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museum of making music

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 WINTER 2014/15

director’s note

A Record-Breaking Year Here we are, already heading into the holiday season. In the few months since our last newsletter, we’ve held our annual gala, wrapped up the banjo exhibition (and its many concerts and workshops), and closed out our 2014 fiscal year with record-breaking attendance. So it’s been a great year – one that exceeded our expectations. And the next 12 months look to be just as exciting – maybe even more so.

Let me take a moment, though, to look back at the summer and our record-breaking gala fundraiser. (That’s the second time I’ve used that word “record-breaking”!) While the event itself might seem like old news, the effects of its success ($40,000!) are felt every day here at the Museum. Each dollar raised helps to support MoMM’s public programs which include our special exhibitions, music-making workshops, ongoing musical ensembles, a museum-school partnership and interactive tours.

We are particularly excited about our unique museum-school partnership at the Joli Ann Leichtag School in San Marcos. In this project, which just started its sixth consecutive year, we are working to expand what a music class can be all about. Each week, more than 800 students are given the opportunity to develop diverse skills – collaboration, coordination, communication, to name a few – through hands-on experiences with musical instruments. But because the Museum has such a wealth of resources related to the music industry, we see the opportunity to stretch the usual music class curriculum – to provide access to the broader world of music making. It’s an exciting program that is still growing, with class visits to the museum and performances at school assemblies by MoMM’s visiting performers also part of the strategy.

So don’t miss next summer’s fundraiser, because you’ll have a great time and you’ll be helping to keep our programs like the school partnership thriving. And don’t forget: last year sold out, so get your tickets as soon as we announce the date.

Speaking of raising funds… we are very excited to announce that we have received a generous matching grant from The Norris Foundation to expand our Global Spotlight Wall in the museum galleries. An interactive, touch-screen installation designed to encourage visitors to broaden their knowledge of music making around the world, the Global Spotlight Wall illustrates a country’s musical traditions as well as its contemporary sounds. Some of the countries we are considering adding include Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. If you would like to support this project (remember, it’s a “matching” grant), please let us know.

Finally, with the banjo exhibition coming to a close, we’d like to thank all of you who helped make this project one of the most exciting we’ve ever had the honor to develop. The entire seven-month run of the exhibition was memorable. c a r o ly n g r a n t , e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r

A fun evening at the "Play it Forward” fundraiser.

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membership

Get on Track with MoMM Membership Benefits A few months ago, we created “Museum Membership – Your Way.” (Haven’t seen the brochure yet? Pick one up at the Information Desk or contact us.) In addition to basic annual packages for Individuals ($35), Seniors & Students ($30), and Families ($65), we began offering three different “Tracks” for those who would like to engage with the museum, music and music making on a deeper level: Learning Track…for curious minds Listening Track…for curious ears Visionary Track…for philanthropic spirits who want to “Play It Forward” through music Here’s a brief sampling of just some of the exciting, new “Track” activities coming up.

Breakfast and Private Exhibition Preview (Visionary Track) Friday, December 12, 2014 at 8:30am Join Museum executive director Carolyn Grant and author Richard Rejino as they introduce the newest exhibition, What Music Means to Me. Tour of In-School Music Program (Visionary Track) Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 10:30am This site visit to the Joli Ann Leichtag School is a wonderful way to see the students who benefit from your support.

Tour of the Deering Banjo Company (Learning and Visionary Tracks) Friday, March 6, 2015 at 10am In 39 years, the Deering Banjo Company has built more than 100,000 banjos! Don’t miss this rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes view of a successful family-run business.

Musical Insights (Learning and Visionary Tracks) Thursdays, April 16, May 21 & June 18, 2015 - 7:00pm Join Dr. Peter Gach for his three-part lecture series, Musical Insights. You will discover the hidden world of music and deepen your experience of the wonderful world of sound.

Each lecture will be augmented by piano performances by Gach, drawn from his vast music repertoire.

Curatorial Museum Tour for 10 (Learning and Visionary Tracks) You select the date for your “insider’s tour” of the Museum.

