Faculty & Staff Mary Ann Anderson*—violin Janice Bartik—Business Manager Marilyn Cade—piano Ella Caswell - piano/violin** Cindy Doering*—violin Lindsay Draper—voice Betsy Dvorak*—piano Shannon Englert**—violin Richard Evans—cello Marti Frantz*—Executive Director Candy Glidden*—piano, early childhood director Melissa Haese**—harp/piano Rachel Handlin*— violin, string Lauren Hart - Academy Youth Chorale program director Patricia Jeske*—piano Brandon Lamm** - violin Don Larson—clarinet/saxophone Candy Lovan*—piano, early childhood Kerena Moeller—cello Anne Olson—piano Jacques Saint-Cyr—flute Ted Stavrou—guitar Hui Wang—viola, violin Tarrah Wolf*—piano, early childhood Leah Zahn*—violin School Board Phil Blair Marti Frantz* Candy Glidden* Jocelyn Hare** Elliott Kallstrom** Jon Rozman** Janice Westlund—Chair Foundation Board Lynn Andreini Richard Baker Janice Bartik Phil Blair Liz Dickinson* Alice Enichen Jim Epperson* Marti Frantz* Gerrie Gustafson Rachel Handlin* Saman Hanif* Cathy Herdeman* Stephen Hofmann* Barbara Huffman Jill A. Jackson** Emily Klonicki* Jonathan Lapworth Alexander Mezny*—Chair Ray Olson Barbara Pittman Gayle Scheuer Mary Stephenson* Artistic Advisory Board Rachel Barton-Pine Margaret Batjer** Michael Beert* Ben Geller** Catherine McMichael Rick Nielsen Joel Ross * Music Academy Parent ** Music Academy Alum

The Music Academy 226 South Second Street Rockford, Il 61104 815.986.0037 ∙ www.MusicAcademyInRockford.com

The Music Academy

226 South Second Street

P.O. Box 4545

Rockford, IL 61104

Www.MusicAcademyInRockford.com

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 226

Rockford, IL

Upcoming Events

I have three children who studied violin and piano at The Music Academy for varying amounts of time over 12 years, from about 1988 to 2000.

We moved to Rockford in the early 80s when it was hit pretty hard by unemployment. I left eight siblings in the Chicago suburbs where most were raising families at the same time that I was raising mine. We kept in touch visiting back and forth and had lots of opportunity to share experiences. I thought then and I still think now that Rockford was a great place to raise a family because it offered so many high quality resources to children and parents.

Rockford had beautiful parks and forest preserves, fine museums, a fabulous public li-brary, a state of the art YMCA, the Coronado Theatre, and I could go on and on. Pretty much anything you wanted to do was available and affordable for a young family. In terms of formal education, our kids were lucky to be able attend a public Montessori program, a public gifted program and a private high school. All were good, solid educational experi-ences, but I think the highest quality of adult attention and instruction that they received was through the Suzuki program at The Music Academy in Rockford.

Having students in the Rockford public schools in the 90s meant having a ring side seat to one of the nation’s most dramatic and divisive school desegregation law suits. And having three kids in Suzuki meant three private and three group lessons a week. So I attended lots and lots of lessons, concerts, workshops with guest teachers from around the country, lectures and meetings with lots of children and adults.

Through it all, I could not help but notice how, on the one hand, parents were fighting bitterly for equality and integra-tion in the schools, and on the other, the music students came from every economic class and were already racially and ethnically diverse. The most accomplished student by far at that time was an African American girl. My experience of that disparity between music school and public school was so profound that it’s something I still think about today.

So why do I support The Music Academy in Rockford? There are so many reasons that it’s hard to mention just a few.

The focus of the school has endured and continues to be one of the region’s highest quality educational institutions. It’s extremely well run and attended. It’s an incredibly valuable resource to parents raising children whose development bene-fits all of the other institutions in the community. I could talk about how music helps with memory, concentration, disci-pline, self-esteem and poise; how it increases our experience of joy in life, so many things…but in the end I think that it is the ability to learn, play and teach music that is closest to defining the very essence of our humanity, transcending the limitations of age, gender, race and class. Music school is where children learn so much more than to just play notes, they learn how to be human together.

~ Pat Michelsen, Primary Sponsor of The Music Academy Foundation’s biennial fund raising event Heartstrings: Connections between Music and Medicine, 2017

A Great Place to Raise a Family

Book Recitals

Saturday, April 28, 11:45 a.m.

2018

Newsletter

What a Wonderful World!

The Music Academy is turning 33 this year.

Think of all the children and families whose lives we’ve impacted. We are so fortunate! We relish knowing we have made an impact on individual families and on our community. This is a better community in which to live and grow, in part, for all of our hard work over the years. It seems like we should have a party to thank ourselves! (Here is where the faculty says, “No more parties!”)

