Event to Showcase UMass Lowell’s Work with Greater Lowell Organizations
11/08/2016
Media contacts: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – The talents of budding musicians educated through UMass Lowell’s community programs will take center stage during “Reaching Out!,” a free concert for the public.
The event, the second performance in the Chancellor’s Celebration of Music series, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. at the United Teen Equality Center (UTEC), located at 35 Warren St., Lowell. The concert is free; proceeds from a reception with the performers immediately following the show will benefit scholarships for UMass Lowell music students.
“‘Reaching Out!’ shines a light on UMass Lowell’s many community outreach initiatives that engage young people in music education and performance opportunities. These programs represent the ideals and values we instill in all UMass Lowell students: The future of education is founded upon building community. We are honored so many of our partners will take part in this event,” said Prof. Alan Williams, chairman of UMass Lowell’s Music Department and coordinator of its music business program.
The free concert is sponsored by the Nancy Donahue Endowed Professorship for the Arts. Tickets to the reception, which are $40 per person, are available online at www.uml.edu/celebratemusic or by calling 978-934-4482. Public parking a short distance from the venue is available in the Lower Locks municipal garage adjacent to the UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center at 50 Warren St., Lowell.
“Reaching Out!” will showcase Lowell public schoolchildren enrolled in the UMass Lowell String Project, a K-12 program that provides music classes and instruction in stringed instruments such as the violin and cello. String Project members perform in UMass Lowell’s Lowell Youth Orchestra, which includes other young musicians from throughout the Merrimack Valley. The initiative – through which the performers are mentored by UMass Lowell music students – has been honored by the American String Teachers Association for its leadership in music education and for engaging the community through music.
“UMass Lowell is a pioneer in bringing music education to young people. When the String Project began 15 years ago, we were one of the first such programs in the country and we worked to advance these amazing partnerships with the city of Lowell and area youth organizations that continue to have such a tremendous impact on students of all ages,” said John-Morgan Bush, executive director of the String Project and Lowell Youth Orchestra and UMass Lowell Music Department faculty member. “UMass Lowell music students are incredibly passionate about engaging the community through music and helping everyone to discover their talents and connect through their craft.”
Young people age 10 through 18 who participate in the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell’s Music Clubhouse will also take the stage. The clubhouse offers a creative space where participants can learn to play an instrument, explore different musical genres and build an appreciation for diverse musical traditions. The program is directed by Lowell resident Seth Bailin, a UMass Lowell graduate who earned his undergraduate degree in sound recording technology and his master’s degree in the university’s music education program.
Rounding out the bill will be a performance by the Angkor Dance Troupe of Lowell, which was formed in 1986 by Cambodian refugees seeking to preserve and promote Khmer music and dance. The nationally recognized troupe, which has performed at the White House, will be accompanied by UMass Lowell’s World Music Ensemble, a corps of UMass Lowell music students that frequently collaborates with the dancers.
Still other music programs available to K-12 students through UMass Lowell include the nationally acclaimed New England Junior and Senior Youth Wind Ensembles, for instrumentalists in grades six through 12. In addition, each summer, the Mary Jo Leahey Symphonic Band Camp welcomes students in the eighth grade through high school to the UMass Lowell campus for a weeklong immersion program in music education and performance. Both programs are led by UMass Lowell faculty and students.
UMass Lowell was the first public institution in the U.S. to offer a music education degree. Today, the university offers students a range of undergraduate and graduate programs in every aspect of the field, from performance and education to music business and sound recording technology.
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 17,500 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu