YMU STUDENT INTERVIEWS MR. GRAY
Vol. 1 Issue 9 | A PUBLICATION OF THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S UNIVERSITY
NIXEN ROFF
YMU ALUM STARTS A BAND
YMU
GMG Academy of the Arts is now
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.
4 Nixen Roff YMU Student Spotlight
8 An Interview with Mr. Gray Noah Jones, YMU Student
12 YMU Alum Start Band
I hope that you enjoy this publication of the YMU Collective!
Mrs. Gray Director, The Young Musician's University 3
THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S UNIVERSITY
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Nixen Roff 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 Nixen! Keep up the great work!
ABOUT NIXEN
Nixen just turned 6 years old and loves to eat pizza. His favorite things to do are play with his brother Adryan, play with his toys, hold his baby brother Aviel, and watch TV. His favorite part of playing the piano is singing along to what he plays. He wants to be a professional singer when he grows up. Nixen said his greatest goal in life is to be friends with everyone. This is such an honor and Nixen is so excited! He truly has learned so much. His dad and I were nervous about putting him in a program that would ultimately challenge him tremendously, but he has picked it up naturally. When we are sometimes lost, Nixen knows when he messes up, even when we don’t catch it. He enjoys playing the piano and singing.
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For this month's Student Spotlight, I nominate Nixen Roff. Nixen is six years old and he's one of my Little Music Essentials students. He's only been playing piano for about four months and he's already grown so much. I love his excitement for music and his diligence in playing the piano. When he plays a wrong note in class, he's quick to say "Let's start over" and tries it again from the beginning. Nixen is very intelligent and I know he'll do amazing things! Kierra Gray, YMU Instructor
In-Person or Online Instruction
ENROLL IN OUR DRUM PROGRAM NOW AND RECEIVE A COMPLEMENTARY DRUM PAD STARTER KIT FOR STUDENTS AGES 7-18!
1-844-YMU-NOW-1 803-728-3399 www.ymunow.com
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CONGRATS, YOU
LEVELEDUP
LIAM WALLACE - PIANO ESSENTIALS 2A KYLEE OTTO - PIANO ESSENTIALS 2B
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Happy Birthday! Drum roll, please!
Mr. Gray - Nov. 9th Nixen Roff - Nov. 17th
*If your child's birthday is not listed, please contact the office so that we can add their DOB to their profile. 7
YMU Student Interviews Executive Director,
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Tell a little about yourself. Hello, my name is Bevis Gray and I'm a music educator, composer, performer, arranger, and publisher. I've been a musician for over 30 years, and I've owned a music school for 18 years. I'm a husband and a father of two beautiful daughters. I love spending time with my family, traveling to new places, and reading books that inspire me.
NOAH JONES, YMU STUDENT
AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. GRAY BY NOAH JONES, YMU STUDENT What does a typical day look like?
What mistakes have you made on stage? Were you
A typical day for me begins with checking my
able to recover, and how?
calendar to see the schedule for the day, then I'll
I've literally forgotten intros to songs, forgotten
send out emails and make phone calls. I might have
tempos, had my equipment malfunction, missed cues
to work on some music arrangements, prepare for
from the band, and started songs in the wrong key. In
classes, grade home assignments, plan future
some instances, I was able to recover by singing the
programs, research new software, etc.
song to myself, using music theory, and relying on the
Why did you decide to go into business?
band. You always want to come on stage as prepared
I started out primarily as a self-taught musician. The
as possible, but there will still be times when you
method that I created to teach myself music worked
make mistakes and have to learn how to recover.
so well for me that I started teaching it to others and
What qualities do you believe make a great
it worked for them as well. This led me to open up
performer?
my own music school, now known as The Young
Patience is definitely key, but you also need discipline,
Musician's
creativity, and connection. There are many great
University
or
YMU,
and
start
the
development of YMU Music Essentials Method
musicians out there, but the ones that are getting
Books.
hired have great character along with talent.
What are some struggles you had starting up
Do you have any past instructors that you look up
your own music school?
to? What qualities did they have that you
Finding
the
right
location,
equipment,
and
admired?
instructors were some challenges that we faced in
I do. Dwight McMillan was my band and jazz band
the beginning.
instructor from Claflin University. He used an
What is your favorite part about teaching music?
unconventional approach to teach and he really
The best part is seeing the students come alive when
challenged us individually. When he came to Claflin,
they accomplish something that they once thought
they didn't have a jazz band program, so he started
they couldn't do.
one. The program became so popular that we would
What do you like most about being a musician?
travel to places like Miami to perform. He did this with
The thing I like most is the different experiences that
minimal resources from the school and used his own
music brings. It takes you on journeys and leads you
resources and connections to make everything
to meet people, travel to new places, and try
happen. Seeing him do this inspired me to do the
different things. It can be very financially rewarding,
same with my music school. I've brought in seasoned
and it allows you to grow not only as a musician but
performers and recording artists to YMU for our
also as a person.
students to gain those experiences. 9
Join YMU Students as they Share the Gift of Music!
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
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YMU Students will be performing at the Lake Carolina Farmer's Market on December 9th beginning at 4pm!
LITTLE music
Essentials
In-Person Piano Class with an Award-Winning Curriculum designed for ages 4-6 Imaginative Live Instruction Custom Interactive Games
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CATCH THE SMOOTH SOUNDS OF
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If you have your ear to the music scene in Columbia, South Carolina, you've most likely heard of NOTION, a recently formed jazz-fusion band by YMU Alum, Tyné Angela Freeman. The ensemble plays a blend of jazz, neo-soul, and popular standards. They aim to organize music-based events that bring the community together and also support music education. As NOTION performs and grows as an ensemble, they are committed to maintaining a spirit of collaboration. The band features Brandon Waller and Tyné Freeman on vocals, Max Lorick on bass, Nick Kershaw on keys, and Beckham Adams on percussion. Both Max and Brandon are also YMU Instructor Alumni. We will be following NOTION as they make their mark in the music scene in Columbia and surrounding areas!
UPCOMING SHOWS
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Annual YMU Christmas Recital
SAVE THE DATE December 11, 2021 at 2pm
AN IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL RECITAL! We will see you there! 14
WHEN IT
HITS
YOU FEEL NO PAIN
BOB MARLEY
TUOBA GNIHT DOOG ENO
Music
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We are thankful for you!
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At The Young Musician's University, we are thankful for our YMU Students, Parents, and Instructors. We aim to provide the best music education for each student we serve, whether in-person or online. None of this would be possible without our amazing YMU Students and their desire to learn, creativity, dedication, and commitment to their musical journey! To all of our YMU Parents, we especially thank you for being the support system that's needed to catapult your child to the next level in their musical pursuit. We encourage all of our students to follow their dreams, and we are thankful to be a part of their growth and development. Lastly, we would like to thank our amazing YMU Instructors who spend countless hours away from the classroom in preparation to provide our students with the best possible music education experience! We thank and appreciate you all, and we hope that you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
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YMU
The Young Musician's University
2003
2021