Marti Frantz, who has been with the school since the very beginning, and now is the executive director, does want to shout out her thanks to all of you who’ve worked alongside us at the school. It’s been a quick and grand ride. Marti is like Louis Armstrong. She thinks to herself, “…what a wonderful world.” Thanks for making it so!

Solo Recitals

Saturday, May 12, 2018, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 a.m.

Loreen Hall & First Lutheran Church

“Life is one long jubilee.” Ira Gershwin

Thank you!

Prelude: Music for Young Children!

Spring classes resume Saturday, February 3 and Tuesday, February 6, 2018. Sessions are 10 weeks long and cost $85.00 – the best bargain in town for music classes for young people ages 6 months to 4 years and their caregivers. How fun is singing “The Milk Bucket Blues” with your babies?

Prelude is The Music Academy’s own curriculum incorporating methodologies and pedagogies of Orff, Kodai, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Gordon, Suzuki and Music Together. We have a blast!

Enrollment is now open.

Call 815-986-0037 to register!

Measure 5 at Wesley Willows

Wednesday, February 7, 7:00 pm

For tickets contact Wesley Willows

Showcase Concert & Piano Extravaganza

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Twinkle Recitals

Saturday, April 28, 10:45 a.m.

Spring Break

March 24 thru March 31

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On Thursday, December 21, 2017, The Music Academy won a Selah Award. “The Selah Awards acknowledge and esteem individuals for their public service and philanthropic efforts which support our nation’s posterity. Their works praise them within their community and the recipients of their service bestow a repetitious honor of grati-tude and thankfulness.”

The Music Academy won in the Education category, one of five categories of organizations providing philanthropic services to children. The award for each category winner is $100 a month for the next 12 months. The Music Academy will designate those new funds for student scholarship and financial aid so that we may continue to make what we do as affordable and accessible as is possible for our communi-ty. It is interesting is that the children of “Students Seeking

Success” at Gethsemane Christian Church in Rockford must raise the funds that make this cash prize possible. The church is delivering a message to their children and families: “Giving is a part of your civic duty.”

It was fun for Marti to recognize a number of our alums among the audi-ence, presenters, students and the church leaders at this white tie event held at Giovanni’s. It was especially fun that the processional music for the nom-inees and winners was music written and performed by Cameron Carter (Cam Carter Music), an alum of The Music Academy. His very appropriate composition, “A Wise Son” and was quite perfect for this special event honoring organizations that give of their time, talent and treasure to our community’s children.

Long ago, Aminda (Mindy) Asher was a very young cello student at The Music Academy in Rockford. Then, she earned a B.M. from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and a M. M. in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. Fast forward two decades and she now lives and is an active chamber and or-chestral performer in New York City. She is a dedicated Suzuki and traditional teacher employed at the Turtle Bay Music Academy and the 92nd Street Y - a world class cultural and community center.

She recently posted on her Face Book page, “I love it when parents tell me they want their four-year-old to have fun playing cello so they’re going to let them in in charge of deciding when to practice.” Comments poured in from around the country: “Then they’re never going to have fun playing the cello” came from Betsy Goy Bane in Seattle (former RSO cellist.) Music Academy alum Lily Henley, violinist, now living and performing in the Bronx, said, “Ugh.” Linc Smelser, cellist and RYSO conductor pitched in, “Yeah, that isn’t gonna work….” Brian Hatton says, “This infuriates me.”

I could not keep my nose out of it and had to comment, “Wake up! Parents need to parent. It takes a long time (eight years in our experi-ence) before kids are accomplished enough musicians to learn to love making music and truly have fun with it.”

Really folks! Kids will not value this process and the opportunity before them unless you do. Show your kids the way. Don’t give up when the going gets tough (and it will!) The results are well worth your resolve. Look at Mindy (and the multitude of other successful Music Academy alums.)

A Rockford Chamber of Commerce Confluence Award went to….The Music Academy and its partner, the City of Rockford Head Start preschools!

For the past 11 years The Music Academy has worked with City of Rockford Head Start children, faculty, and administrators to bring high quality music education and its multiple benefits into their classrooms and lives. Music Academy Prelude teachers (Candy Lovan, Tarrah Wolf, Melissa Haese, Shannon Englert, Ella Caswell) serve

five Head Start locations and about 700 kids per year.

The nominators for the Confluence award noted the power of The Music Academy and its mission, noting that "Music Academy’s dedication to enriching lives through music education has a profound impact not only on the lives of its students, but on Rockford's cultural community as a whole."

Why do we do what we do? As a full member of the National Guild for Community Arts Educations for the past 30 years, The Music Academy and The National Guild envision a nation where arts education is accessible and embraced as essential for human development and healthy communities. This language is inspired by a passionate belief: that in order to make the world a more just, vibrant, and joyful place, we must support everyone in their pursuit of creativity and self-expression.

