Outreach Programs

Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee is one of 21 Continuing Care Retirement Communities owned and operated by Westminster Communities of Florida. This active senior community has many residents who regularly attend performances at the College of Music and are members of the University Musical Associates. Founded more than two decades ago, current leadership is provided by Patsy Kickliter (BME ‘54). The Monday Night Music program enables residents the opportunity to attend concerts and recitals in the 300-seat auditorium on their own campus. Music performance faculty members have taken over 200 students to perform at Westminster Oaks this past year in about 15 concerts and reaching more than 2,700 residents in attendance.

Since 2003, the Florida State Opera Outreach Program has toured public and private schools throughout Leon County reaching on average 5,000 students annually. Led by Professor Matthew Lata, the program has been supported in part by a Cultural Grant Award from the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA), the non-profit organization that serves as the facilitator and voice for the arts and cultural industry in Florida’s capital area. Opera Outreach helps teachers by bringing productions to the classroom, providing a docent to schools, and supplying study guides. In addition, the Florida State Opera Outreach Program provides performance opportunities and practical experience for FSU music students.

The College of Music recently expanded its Medical Music Therapy program at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) thanks to funding provided by an FSU Dance Marathon grant to FSU’s College of Medicine Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Dr. Jayne Standley said the expansion of services to families’ homes coincides with the 20th anniversary of FSU’s groundbreaking music therapy research benefiting newborns. “It’s a very productive partnership between the College of Music and TMH. The hospital gets cutting-edge medical music therapy for patients, and FSU gets research and training opportunities for students who are some of the most sought-after graduates in the nation.”

Under the direction of Dr. Steven N. Kelly the FSU Summer Music Camps continue to be one of the nation’s oldest and largest summer music camp programs. Founded in 1942 as the Florida State College for Women Summer Band School, the camps continue to attract elementary through high school students drawn from Florida and all around the world. Last summer, over 170 staff members created 14 different camps that performed over 30 concerts during the five weeks of camps. Campers have the opportunity to experience life as a ‘Nole, meet FSU faculty and students, and interact with some of the very best music educators and conductors from across the country. Last summer, over 1,400 students attended the camps. Over 70% of eligible campers ultimately choose to attend FSU as college students, representing virtually every major on campus.

Adults have the opportunity to learn to play the piano at the College of Music through small classes taught by piano pedagogy students. These classes are offered free of charge as a way of saying thanks to UMA members who support the College of Music. In addition, children may take piano lessons from experienced graduate students under the supervision of Dr. Diana Dumlavwalla. Each week, the children receive a 30-minute private lesson and participate in a 30-minute group class. These popular offerings have been developed over the past five years and are taught in an encouraging environment for learners at any age or ability level.

The Tallahassee Regional Music Collection (TRMC) is an ongoing endeavor to preserve and make accessible recorded audio, artifacts, and more created by artists who have ties to the Tallahassee region. It is an opportunity both for artists to preserve their musical output and for the community to learn and engage with the region’s rich music scene past and present. The TRMC is a collaboration between the Warren D. Allen Music Library (AML) and the Center for Music of the Americas (CMA) at FSU.