EDUCATION
EDUCATION
Akropolis firmly believes the strongest way to foster appreciation, access, and the growth of classical music is through interactive educational experiences. This commitment to education has allowed Akropolis to develop several outreach initatives. From K-12 offerings, to master classes, entrepreneurship residencies, composition workshops, and community concerts, Akropolis educates the next generation of musicians to ensure that a vibrant culture of art persists in our communities and in future generations.
Outreach
K-12 Offerings
Championing the next generation of maverick musicians,,Akropolis
makes music interactive with engaging outreach concerts and assemblies that introduce students to new musical instruments, teach basic music concepts, and pair learning from other disciplines through musical skits and games. At the middle and high school level Akropolis conducts band and orchestra clinics, small ensemble workshops, and answers questions about taking the next steps in music.
Community Engagement
One of Akropolis’ core pillars is to progress and sustain classical music in communities around the United States through interactive and accessible educational experiences for both students and adults. Akropolis has been engaged in educational and community residencies for 6 years both nationally and internationally and has demonstrated an exceptional ability to relate classical music to both students and the greater community. These performances take place at libraries, youth centers, office buildings, art museums, and other community venues around the United States to increase the audience for classical music.
Master Classes & Coachings
For aspiring musicians, Akropiolis leads a variety of master classes and chamber music coachings designed to help musicians tackle technical, physical, and contextual issues related to the student's playing. For small ensembles, this is an opportunity to discuss group chemistry and provide strategies for rehearsing effectively, managing time, playing as a cohesive unit, and interpreting music as a singular entity.
WORKS Lectures
Experience a taste of the Akropolis WORKS initative. These individual lectures center around music business workshops featuring professional advice including marketing, website construction, fundraising campaigns, booking engagements, finding a manager, cultivating a brand, engaging the social media community, and more! This is not just a lecture. Students bring their ideas and experiences to a conversational setting and walk away with the tools necessary to build their own sustainable career in music.
Composition Workshops
Akropolis conducts composors forums, readings, and workshops.
These sessions can range from discussing proper practices in writing for reed quintet to the various instruments of Akropolis, demonstrations of pre-existing works that showcase the depth and range of the reed quintet, and opportunities to work with Akropolis on student composed reed quintet works or sketches in a collaborative setting.
Open Rehearsals
Are you curious about how Akropolis prepares for the concert experience? Join Akropolis on an open rehearsal to see the level of preperation, focus, and dedication it takes to perform in a chamber music setting.
Performance & Panels
Half performance/half panel and Q&A. This is a good mix of performance and workshop in an intimate setting. Akropolis delivers an energetic performance, then answers questions from music students and puts forth the concepts which foster success in chamber music performanceand business.
Pre-Concert Talks
Music is always more than the notes. With this program, Akropolis dives into an in-depth descussion surrounding the music of a particular concert. Pre-concert talks include biographical, historical, social, commissioning and/or arranging practices associated with each piece. While Akropolis concerts always privde context to each work, pre-concter talks go beyond the notes and reveal each composition's true story.
Akropolis WORKS
AWARDS
An immersive entrepreneurial residency program with the Akropolis Reed Quintet for University music programs combining collaborative performances with lectures & workshops surrounding the business of chamber music. Akropolis WORKS provides students with the insights and tools needed to jumpstart a sustainable career as a professional chamber musician.
Recognized for our educational outreach, the award is given bi-annually to Fischoff Competition alumni "who have demonstrated outstanding and imaginative programming for children and youth in the United States."
Read more about the award here.
As part of our prize, we conducted a 4-day intensive outreach tour in South Bend, IN and nearby communities, reaching more than 2,600 students through an interactive program of story-telling, involving the students in several games and interactive pieces.
We perform a short selection while the artist ponders what picture might fit the musical description!
See photos of Akropolis on the Fischoff Educators Tour.
Fall Education Tour Kickstarter
“Rosie ran upstairs and played her recorder
ALL night long…she even started a band with her sister and brother.”
"Alex talked about oboes all weekend!"
"She asked if we could buy a piano so that she would be ready to play the clarinet!"
"You made the world of instrumental and classical music so much more accessible and meaningful to my students."
Megan Warzecha, Music Teacher, Shrine Grade School, MI
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Tom Kirk, President - Hart Performing Arts Series, MI
"Akropolis performed for our middle school and did a wonderful job of entertaining as well as educating. Concepts of musical structure and imagery were brought to the student's attention with wit, depth and accessibility. They elegantly transitioned from the highest spheres of serious musical performance to fun, silly but enlightening musical demonstrations of what was happening in various pieces. My only complaint is that they couldn't stay for a month!"
Michael Bucy, Band and Choir, Floyd Dryden MS, Alaska
PARENT REACTIONS
Teacher Testimonies
Green Lake Public Library (special "Music of our Heroes" program), WI
John Young Middle School, Mishawaka, IN
Elm Road Elementary, Mishawaka, IN
St. Adelbert's Elementary School, South Bend, IN
University of Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra
Harrison Primary School, South Bend IN
Swanson Primary School, South Bend, IN
Christ the King School, South Bend, IN
Darden Primary School, South Bend, IN
La Salle Academy, South Bend, IN
Robinson Community Learnign Center, South Bend, IN
Culver Academies, IN
Wheaton College, IL
University of Central Arkansas
Besser Elementary School, Alpena, MI
Three Fires Middle School, Howell MI
Alpena County Library, MI
Manchester High School, NH
Novi Middle School, MI
Novi High School, MI
Shelby High School, MI
Pentwater High School, MI
Hart Middle/High School, MI
Clarkston Schools, MI (3-day residency)
Shrine Catholic Grade School, Royal Oak, MI
Grand Valley State Univeristy, MI
Wright State Univesity Double Reed, Saxophone and Clarinet Festival Featured Clinicians, OH
Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School, MI
Detroit Leadership Academy High School, MI
Cesar Chavez Academy Lower Elementary, MI
Ypsilanti Middle School, MI
Ypsilanti Community High School, MI
Detroit Leadership Academy Elementary, MI
Detroit Innovation Academy, MI
Thunder Bay Junior High School, Alpena, MI
Lincoln Elementary School, Alpena, MI
Juneau Douglas High School, AK
Juneau Community Charter School, AK
Auk Bay Elementary School, AK
Harbor View Elementary School, AK
Floyd Dryden Middle School, AK
Just a Few Previous Outreach Engagements
Chamber music provides vibrant and rewarding career paths for individuals and ensembles, but too often goes unexplored because musicians lack the non-musical skills and knowledge needed. Akropolis WORKS fills this gap by exploring chamber music outside of the rehearsal room, providing students with the insights and tools needed to jumpstart a sustainable career in professional chamber music or another music venture. Students will learn an entrepreneurial approach to small ensemble music-making, including specialized classes surrounding topics as: for-profit and nonprofit business models, the importance of branding, DIY marketing, financial planning, legal pitfalls, fundraising, and how to engage with audiences, managers, and granting organizations.
Residencies are customizable by length and desired topics. At the end of an Akropolis WORKS residency, students will walk away with the knowledge and tools necessary to succeed as an entrepreneurial chamber musician.