Introduction

Engaging children with music and stories, performing for hospice patients and their families, in prisons, in homeless shelters…when I play for people who do not or can not access the arts on their own, I witness the power that music has to change lives. It is a universal language, a tie that binds us to one another across age, culture and economy and reconnects us with our most profound emotions.

Over the years, I have developed and lead a wide range of residency programs. One of which I am particularly proud is the Canyon Country Guitar Project in Page, Arizona. The residency started as a school assembly outreach and over the course of several years evolved into a multi-faceted guitar program at the schools. The majority of students in Page are Navajo and many of those who join our guitar program are at-risk for dropping out of school. I have worked closely with music teachers, administrators and the community to establish a guitar orchestra and class, to encourage members of the community to sponsor guitars for low-income students, and to found a very active after-school guitar club. One outstanding student is honored each year with the Canyon Country Guitar Scholarship and students eagerly take part in the Canyon Country Guitar Retreat, for which I take highly at-risk students on a guitar playing, backpacking, and kayaking adventure on Lake Powell. This year’s residency and particularly the retreat, is the subject of a PBS documentary.

My enthusiasm for this work has led me to develop and teach the residency and outreach portion of the University of Arizona’s CAMERATA class, where I work with graduate students helping them to create their own residency programs. I have also served as an artist-in-residence mentor and grant panelist for the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

Below I have outlined several residency programs that I frequently use. Consider these templates to be customized according to the needs of the community or schools with which we will be working.

Schools

All school programs described below are built on common principles that I believe are essential when performing for or working with children. All programs follow National Curriculum and Arts Standards. They are highly interactive and strive to engage the students’ imagination with directed listening and by giving them opportunities to speak expressively about the music they hear. A flexible approach allows me to adjust to an audience’s mood and focus and I tailor my pace and vocabulary to the age and comprehension ability of each group of students.

Elementary School Programs

Many school assembly residencies combine elements from the programs described below.

Every Song Has a Story
This is an introduction to programmatic music, combining story telling with highly expressive
music and unusual sonorities and sound effects that help illustrate the story of each song.

..................The Program Includes:
................ -Four Native Tales – How the Sun Came, The Waters Beneath, How Death Came,
...................The Unpromising Hero: Four colorful pieces that tell the captivating origin stories of
...................the Cherokee, Comanche and Zuni tribes.

.................-Three Little Nightmares – Clock Strikes Midnight, Stepping on a Spider, I Felt a Funeral
...................in My Brain (based on the Emily Dickenson poem): Highly descriptive music that uses
...................house hold items such as clothes pins and match sticks attached to the guitar strings to
...................create amazing new sound pictures.

Animal Songs
These songs each describe an animal. As each piece is played the children guess, using basic listening comprehension skills outlined in the beginning of the program and illustrated with exciting repertoire selections, what animal they think the piece might represent. With smaller groups (20-50) I spend the last part of this program having the students compose their own animal song. First they vote on an animal to depict. Then we discuss the important characteristics of that animal and how they translate into musical elements. Finally, the children compose the animal song by multiple choice determining the shape, direction and texture of the piece.



Introduction to Composing for Band and Orchestra Students
A fun and fast paced crash course in composing for beginning musicians, this program introduces the tools in the composer’s toolbox (rhythm, tempo, pitch, key, harmony, melody, timbre and texture). Through ear catching examples, I show how these elements are used to write music. Then students create and play their own 5-10 second improvisations for the class as we explore the unique voice of their instrument.

Middle Schools and High Schools

Every Song Has a Story
A variation of the elementary school program but modified to meet the pace, comprehension and taste of teens and young adults.


The International Guitar
Students are taken on the cultural and historical journey of the guitar from its origins in Moorish Spain through Europe, Asia, South America and North America, highlighting the musical traditions of each culture along the way. The program includes works by Isaac Albeniz (Spain), Astor Piazzola (Argentina), Antonio Vivaldi (Italy), Leo Brouwer (Cuba), J. S. Bach (Germany), Stephen Foster (USA), Nikita Koshkin (Russia), Toru Takmitsu (Japan), and Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil).

Extended School Residencies

These residencies are designed to prepare a core group of students over a 1-3 week period for a public performance.

Guitar Orchestra
In these workshops, beginning and intermediate guitar students develop their technique, musicality, interpretive skills and their ability to play as an ensemble while following a conductor. They rehearse several guitar orchestra pieces to a recital standard and the residency culminates in a public performance.


Composition
This is an opportunity to work in depth with band, orchestra and guitar students in developing their voice as composers. Refer to "Ärticle from the Music Educator’s Journal by BR" for a detailed description (found as a link on the "Information for Presenters and Media" page).

Outdoor Adventure Residency

This program is an outdoor camping adventure for high school guitar students of all levels (often at-risk students). Each day includes individual private lessons, ensemble classes, outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking and ends with a cookout and campfire.

Special Events for Sponsors, Community Groups and Businesses

Outreach activities that focus on current and prospective arts funders are often overlooked but can play a vital role in a presenter’s efforts to reach new audiences and tap new resources. They can also be an excellent way to show appreciation for local groups and individuals that already support the arts.

Guided Hike and Campfire Concert
In tandem with a local naturalist, geologist, botanist, ornithologist or astronomer I take a group of patrons on a beautiful local hike. At the end of the trail or at designated points along the way, the group is treated to an exclusive outdoor concert with an optional campfire and/or cookout. These events are highly customizable. They can be used as a thank you or premium for those who have given money to the arts organization or even as a mini fundraiser.


Sponsor Appreciation Party and Concert Preview
Simple, but effective. This evening features a mini concert of music that will not be on the public program. It offers a chance for me to act as an advocate for the arts by talking briefly about the many positive effects that a well-funded arts program has on the community.

Colleges, Conservatories and Universities

Guitar Master Classes
I try to infuse master classes with a relaxed atmosphere and a sense of humor. If I can get a student to relax, we are able to delve deeper into both technical and interpretive issues and he or she is more likely to retain and apply what is being discussed.


Composition Workshops
As a guitarist and composer I am an enthusiastic lobbyist for new guitar compositions. I love to talk with composers and guitar students about the intricacies of writing for the guitar. This can take the form of a lecture recital or a master class.


Careers in Music/Business of Music Workshop
This workshop is designed to give young musicians the essential tools they need to build a career in music. Over the last five years, Professor Gwen Powell and I have developed a Careers in Music program at the University of Arizona School of Music and Dance for senior and graduate level music students. The program covers subjects such as creating promotional materials and recordings, booking conventions, presenters lists and other ways of finding performance work, writing resumes, biographies and cover letters, residency programs, performance training and alternative careers in music. The Careers in Music and Business of Music workshop can be focused on one particular area of music career development or can be a general overview.