Dr. Kay Kraeft
There are many ways to support the Department of Music and be a Friend of Music. Today, our donor spotlight is in honor of Kay Kraeft, who has contributed to the music program in so many ways. Not only was Dr. Kraeft a dedicated professor of voice and opera for over twenty years, but she has also continued to travel and recruit on behalf of the UCA Music Department throughout her retirement. Dr. Kraeft has long been a member of Partners of the Americas, an organization whose mission is to “connect people and organizations across borders to serve and change lives through lasting partnerships.” Inspired by President Kennedy and founded in 1964, Partners of the Americas is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that links Arkansas and Bolivia. Since Dr. Kraeft became interested in this country, she was able to receive some travel funding over the years; however, she has continued to support much of her travel and operating costs from her own funds.
Dr. Kraeft’s trips have resulted in the discovery of numerous musicians who are the young musical leaders of Bolivia. These are national level players who she has identified and brought to the attention of UCA music faculty. Often these students have wanted to pursue acceptance into quality music programs, yet the opportunities for advanced study do not exist in Bolivia. Working with her Bolivian partners, Dr. Kraeft has actively recruited scores of students to the University of Central Arkansas Department of Music in the past 10 years. While here, these students enrich the lives of faculty and staff, and they contribute to the community through participating in church music and the Conway Symphony Orchestra. For her tremendous work in teaching, traveling, and impacting the community through her endeavors, Dr. Kraeft was presented the Mayor’s Award for Community Advocate of the Arts. The award was presented at the 2016 Conway Alliance for The Arts awards ceremony.
Most recently, Dr. Kraeft traveled to Bolivia with Maestro Israel Getzov, conductor of the Conway Symphony Orchestra and professor at UCA. While there, Getzov made numerous presentations and conducted a high profile concert with Encuentros Jovenes Musicas Bolivianos Festival. He was also exposed to Dr. Kraeft’s widespread influence. “Kay Kraeft is a music institution in Bolivia. Literally every musician I met knew of Kay Kraeft. Her 20 years of building musical bridges and serving as a vocal teacher in the country created an amazing contribution to musical society. It was an honor to be introduced to her network and to possibly continue this relationship for future years.”
On top of her recruiting efforts, Dr. Kraeft keeps in contact with students once they are in Conway. She is an advocate for their well being and helps them to find appropriate housing, jobs, and every day resources. At any given time, she has students renting a room from her in her West Conway home. Students pay very little, and in exchange, they are able to pool resources for food and transportation. The bond between Dr. Kraeft and the students is wonderful to see. Students often accompany her to concerts, church, and other events, and the number of Bolivian students studying at UCA continues to increase. They are all especially grateful to Kay Kraeft who initiated their experiences.
There is no way to put a price on the amount of support Kay has given the UCA music programs through the years. She has not only served as a professor, but has also recruited and hosted many musicians in a mutually enriching relationship. For all of her work, the Department of Music honors Kay Kraeft for her in-kind services that make her a true “Friend of Music.”