Music Education that makes a difference.
MGS pairs educational and outreach presentations with each of the artists or ensembles presented on our concert series, bringing the artists out to the community to engage students and community members.
In addition, MGS features artists in our interview series, meet-and-greets, and a virtual educational lesson plan series for in-school and at-home educators.
Music for a Great Space is excited to announce the 2024 Chamber Ensemble Residency.
The MGS Chamber Ensemble Residency is designed to provide performance opportunities and mentorship for an up-and-coming ensemble interested in chamber music as it was, is, and can be.
The 2024 Resident Ensemble is the Pathfinders Trio. Pathfinders Trio consists of Hannah Markun (trumpet), Abby Novak (clarinet), and Lyndsey Dean (multiple woodwinds). “We are The Pathfinders Trio: A group of musicians dedicated to creating a space to foster collaboration between brass and woodwind instrumentalists. We use our unconventional instrumentation to reintroduce traditional repertoire with a fresh soundscape and promote new compositions that inspire musicians to step out of preconceived musical boundaries.”
Pathfinders has been working with mentor artists from the Frisson Ensemble. They are also working with students at Swann Middle School under the direction of band director Rodney Milton.
Pathfinders concluded their residency with performances in the community:
April 28 at Double Oaks
May 11 at Bicentennial Garden
May 13 at Revolution Mill in collaboration with the Junior League
May 15 at Ilderton Hall at Pennybyrn
The Chamber Ensemble Residency is supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The Spark the Arts grant promotes audience inclusion and reengagement in the arts.
Scroll down to experience the online music education presentations housed on our website and photos of education events from last season!
Support for MGS education programming is provided in part by the Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation, The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, and Creative Greensboro - the city’s office for arts & culture.
Music for Young People - Online Edition
Our Music for Young People series is presented in conjunction with our concert series, and we bring our artists into the classrooms to interact with students, introducing their instruments, the music they perform, and their lives as musicians. Below we have a number of online education presentations including interviews and recordings of our artists, lesson plans, activities and more!
These materials can be enjoyed by those of any age. Those intended for high school students are indicated.
MGS thanks Kim Barclift and Matt Wilson for crafting the education presentations below.
Rolston String Quartet - Haydn & Grieg
Discussing Musical Scales and Emotions in Music
André Lash introduces the organ
Discussing Timbre and a virtual "Organ Crawl"
Resident Jazz Quartet - Without a Song
Discussing Tempo, Musical Form, and Improvisation
ZOFO Piano Duet - George Gershwin Cuban Overture (under repair)
Discussing Salsa Music and Salsa Percussion
Fusion of Musical Genres - Chris Dederer performs Simon Preston Alleluyas for Organ
Discussing the Genres/Periods of Western Classical Music and the fusion of those genres.
Mendelssohn Prelude and Fugue for Organ (under repair)
Discussing the Fugue or Round
Caterina Assandra Ave Verum Corpus (under repair) *written for high school age students
Discussing Transcription
Stephen Price performs on the organ - Coleridge-Taylor's Impromptu (under repair)
Discussing the Instrument Families, and the Pipe Organ
Harlem Quartet performs Strayhorn and Marsalis (under repair)
Discussing Jazz and Strings (Harlem Quartet was presented in partnership with Chamber Music Raleigh)
Marcus Printup performs Dizzy Gillespie's Con Alma *written for high school age students
Discussing Jazz and Improvisation
Khemia Ensemble and Dance Project perform Pascal le Boeuf's Media Control
Discussing Classical vs. Contemporary Music and Dance
Khemia Ensemble's Annie Jeng performs Marcus Balter's Dreamcatcher
Disussing Music for Social Justice *written for high school age students
For more videos including interviews and performances visit our YouTube page!
MGS is committed to bringing all of our performing artists to the public school students to provide access to as many students as possible each year. MGS tailors these visits to the individual school and works closely with the music teachers to match the artists to the schools.
In an effort to create the a lasting impact on the students attending education presentations, students are provided with a voucher which allows their entire family to attend the Friday night concert free of charge.
In the 2023-24 Season of the Arts, Terra Quartet presented a discussion on the journey from student to professional quartet at Grimsley High School and an introduction to quartet music and musician life at Glenwood Library. Jonathan Dimmock presented a discussion on conflict resolution with music at Kathleen Clay Librrary and and introduction to the organ with Professor Marya Fancey at Christ United Methodist Church. Marcus Printup worked with the band students at Mendenhall Middle School and presented a masterclass at Well-Spring Theater with students from the Guilford College Jazz Program. Dianne Reeves worked with students in the NC A&T Jazz Band and shared thoughts on life in music, success in music and more. Renée Anne Louprette presented a discussion on the Fulbright program and her experience in Romania and presented a masterclass with UNCG Organ Students. Duo Beaux Arts worked with students at Weaver Academy and presented an event introducing four-hand piano. Khemia Ensemble presented a discussion on the commissioning process with Dance Project choreographer Jiwon Ha and a movement & music class in partnership with Dance Project. The Resident Ensemble, Pathfinders Trio, worked with band students at Swann Middle School for 2 1/12 months, and performed public concerts at Double Oaks B&B and Bicentennial Garden.
For Students By Students
For Students By Students is an interview series created in partnership with UNCG’s Arts Administrative Resource Community. The questions will be administered by the arts administration students in the student led organization. Questions will cover topics such as inspirations to join the arts, past experience in the arts, current experience in the arts, and future goals in the Arts. Interviews in the first round of the series include undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students as well as newly appointed faculty members to give student audiences an opportunity to see a path in the various stages ahead of them.
These interviews are created with high school students in mind, but can be enjoyed by those of any age.
Feb 3 - Gabriel Figuracion - Undergraduate Viola/Music Ed Major at UNCG
G. Figuracion Question List and Times
Feb 17 - James Austin Porzenski - Master's Vocal Major at UNCG
J. Porzenski Question List and Times
March 3 - Kassandra Ormsby - Bassoon Doctoral Candidate at UNCG
K. Ormsby Question List and Times
March 10 - Dr. Annie Jeng - Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at UNCG
A. Jeng Question List and Times
