Music Notes: Notable News

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The Friends of Music has been revitalized to support music programs, students, and faculty at UCA. Although the name might be old to some, the group now has a brand new lease on life thanks to several community members who wanted to see the organization reborn. Friends donations are allowing the department to pay for maintenance and upkeep of the building, as well as instruments, equipment, travel, and scholarships. In just over a year, the Friends of Music has made a remarkable difference. The formation of the group was impetus for a $250,000 donation that financed four Steinway K-52 pianos and a renovation of a practice room suite where these instruments are now housed. The donation also included a Steinway Indian Rosewood grand piano that will have a permanent home in McCastlain Hall. Other equipment, such as a soprano saxophone, suspended cymbal, cello repair, and bows were purchased with remaining donation funds.

Since a large part of the music department is based on performances, Friends of Music is also providing the community with a better facility. This past summer, Friends provided the collective backing for the renovation of the Snow Fine Arts Center’s Recital Hall stage. A new black curtain was also installed, replacing the original. Repairing the stage also allowed for a new recording system to be installed. All other practice rooms and several other key areas have been renovated with collective donations from Friends.

Department chair, Dr. Paige Rose, states, “Without Friends of Music, we would never be able to fund items and repairs of this magnitude. Purchases and renovations of this amount require more money than we can possibly save out of an annual operating budget. With Friends of Music support, we do not have to wait for extra funding for large projects. It also allows us to have funding for smaller, significant needs, such as student opportunities, faculty invitations, or emergency instrument repairs that suddenly arise.” Several donations to Friends have also made it possible for students to receive much needed scholarships and to travel to festivals and competitions across the globe.

Supporting the Department of Music is an ongoing challenge, but the reinvigorated Friends of Music has made this their goal. Following in the footsteps of former department chair, Sam Driggers, and many community members, this group has already made quite an impact on UCA Music, and the department, faculty, and students are extremely grateful. See their thank you here.

The Friends of Music invites everyone to
Make a gift or become a member of Friends of Music

Friends of Music membership gives you some wonderful perks and access to special events such as the April 6th reception. Monthly contributions are available, and less than $9 a month can go a long way in supporting the Department of Music. More information is available here, and don’t forget to check out our Friends of Music Donor Spotlight on the home page.