music city strings Music City Strings is a community of students, teachers, and parents who believe in the importance of an enriched and thorough music education. In 2005, Dana Meyer, International concert violinist and violist, established Music City Strings in Franklin, Tennessee. Her dream was to create a program that would provide children the means to become confident, sensitive and beautiful artists. As her studio demands grew she invited Frank Auer, a violinist and teacher from Franklin, to be a co-director of the program. Today, that program consists of 45 young students in violin and viola, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. Ages range from four to eighteen years old, with many siblings, parents, and grandparents participating in everyday scheduled events. Central to the Music City Strings program is the philosophy founded by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki: that music has the power to improve the human spirit, open the heart, and make finer human beings of all those it touches. Music City Strings strives to enrich the community by bringing music and culture to different venues throughout the State. Students of Music City Strings have performed all over Tennessee, and many have traveled across the United States to study at Suzuki Institutes and workshops. Since the year of its inception, students from Music City Strings have been Young Artist Achievement Award winners through the National Association of Music Teachers competitions, winners of the Nashville Symphony Thor Scholarship, Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association scholarship recipients, and first place State winners in the Tennessee Music Teachers Association program. The benchmark performance of Music City Strings was their appearance in the International Ensembles concert at the Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May of 2012. They were one of only three studios chosen in North and South America and the first studio ever invited from the South! They astounded an audience of 2,000. Because of this amazing performance, Music City Strings was discovered by The League of Astonishing Strings and has been invited on a concert tour of Europe during the summer of 2015. MUSIC CITY STRINGS
the tour taking music city around the world Because of their amazing performance at the International Ensembles Concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May of 2012, Music City Strings was discovered by The League of Astonishing Strings and has been invited on a performing tour of Europe during the summer of 2015. The League of Astonishing Strings is a group that seeks to partner with only the most outstanding student groups in North America. Music City Strings is one of only three youth string ensembles in the nation invited to be a part of this tour and has been asked to represent the culture and music of Tennessee on the stages of Spain, France, England and Scotland. why a tour? The best way to help students gain new perspectives and build skills for the future is through experiential learning. Obviously, there are benefits to educational travel. Students who travel are immersed in foreign languages, become inspired by new and exciting experiences abroad, and encounter historical landmarks and world geography firsthand. For the students of Music City Strings, the opportunity to connect with people of another culture through the universal language of music is truly a unique educational experience. These students will be engaging audiences all over Europe, and will be collaborating with other young and talented ensembles as well. The process of preparing a musical tour program of this magnitude requires discipline, dedication, and hard work. The experience of performing on tour broadens the student musician in a way that nothing else can and gives that student an opportunity to share their passion and joy for music in a different cultural context. Our heart s desire for every one of these precious students is that they will be able to take part in this life changing opportunity! To make that happen, we need your financial support so that every child can go on this tour. Please partner with us and make Music City Strings the pride of Nashville and of the great state of Tennessee! details: Performances: 11 Dates of Tour: July 15th July 31st, 2015 Locales: Spain, France, England, and Scotland Core Group: 30 Students, 2 Directors, 3 Band Members for Accompaniment Expenses: $3,500 per individual (all transportation, meals, stay included) Initial Fundraising Goal*: $122,500 *Due to the age range of the students in Music City Strings, we need more chaperones and guardians than other groups typically require. Once our initial fundraising goal is met, we hope to be able to fund the necessary guardians as well.
directors dana meyer frank auer Dana Meyer, founder of Music City Strings, is a graduate of the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music and has been teaching for more than 30 years. She has performed extensively with chamber music groups and major orchestras in the United States and performed throughout Europe with the American Sinfonietta. Former performing faculty positions include the Middle Tennessee State University Governor s School of Music, the Bellingham Festival of Music, Wintergreen Performance Academy, and the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina. Currently, Mrs. Meyer is a performing faculty member with the Chamber Music in the Mountains in Tucson, Arizona, the Greater Washington DC Suzuki Institute, The Fine Arts Student Academy in Nashville, the South Carolina Suzuki Institute at Furman, and the Suzuki Institute at PhoenixPhest! in Michigan. Francis Teiichiro Auer began taking Suzuki violin lessons in Franklin, Tennessee when he was five years old. Since then, the Suzuki philosophy has played an important role in his life and career. He completed both his Bachelors degree at the University of Evansville and his Masters degree at the University of Maryland in Violin Performance with an emphasis on Suzuki Pedagogy. Mr. Auer has performed with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra in Virginia, and has been a member of both the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and the Owensboro Symphony. He has registered training with the Suzuki Association of the Americas for violin books one through ten. He has received long-term training from Ms. Ronda Cole, Dr. Carol Dallinger, and Ms. Christie Felsing. Mr. Auer has taught extensively in Suzuki programs such as the University of Evansville Suzuki Program, the College Park Suzuki Violin Program, Music Kids Suzuki Violin, and Levine School of Music. He currently teaches in Franklin, Tennessee at Music City Strings along with Mrs. Dana Meyer.