The Music Academy wins a Selah Award

Mindy Asher’s Stage

Conquering Recital Fears

“Don't be afraid of fear,” said Mother Mary Mildred, an ancient Nun (is there any other type?) I think what she meant was, don't let fear rule you.

For the moments when you are challenged by fears: (“Am I good enough?” “Will I forget my music?” “Am I smart enough?” “Is so and so better than me?”) throw caution to the winds, look fear in its ugly face, and barge forward. And, when you get past it, turn around and give it a good swift,

swat. (And thank Mother Mary Mildred and Helen Mirren for telling this story)

Yes! There is such a thing, and it applies to you. Out of respect for all per-formers, a student should not plan to play on a recital if they and their fami-ly members cannot stay for the entire program and participate as audience members. Students learn by listening and watching as well as by doing. Feeling the respect of peers and audience is another of the tricks in conquer-ing fear of performance. Being the “last one standing” without an audience is devastating.

So yes, recital deportment does apply to all. For the collective good, and toward good manners, stick around, demonstrate respect for our students and for the process in place at The Music Academy.

P.S. We and other parents in the program know who those with the “early departure habit” are. We get complaints! We could schedule “early depar-ture” families last on every recital. Don’t make us do it!

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest crit-ics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recital Deportment

“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” -Shinichi Suzuki

Confluence Award from the Chamber

Rockford’s First School

Did you know that The Music Academy’s building, Loreen Hall, at 226 S. Second Street is located one block from the first school in Rockford? The private institution was located at 110 S. Second Street. The little log house Miss Eunice Brown taught in popped up in July,1837. Our pioneer settlers had scanty means. There was not stable bank currency in the country. Flour cost $20 a barrel, pork sold for $30 a barrel, and New Orleans sugar sold for 25 cents a pound. Mar-riages performed brought the officials a bushel of beans, wheat, etc., as a fee. Miss Brown was paid for teaching the children of pioneer setters in the same manner.

Loreen Hall, only one block from the little log school house, and built in the 1860’s, was the first home of Westminster Presbyterian Church. After a fire in the 1940’s, the building was sold to First Lutheran Church and remodeled as a European-style choir school. It was the first home of Kantorei, The Singing Boys of Rock-

ford. Rockford College, at that time just down the street, sent stu-dents to Loreen Hall for music lesson. In the 1980’s and 1990’s Loreen served as a home for various Lutheran social service offices. And then, in 2011 The Music Academy moved into Loreen Hall and took it back to its 1940’s purpose “…to provide high quality, af-fordable and accessible music education to our community and to provide our students opportunities to grow through music inspiring them to pursue a life of excellence, accomplishment and fulfillment.”

It is full circle for Brandon Lamm who grew up at The Music Academy and now has returned to teach for us. He teaches violin and viola and is now the director of the Vivaldi Orchestra at The Music Academy. Brandon is also leading a grant driven project enabling The Music Academy to work with Rockford Public School Orchestra teachers who are not string players. Growing up, Brandon was a viola student of Hui Wang. Brandon is a member of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and runs a string instrument repair business. Brandon formerly was the orchestra program director in the Freeport public schools where he lives with his wife Hannah (a former violin stu-dent of Rachel Handlin) and his four young children.

Ella Caswell, new Music Academy Piano Artist Faculty member writes, "I love being a part of The Music Academy community of faculty, staff, stu-dents and their families. The enthusiasm in creating quality music is conta-

gious, and I am inspired to help these music students develop to the best of their abilities. It is an honor to encourage kids to enjoy and pursue music and rewarding to see them excited! The Music Academy provides a wonderful environment to accomplish these goals."

Ella has a degree is music/piano pedagogy and began her Suzuki teacher training this summer with help from The Music Academy Foundation Professional Develop-ment Fund. She is working with both traditional and

Suzuki students and their families at The Music Academy. She also enjoyed Music Together Training in October, 2017 and thereafter, begin teaching very young children at Ryan Jury Early Learning Center, one of The Music Academy’s Community Partner Programs. The Music Academy has three community partners: City of Rockford Head Start Preschools, Ryan Jury Early Learning Center and Montessori Private Academy. These partnerships allow us to reach another 1,100 students at locations throughout our com-munity.

Join us in welcoming Brandon and Ella to The Music Academy family.

A successful Annual Appeal does impact you! First, the school has not raised your tuition in three years because we have these funds available to us. Second, every student enrolled in The Music Academy benefits. How is that possible? Because our faculty is better for the investment we’ve made in their continuing professional education. Also, because many of our more advanced students are often scholarship and financial aid students and every student likes to be involved with more advanced students.

The Music Academy will continue to achieve its mission and vision to pro-vide high quality, affordable and accessible educational and performance opportunities for our students with your support. Even in our changing, tax challenged environment, giving matters and it matters to you!

Annual Appeal - What’s in it for you?

New Artist Faculty Members