Vol. 1 Issue 10 | A PUBLICATION OF THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S UNIVERSITY
JOSHUA CAMPBELL
YMU CHRISTMAS RECITAL HIGHLIGHTS
CONFESSIONS OF A MUSIC MOM
YMU
The Young Musician's University Music Education Reimagined
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IN THIS
ISSUE
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
We are so happy to be celebrating our 18th year of "Giving the Gift of Music!" Thank you for reading our ninth issue of The YMU Collective as we transition away from an email newsletter format into a digital magazine format! This publication highlights YMU Students, Staff, and other subjects of interest with contributions from our staff as well as YMU student writers. If you are a YMU student interested in contributing and being a part of the YMU Collective Team, please send me a message through the YMU Portal. I would love to speak with you and get your insight. Please know that you do not have to be a local student to participate, we will have virtual connect meetings to discuss upcoming events and content. I hope that you enjoy this publication of the YMU Collective! Mrs. Gray Director, The Young Musician's University
4 Joshua Campbell YMU Student Spotlight
8 YMU Christmas Recial Watch the Recital Online!
10 Confessions of a Music Mom Character Matters
13 Video Christmas Greeting From our family to yours
16 Heavenly Peace Kierra Gray, YMU Instructor 3
THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S UNIVERSITY
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Joshua Campbell CONGRATS!!
Our student spotlights recognize students who are exceptionally demonstrating growth and musically excelling. We are so grateful to be associated with these fantastic students and their supportive parents! Again, congratulations Joshua! Keep up the great work!
ABOUT JOSHUA
Joshua is a 14-year old honor roll student at Ridgeview High School. He is a percussionist in the marching band as well as the Symphonic Winds Ensemble. When he is not playing music, he enjoys playing video games, swimming, spending time with his twin brother Jaden, and playing with his dog Champ. In the spring, Joshua plans to throw the discus and shot put for the Joshua Campbell has been a YMU Ridgeview track team. He believes that in order student since the age of 4 years old. to be successful in life, you have to put God first Joshua’s growth has been fun to and work hard. He credits Mr. J for helping him watch. I remember when there were to become a better drummer by keeping him concepts that he understood, but the focused and continually challenging him to get challenge was application. He had to better. He also credits Mr. Gray for helping him learn how to physically execute it on the to become a better mallet site reader, which drumset. Joshua did not allow difficult allowed him to play other instruments such moments like this to stop him, but instead, as the xylophone and the marimba. Joshua he figured out how to execute these concepts hopes to pursue a career in the computer as he accepted the challenge. I love how field and will continue playing music. he’s learning new things through exploring
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ideas of his own. One of the best feelings in the world is to have your student come into a lesson and say, “Hey, I was practicing this, and then I started to play….” and it turns out they’ve already started playing the concepts for the next lesson (synergy). I don’t have the words to describe that feeling! It’s an indication of him spending time on the instrument outside the required practice regimen. Deven Jenkins, YMU Instructor
In-Person or Online Instruction
1-844-YMU-NOW-1 803-728-3399 www.ymunow.com
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! s n o i t a l u t a Congr
GABBY LLOYD - PIANO ESSENTIALS 3A
d e l e v Le up! 6
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We had such an amazing time on Saturday, December 11, 2021 at our YMU Christmas Recital! Every one of our students gave a wonderful performance and we're very proud of their continued dedication, hard work, and love for music! We also want to thank all of our YMU Parents! The support that you show is priceless to us as well as to your child's musical journey and we appreciate you!!! A special thanks to our amazing YMU Instructors, your passion for music education is evident in the growth of our YMU Students. Shoutout to our photographer and YMU Alum, Mikell Snooks for capturing some amazing moments for our students! We wish everyne a very Merry Christmas!
JADEN AND JOSHUA CAMPBELL - TAKE 5 JADON EMOKPAE - MINUET IN G JUDE WEBB - SOMEDAY AT CHRISTMAS TAMAR BLUE - THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY LIAM WALLACE - ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE BRAYLON FERGUSON - GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN KYLIE GRAY - JINGLE BELLS CHRISTOPHER DAVIS - O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL JOSHUA ADAMS - FÜR ELISE CAELAN KING-MCNEIL - JOLLY OLD SAINT NICHOLAS KAYLEIGH CLARK - JOLLY OLD ST. NICHOLAS JUSTIN ADAMS - JINGLE BELLS NIXEN ROFF - GOING HOME KYLEE OTTO - GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN TIERRA INGRAM - O CHRISTMAS TREE JADON EMOKPAE - MOONLIGHT SONATA ISAIAH GREEN - DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY JADEN CAMPBELL - SOLFEGGIETTO JOSHUA ADAMS - WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR JADEN AND JOSHUA CAMPBELL - WIZARDS IN WINTRY 8
JOSHUA CAMPBELL - HALLELUJAH
Christmas Recital Photo HIGHLIGHTS
MORE
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Confessions of a Music Mom Character Matters
Your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men. Proverbs 18:16
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CHARACTER MATTERS WRITTEN BY: MRS. GRAY
talented musicians. We want to know that our students are respectful, handling their business with their
As a parent of musicians, one
academics, coming to their
of my favorite things to share
music classes prepared, and
is a passage out of Proverbs
practicing during the week.