music city community the gift of giving back For the last nine years Music City Strings has been performing all over the community in many forms of outreach and giving. We have never asked for any compensation all these years. We have just enjoyed the opportunity to give back to the community. Here are a few of the venues we have played around Middle Tennessee: Dickens of a Christmas Sarah Cannon Cancer Clinic Franklin Rodeo Vanderbilt ALS Clinic Channel 4 More at Mid-Day Healthy for Life Expo Williamson County Fair and Rodeo Wison County Fair Puckett s Franklin Farmer s Market Live music in downtown Nashville Coca-Cola main stage Music City Center Wine Down Main Street Stephen Curtis Chapman Lighting of the Green, Lipscomb University Franklin Christmas Parade Curb Side by Side Concerts Nursing Homes
sponsorship donations and financial support Music City Strings is often invited to perform throughout Middle Tennessee providing musical entertainment. Many of these performances are donated with the hope of support through donations. Our group is always looking for ways to enhance our performances and build our support financially. There are many benefits to sponsoring Music City Strings, especially this year as we embark on a new adventure - a two-week European Concert Tour. Chosen to be an integral part of this tour, Music City Strings has been asked to represent the culture and music of Tennessee. A fund raising campaign has been launched to provide funds so that every student in Music City Strings is able to take part in this opportunity. We see our role as ambassadors of this great state and need your support. benefactor ($25,000+) Benefits (available in donation year) 10 VIP passes to all MCS events. 3 complimentary Music City Strings performances at your events Donor logo on MCS T-Shirts Fiddle CD and Christmas CD Donor logo and listing on all printed programs Listing on Sponsorship website page Tax Receipt patron ($10,000-$24,999) Benefits (available in donation year) 4 VIP passes to all MCS events. 2 complimentary Music City Strings performances at your events Donor logo on MCS T-Shirts Fiddle CD and Christmas CD Donor logo and listing on all printed programs Listing on Sponsorship website page Tax Receipt supporter ($5,000-$9,999) Benefits (available in donation year) 2 VIP passes to all MCS events. 1 complimentary Music City Strings performance at your event Listed on MCS T-Shirts Listed on all printed programs Fiddle CD and Christmas CD Listing on Sponsorship website page Tax Receipt friend ($1,000-$4,999) Benefits (available in donation year) Fiddle CD or Christmas CD Listed on all printed programs Listing on Sponsorship website page Tax Receipt fan ($10-$999) Benefits (available in donation year) Listing on Sponsorship website page Tax Receipt
donating is easy donations can be made by check or online at www.musiccitystrings.org Music City Strings has formed an alliance with the Franklin Classical School to develop a School of Music. Our mutual goal is to benefit the students in both organizations with a robust musical arts curriculum. Franklin Classical School has been a member in good standing of the Association of Christian Schools International since 1996 and Association of Classical Christian Schools since 2004. In addition, Franklin Classical School is established as a 501-C3 non-profit organization with the Internal Revenue Service. Because of this alliance, Franklin Classical School will accept tax deductible donations on behalf of Music City Strings. Tax deductible donations may be made through the Music City Strings website using PayPal or by checks made payable to the Franklin Classical School. By Check: online: Franklin Classical School (Make your check payable to Franklin Classical School) c/o Frank Auer 1109 Lakeview Drive, Franklin, TN 37067 1. Go to MusicCityStrings.org 2. Click on the Donate tab 3. Click the Donate button Dana Meyer, Founder Frank Auer, Co-Director 615.948.0455 musiccitystrings@gmail.com www.musiccitystrings.org
www.musiccitystrings.org Dana Meyer, Founder Frank Auer, Co-Director 615.948.0455 musiccitystrings@gmail.com