K-12 School Partnerships
Bring talented professional musicians into your classroom
MacPhail delivers personalized learning for students K-12 through dynamic school partnerships. In-person, after school, and live online instruction bring outstanding music teachers into your school to provide individual lessons, sectionals, ELL support, residencies, masterclasses, and more.
MacPhail offers three main options to serve your school:
Looking to bring innovative music education into your school?
We can work within your school’s budget to provide customized programs, either in person or through live online instruction. Our personalized approach makes it possible to serve schools of all sizes and locations.
Are you a Title 1 school or a school located in Greater Minnesota?
You have no-cost access to tools, resources, and residencies by artists from diverse cultural backgrounds through MacPhail’s Project Amplify initiative. Artists provide meaningful learning opportunities outside the classical canon in such areas as beatboxing, Korean drumming, West African drumming and dance, and show style HBCU drumline.
Does your school have a limited budget but high need for supplemental classroom instruction?
MacPhail provides supplemental instruction at no cost to schools through the Noteworthy Program. Offerings include sectional coaching, individual lessons, group classes, and music production courses. The program is delivered in person in the Twin Cities metro area and virtually for schools more than an hour away from MacPhail Minneapolis.
Our Unique Approach
No two partnerships look alike. We customize engaging and research-based programming to meet your students’ unique needs and educational outcomes. We begin by discussing your goals, budget, timeline, and whether you want MacPhail to deliver its programming in person or online, in school or after school. Then we develop a personalized plan for you and your students.
Resources for Educators
MacPhail offers one complimentary clinic to each school within a 30 minute driving radius of any of its teaching sites. Our teaching artists will conduct a clinic at your school for either the entire ensemble or specific instrument sections, jazz band, orchestra and choir. Contact Ben Bussey to discuss the options and set up a clinic at your school. It is also possible to purchase clinics for your school beyond the complimentary clinic.
MacPhail, in cooperation with the MMEA, has created a suite of tutorial videos using the pieces selected for the All-State Band/Orchestra/Choir/Jazz band auditions. Please feel free to share these videos with your students.
The Musical Passports program is designed for you, as a music teacher, to give the gift of music to a student of your choice, who is not currently taking lessons at MacPhail, and who is motivated and committed to their study of music. Your student will receive a 50 percent savings on one semester of music instruction, plus a waiver of the $30 registration fee. Contact Ben Bussey for more information.
This is an annual event open to all percussion ensembles, middle school, high school and college. There are no participation fees or admission charged to audience. It is an event to showcase percussion ensemble playing that is open to the public. The event is held typically late February or early March. Participating schools have included; University of Minnesota, St. Cloud University, Augsburg College, Rosemount, Roseville, Blaine, Centennial, Woodbury, Valley Middle, Park, East Ridge and Minnetonka Schools. For more information contact Erik Schee.
Playing in a band or orchestra is a way to have fun making music and build on your musical skills for a lifetime! Click here to explore bands and orchestras in the Twin Cities area.
Here are some downloadable tools and links that may be helpful in your classroom.
Percussion Rudiments PDF
Circle of Fifths Poster – PDF
We have created this easy-to-read, one page “Circle of Fifths” poster to download and print for your students!
Questions? Contact Us
Elizabeth Winslow, Director of School Partnerships
Ben Bussey, Partnership Development Representative
Grayson Broesch, School Partnerships Coordinator
Rachel Hickman, Online School Partnerships Manager
Bailey Cook, School Partnerships Budget & Payroll Coordinator
James Castañeda, School Partnerships Metro Partnerships Coordinator