The tour will include information on upcoming special exhibitions, plans for future enhancements to our core exhibits, and behind-the-scenes stories.

Shopping for the holidays?

Give a membership to MoMM. It’s a great gift that lasts all year long.

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Kinder Koncert with the SD Symphony (Family Membership) Thursday, March 12, 2015 from 11am to 11:45am Join musicians from the San Diego Symphony, led by associate conductor Ken-David Masur, as they introduce the stringed instrument family and share the musical concepts of melody, rhythm and harmony.

exhibition exhibition

What Music Means to Me The What Music Means to Me Project was begun several years ago by Richard Rejino, a Dallas-based musician, photographer, author and business executive, to raise public awareness of the benefits of music in education and in our lives. Combining his original photographs with personal testimonials, Rejino documents the profound impact that music-making has had on individuals from diverse backgrounds at various stages in their lives. With a web presence (www.whatmusicmeanstome. org), a book (What Music Means To Me, published by Hal Leonard, 2010) and public speaking engagements, Rejino’s vision and work got our attention and became the inspiration for the unique exhibition on display from December 12, 2014 through August 30, 2015 in the Museum’s special exhibition gallery.

We were interested in creating an exhibition around Rejino’s work because it shines a light on the core purpose of our work.

We believe that music-making matters, that it means something. We hear it from our visitors, we know it intrinsically ourselves, and, because we like proof too, we find evidence in scientific research. That research shows, for example, that music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school; that piano students are better equipped to comprehend mathematical and scientific concepts; that students who were exposed to music-based lessons scored a full 100% higher on fractions tests than those who learned in the conventional manner. Further, studies show that music-making for adults can reduce stress, relieve anger, and improve

“ Creativity is a way of seeing or sensing possibilities and having the tenacity to make them come to life.” RICHARD REJINO

“Without my music or my instrument, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Music has gotten me to different places and through different struggles.” ELVIA

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exhibition

self-esteem and social connectivity. But even more importantly, we know that music gives us avenues to express our deepest human experience – love, sorrow, beauty, hope, doubt, joy or awe – through sound.

Okay, we’ll get off the soapbox. Let’s get back to the exhibition! There are two parts to this display. First, we invite you to experience the impact that music-making has had on others – captured in words and images by Rejino and in video by the Museum. You will meet Lewis, Anne Marie, Skip, Olmar and others and learn about their life-changing experiences with music.

Then it’s YOUR turn. It’s our sincere hope that you will take a few moments to reflect on “what music means to you” and add your

voice to the conversation! You may use audio, video, or good old-fashioned pen-and-paper. Whichever medium you choose, we look forward to your response. And, for those of you who might live further away, we invite you to leave your testimonial at www.museumofmakingmusic.org/musicmeans.

joy…passion…wisdom…healing… fun…discipline…life…sanctuary… prof ession… health… well-being… expression…fulfillment…freedom...

What does music mean to you?

“ My job is to bring music to life for those who need or desire to hear it.” ERIN

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in their own words

Peter Gach Remembers…

“I wouldn't be the pianist that I am today if it weren’t for that yellow bus.”

In 1958, I was a fourth grade student at St. James Catholic Elementary School in Haubstadt, Indiana. One day, our class took a field trip to hear the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. We piled into the yellow school bus for the hour-long trip to Roberts Stadium in Evansville.

I¹ll never forget walking into the enormous stadium and seeing the orchestra. The moment they began to play my life changed forever! I had never heard a symphony orchestra before and was completely entranced. The concert went by all too quickly. During the ride back, I stared out the bus window replaying over and over again the beautiful sounds that I had just heard.

If it hadn¹t been for that yellow bus and concert in 1958, I would not be a musician today. I knew then that I had found

my calling. Music had chosen me, and I had no choice but to follow.

