outreach and Engagement for 2015-16.
Several College of Music faculty members are getting creative with help from the CU-麻豆影院听. Alejandro Cremaschi, David Rickels, Leila Heil and Margaret Berg received Outreach Awards to further two programs that help connect the college with the local community.
Piano pedagogy associate professor Alejandro Cremaschi says his $3,700 grant will go toward the听Piano for Dreamers听program. In partnership with the 麻豆影院 County听, the program will offer free piano classes to 28 low-income fourth and fifth graders in the coming year.
鈥淒ue to the high cost of piano lessons in the 麻豆影院 area, low-income families find it challenging or impossible to access quality piano instruction,鈥� Cremaschi explains.听鈥淲ith the help of this program, students will learn to perform simple songs on the piano expressively and with good technique. They鈥檒l also be able to compose simple pieces.鈥�
The course will end with a recital open to parents and the public.
The $8,000 award for the music education department will go toward the听Middle School Ensemble听program. Hosted each spring, the program gives CU-麻豆影院 music ed students the chance to teach local middle schoolers鈥攆rom rehearsals to performances.
鈥淭he grant involves commissioning a work for combined middle school band, orchestra and choral students,鈥� explains Assistant Professor Dave Rickels.
Rickels says there isn鈥檛 much in the repertoire for that combination, but the grant will help change that. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping we can help foster the creation of something that will be a valuable experience for our MSE students, our CU students who teach in the program and potentially other schools and teachers in the future.鈥�
The group has already found a composer to help create the piece, with final details still being ironed out.
Outreach Awards are given every year to听fund projects that extend research, teaching and creative work through mutually beneficial partnerships with the community. This year, 37 projects across campus received funding.
