Education Enthusiasm

There is a lot going on in the Education department at the Museum of Making Music! First, we are excited to introduce our two new Museum Educators, Andrew Specht (left) and Chuck Patton (right). Andrew is an accomplished trumpeter who has performed at our volunteer holiday party as well as Carnegie Hall! He has a wealth of teaching experience with students of all ages in a variety of musical settings. Chuck is a guitarist with a passion for music who has taught English and special education to students from elementary to college. He was also the owner and founder of a successful local coffee business and brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience to the Museum education team. Andrew and Chuck, along with a pool of wonderful volunteers, are taking the school field trip program to a new level.

We are also feeling charged with energy and enthusiasm thanks to the vibrant return of in-person school groups! Thanks to our recent outreach to Southern California schools designated as “Title 1” (schools with a large concentrations of low-income students) we will be welcoming record numbers of students from underserved populations all over San Diego. Thanks to many generous Museum donors, all transportation costs and admission fees for these schools are provided for free. And, every child who participates in a school field trip receives a Come Back Coupon, enabling them to bring their family back for a visit, free of charge. One of our favorite things is seeing a field trip participant acting as tour guide for their parents and siblings.

Similar energy and enthusiasm can be felt on the other end of the age spectrum through our adult band and orchestra programs! The North Coast Strings Orchestra just concluded its fall/winter session with a performance at Grossmont College. The concert included Beethoven’s First Symphony, in which the orchestra was joined by professional wind musicians from Grossmont College. The performance of this piece was meaningful on many levels as the orchestra had been learning it when the pandemic hit. Its performance, these years later, signified perseverance, hard work, and triumph over adversity. The North Coastal New Horizons Band has also persevered, playing and performing outdoors for many months. Just recently, the band held their first indoor concert in three years. It was a joyful occasion for all, and a reminder of how special it is to make music together.

Beginning in the fall, both the band and the orchestra will be reinstating classes for beginners. If you or someone you know has always wanted to learn an orchestral string or a band instrument, or if you used to play but haven’t in years, please contact us at 760-304-5817 for information about our groups. The Museum of Making Music is proud to live up to its name by providing entry points for the adult musician in a noncompetitive, fun, yet focused environment. Don’t miss out on the chance to become part of one of these very special musical families.