I want to give the young people of today the same chance that I had more than 40 years ago, and so I am donating my time and fee for the upcoming February 14th concert to support the Museum of Making Music’s educational outreach programs. I hope you’ll join me at the Museum for this special evening of music that I’ve selected especially for Valentine’s Day. Let’s help the Museum keep those yellow buses rolling.

There’s a whole new world of music just waiting to be discovered by our next generation.

Join Us Saturday, February 14, 2015 Classical Pianist Peter Gach Celebrating Themes of Love in Music 6pm Wine & Dessert 7pm Concert $35 General Seating $45 Premium Seating To RSVP (and don’t delay, we expect another sell-out!), call (760) 304-5844 or visit: www. museumofmakingmusic.org All ticket proceeds support the Museum’s educational outreach programs.

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education

MusicVentures gain access to them, and how we use them to express ourselves and our life experiences. Trained facilitators engage the students in lively conversation, often in a question-and-answer format, to stimulate learning and deliver grade-appropriate content. How did the waves of immigration to the United States influence musical styles and instruments? What did music stores do to survive during the Great Depression? How do wars affect music making? How does the definition of the word “band” change over time? What are all the ways you can think of to participate in the world of music?

We all probably remember field trips we took as schoolchildren... Peter Gach certainly does; one such trip changed his life. (And he writes about it eloquently on the previous page.)

Every school year, thousands of children come to the Museum on what we call a MusicVentures field trip. Most of those visits, including busing and admission, are free of charge – thanks to generous contributions from supporters committed to underwriting the program.

On a MusicVentures visit to the Museum, students learn about instruments in the 20th and 21st centuries – how they’re made, why and how they change over time, how we

“I say this was the best day in my life.

Thank you for everything.”

Alan 7

Also during the visit, students get a number of hands-on opportunities with instruments. First, they engage in a drum circle, where musical elements such as rhythm, tempo, dynamics and meter come to life – with related mathematical concepts worked into the mix. During the session, students are also introduced to the concept of world music and are invited to practice their leadership skills through “conducting” their fellow classmates in rhythmic patterns of their own creation. It’s a diverse array of learning experiences – all wrapped up into just one drum circle!

After the drum circle and tour through musical history, students are given free time in the interactive area. This is where they can experiment with recognizable instruments such as the harp, ukulele, guitar, banjo, keyboard and drum kit, as well as newer instruments such as the Strumstick, Beamz, and Harpejji.

It’s a fun-filled and learning-filled visit. And needless to say, we hope it’s a memorable visit for the participating school children – perhaps as the catalyst for a lifetime of music making or, at the very least, as a wonderful childhood memory. Actually, we know the program works; kids like Alan tell us.

5790 ARMADA DRIVE CARLSBAD CA 92008

NON-PROFIT ORG U . S . P O S TA G E PA I D PERMIT NO. 245 CARLSBAD, CA

February 28 March 14

February 17 International Guitar Night Tuesday, February 17, 2015 @ 7 PM IGN founder Brian Gore will be joined by classical innovator Andrew York, Brazilian jazz master Diego Figueiredo and contemporary Iranian-Canadian steel string prodigy Maneli Jamal (above). We expect this great concert to sell out.

www.museumofmakingmusic.org general info 760.438.5996 tickets 760.304.5844

Peter Sprague String Consort Saturday, February 28, 2015 @ 7 PM Peter’s seven-piece group features a classical string quartet interacting with a jazz guitar trio. The music travels between Brazilian samba, jazz and Bach, all brought together in a unique sound highlighted by Peter’s compositions and arrangements. The group will play works from their first two recordings plus a few newly arranged pieces.

ALIVE INSIDE Film & Discussion Saturday, March 14, 2015 @ 7 PM ALIVE INSIDE is an uplifting cinematic exploration of music and the mind. It reveals the uniquely human connection we find in music and how its healing power can triumph where prescription medication falls short.

Winner of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award. richard rejino : photography on cover, pp 4 & 5 design : leah roschke studiografik

THE MUSEUM OF MAKING MUSIC, A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT INSTITUTION, IS A DIVISION OF THE NAMM FOUNDATION.

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