18:16. "Your gift will make
However large or small these
room for you and bring you
expectations may seem to
before great men." We've had
you, it's the start of good
numerous discussions around
character development. At
our dinner table about the
YMU and as a parent, I
importance of character. No
understand the advantages
matter how gifted a musician
of learning a musical
you become, it's your
instrument beyond the
character that keeps you.
obvious such as
Simply put, you can't
perseverance, hard work,
separate who you are from
consistency, organization,
what you do; because
time management, patience,
eventually, your true
and communication (to name
character will overshadow
a few). The lessons learned
your gifting. That's why as a
along the way are priceless
musician, or anyone really,
and they contribute to the
character matters.
growth process.
Unfortunately, my husband
So my end game as a parent
and I have seen some very
of now two young musicians
gifted musicians fall prey to
is simple; that the life skills my
simply depending upon their
children gain from learning a
gifting. While their ability to
musical instrument will
play a musical instrument is
transcend into the overall
an intricate part of doors
development of their
being opened for new
character. I am confident
opportunities, we've
that this coupled with their
witnessed the lack of
amazing gifts will not only
character also close doors to
take them places and put
potential future opportunities.
them before other great
That's why in our own home
people, but it will keep them
and at YMU, our end game is
as well!
not to strictly raise good,
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Merry
Christmas and happy new year
"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."
From all of us at 12
YMU
Merry Christmas AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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music Essentials LITTLE
In-Person Piano Class with an Award-Winning Curriculum designed for ages 4-6 Imaginative Live Instruction Custom Interactive Games
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WHEN IT
HITS
YOU FEEL NO PAIN
BOB MARLEY
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT
Music
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Heavenly Peace
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WRITTEN BY KIERRA GRAY
I was recently asked by a friend of mine to
deep breath and pause, giving myself a
perform at a Christmas Concert that she
moment to think. I walk over to the house
was organizing. She asked if I’d sing and
band and ask them if they could pick up
play “Silent Night” on the guitar, and I said
my arrangement of "Silent Night" and play
yes. For those of you who don’t know, the
it for them on my phone. As they begin to
piano is my main instrument and is always
play it, I notice that it's a little too fast, so I
my first choice when it comes to
kindly asked them to slow it down some. At
accompanying myself as a
this point during soundcheck, there’s not
singer/songwriter. However, because I was
enough time for a full run-through with me
specifically asked to play it on guitar, I
and the band, so we just go over enough of
figured "Why not?" and so I agreed. I found
the song to get the feel. I walk to my seat
a nice guitar arrangement of the song on
because the show is about to begin, and I
YouTube and went to work learning the
am praying, hard. My nerves start to get the
chords and the fingerpicking pattern.
best of me, but I remember that I’m singing “Silent Night.” I’m singing the song
The day of the event comes, and it is
about the birth of my Savior, and what an
freezing outside! The venue is a warehouse-
honor it is to do so.
type building, so it’s also cold inside. This makes me a little concerned because
I’m enjoying the other acts singing their
singing in a cold building can be
songs, then it’s finally my turn to sing. I go
challenging. Just like our muscles tense up
on stage, the band starts the song, and I
when cold water or air touches us, the
know immediately that it’s too slow. I try to
vocal cords can do the same making it
go with it anyway, but my nerves are
harder to sing. I go outside to tune my
making me lose breath support. We get to
guitar and run over the song a couple of
the second verse and I know I can’t keep
times. Once I feel comfortable, I go back
singing at this slow of a tempo, so I gesture
inside and wait for my turn to soundcheck.
to the band to speed it up a little. It's
While I’m waiting, I begin running over the
sounding good, but my voice sounds a little
song and realize my tuning is a little flat.
shaky. Then, I begin to focus on the words
I’m not too surprised though because cold
of the song. We get to the ending, and I’m
(and warm) weather can also affect the
singing one word. “Peace.” That one word
tuning of your instrument. I figure as much
begins to calm my nerves and put
and go back outside to retune my guitar.
everything back into perspective. Yes, it
When it’s my turn for soundcheck, I go on
was freezing in that building, but “peace.”
stage and test my guitar. Immediately, I
No, my guitar wouldn’t stay in tune, but
realize it’s out of tune. AGAIN. And it’s
“peace.” Yes, I was shaking and extremely
significantly flat this time. I literally just
nervous to sing with a band I didn’t have a
tuned it a few minutes ago, so I know it’s
lot of time to rehearse with, but “peace.”
not going to stay in tune. It’s too cold in the
Heavenly peace.
building. I start to panic a little because I didn’t learn the song on the piano. I take a 17
YMU
The Young Musician's University
2003
2021
