ASU Community Music School concert May 17

By Frank Ruggiero

To some, “community” is music to their ears.

For the Appalachian State University Community Music School, they’re one in the same.

The school will host a recital on Sunday, May 17, showcasing some of the community’s brightest talent, including performances in guitar, piano, viola, violin and cello.

Guitar instructor Justin Butler described the school as a community service, offering non-credit music lessons for area children and adults. Two recitals are hosted a year, the May event all inclusive and a December recital specifically for honors students.

Students are taught primarily in the Suzuki method, Butler said, and the audience can expect to hear pieces by Bach, Paganini and Mozart, along with traditional folk songs, such as “Frere Jacques.”

“The kids impress me all the time,” Butler said. “They’re working on college level stuff, and they’re still in middle school. It’s amazing.”

Performances begin with piano and guitar at 3 p.m., and violin, viola and cello at 4 p.m. A potluck reception will follow. The recital will be held in both the Rosen Concert Hall and Recital Hall at the Broyhill Music Center on the Appalachian State University campus.

The recital marks the close of the 2009 spring semester. Registration for the fall semester, which typically lasts from August through December, opens Aug.10-21.

Though Appalachian’s Hayes School of Music provides the majority of scholarships for community music school students, Butler said recent budget cuts have led to the school losing funding for the upcoming fall semester.

“What that entails is we have no more scholarship money for students, and we have quite a few students on scholarship,” he said.

Butler said that, apart from seeking private donations, the school may pursue funding by hosting a fundraiser concert in the near future.

For more information on the Appalachian Community Music School, call (828) 262-3020 or visit www.music.appstate.edu/cms.html on the Web.