Registration open for Community Music School
Contact: Tonya Lowentritt
Date: July 30, 2012
HAMMOND – Registration is underway for the fall session of Southeastern Louisiana University's Community Music School (CMS), which begins Monday, August 27.
Registration remains open throughout the semester; however, a late registration fee will be assessed after August 20.
Students of all ages and backgrounds may participate in private lessons, classes and ensembles taught by Southeastern's music faculty and student instructors.
CMS Director Jivka Jeleva said the CMS is well known in the north shore communities and is characterized by high quality instruction, competitive rates and a stress free environment.
"The CMS program offers educational music experience and performance opportunities for everyone. Students who would like to pursue a career in music have access to the expertise of Southeastern's music faculty," said Jeleva.
"Students who would like to learn to play an instrument or to sing simply for the joy of making music can also have a valuable and enriching experience by being instructed by our qualified undergraduate and graduate students majoring in music, as well as our professional instructors," she added. "In addition, adult students will find some classes designed specifically for them, as well as any of our other class offerings."
She said that for the past year, due to the generosity of First Guaranty Bank, the CMS has been able to offer a number of scholarships to students from low-income families as well as talented students who display a special dedication to their music studies.
"All of these characteristics, I believe, make the quality and uniqueness of our program unmatched in the communities of Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Livingston parishes," she said.
CMS is again offering a variety of musical instruction through either private lessons or group classes, including the following:
• High School/Adult Group Piano Class is offered at both the Southeastern main campus and the Livingston Literacy and Technology Center. Taught by Lucian Zidaru, who holds a doctorate in piano performance, the course covers basic piano skills, music reading, chords playing, improvisation and technique development. It is suitable for beginners, as well as those with some experience.
• Beginning Group Violin Class is scheduled at the Livingston Literacy and Technology Center in Walker. The class will lay the foundations of violin playing and basic music theory, while developing listening and ensemble skills.
• Music Theory classes are at the Southeastern campus in Hammond. Taught by Jordan Foster, who holds a master of music theory degree, the classes include lessons on notation, musical terms, ear training and dictation, basic harmony, sight singing, analysis and the basics of composition. The curriculum helps students apply these skills directly to performance study. Students unsure of the appropriate class will take a placement test and, based upon results, be assigned to an elementary, intermediate, advanced or adult theory class.
All three classes include 10 one-hour lessons over a period of 10 weeks and begin the week of Sept. 4.
For more information about these and all CMS programs and general registration, call 985-549-5502, or visit the CMS website at www.southeastern.edu/cms.
