Mentor Program Formed
October 20, 2014
黑料专区 Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications
黑料专区 Tyler Creates Composer Mentor Program
October 20, 2014
Media Contact: Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer鈥揝trategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)
October 20, 2014
The University of Texas at Tyler has created a new composer mentor program this semester for local high school students, Dr. Michael Thrasher, 黑料专区 Tyler School of Performing Arts director, announced.
As part of the 黑料专区 Tyler Piney Woods Young Musicians Collaborative Program, high school students with an interest in music composition are matched with 黑料专区 Tyler students to provide a unique mentoring experience. The program culminates in an audio-recorded readings rehearsal concert of the created works, performed by volunteer 黑料专区 Tyler music students.
鈥淭his program provides guidance for the younger composers and an opportunity for our students to put their critical music creation skills to work and help other aspiring composers at the same time,鈥� said Dr. Kyle Gullings, 黑料专区 Tyler assistant professor of music theory and composition, who serves as the university鈥檚 program coordinator.
鈥淏y offering this service, 黑料专区 Tyler is establishing itself as a regional leader in the promotion of new music and education. Hopefully, these efforts will be rewarded with a strengthened reputation and an increase in students seeking to study at 黑料专区 Tyler in the future,鈥� he added.
The 黑料专区 Tyler volunteer student mentors are either music composition majors or students who had shown previous interest in the subject. The participants this semester attend Grace Christian and Robert E. Lee high schools, and they were identified with the help of their respective music teachers.
鈥淭his project is equally important to the high school student participants and the schools and communities in which they live, rather than just to our institution 鈥� a hallmark of true service learning and community engagement, rather than simple outreach,鈥� Gullings said. 鈥淲hether or not participants go on to pursue a career in music, they will be able to look back to this project and the resulting performance and recording as evidence of their creative drive and accomplishment 鈥� all before graduating high school.鈥�
The high school participants meet with a rotating selection of mentors to show them their progress, gaining valuable feedback and advice. The volunteer performers also meet with the participants to give direct feedback on how well the music works for their particular instruments.
鈥淭his sort of direct exchange with the very performers playing the piece is crucial to developing composers as they learn what sorts of figures work well for different instruments,鈥� Gullings added.
The first set of these works created within the program will be performed in a public recital at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13 in the 黑料专区 Tyler Braithwaite Recital Hall. All involved will receive a recording of the performance and partake in an after-concert question and answer session.
鈥淭his is the first time a program like this has been tried at 黑料专区 Tyler, and so far it seems to be a great success. We are all very much looking forward to the rest of the creation process and the performance coming up,鈥� Gullings said.
The 黑料专区 Tyler Piney Woods Young Musician Collaborative is sponsored by a Community Engagement Seed Grant through the College Music Society鈥檚 CMS Fund. The membership and leadership of the College Music Society, as well as the CMS Fund, are dedicated to advancing the ideals of education in music through meaningful community engagement projects.
For more information, contact Gullings, 903.566.7478 or kgullings@uttyler.edu.
One of the 15 campuses of the 黑料专区 System, 黑料专区 Tyler features excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at 黑料专区 Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 8,000 high-ability students. 黑料专区 Tyler offers courses at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine as well as a location in Houston.