The university’s Community Music School is scheduled to host a summer music program as an outreach in the community for music education.
Interim Director of the Community Music School Jivka Duke explained that the program is for students of any age, offering lessons on several instruments and vocals for students at the beginner level to the advanced level, and the main location will be in the Pottle Music Building on campus.
“The students do not need to be associated with Southeastern as college students or as an employee in order to take advantage of our program,” said Duke. “We have students as young as five years of age and as old as retirement age.”
Duke explained how the summer program is an outreach for the community and why it exists.
“The program exists to partially offset the shortage of music education in the public schools, but also as an outreach in the community to allow for anyone who likes music, to take lessons and learn to play the instrument of their choice studying with Southeastern’s wonderful college students, faculty and professional instructors,” said Duke.
In the summer, they operate in a seven week portion of instrumental or vocal lessons. However, they additionally host a High School Band Camp and Middle School Band Camp, as well as four workshops. Duke discussed who will be directing each of the bands and workshops for this upcoming summer and the changes that are happening.
“Our Middle School Band Camp has been an annual event for over 15 years now, but this year for the first time we are adding a High School Band Camp,” said Duke. “Both Middle School and High School Band Camps will be under the direction of Derek Stoughton, Southeastern’s Interim Director of Bands. The newly formed Choir Workshop will be conducted by Dakota Jenkins, a graduate student in choral conducting, and the Guitar Workshop is under the direction of Southeastern’s guitar faculty Mr. Patrick Kerber.”
Duke will be teaching the Chamber Music and the Beginner String Orchestra workshops.
According to Duke, the goal for these programs “is always to bring the students’ skill, knowledge and musicianship to the next level,” while also providing a platform for young musicians to learn and get acquainted with the university’s faculty and students so they can bring what they learned wherever they may go in the future.
To sign up for the Community Music School, visit the website, www.southeastern.edu/cms to find and complete the information and registration materials provided. Registration can be done fully online or can be printed and mailed in.
