Preparatory Music Program
Shenandoah Valley Preparatory Music became a program of EMU’s department of music in 1988 and is dedicated to providing the highest quality music education to all students in the central Shenandoah Valley regardless of age, race, ability, financial circumstances, or ethnic origin through private and/or group instruction in a variety of musical areas as well as through performance settings. Under the direction of administrative director Sharon M.D. Miller, musical instruction is given to over 400 students in the following areas:
- Instrumental music instruction: violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, flute, guitar; Suzuki violin, viola, cello, piano, and flute.
- Musikgarten: ages infant to 7 years. Call 540-432-4277 or email prepmusic@emu.edu for information about class openings.
- Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony and Junior Strings: grades 3-12
- Harrisonburg City School After-School Violin Program: grades 3-5 in the elementary schools and grades 6-8 in the middle schools.
For more information contact prepmusic@emu.edu.
Registration Information
Office phone: 540-432-4277
Office email: prepmusic@emu.edu
Summer Strings Camp Information
Our Shenandoah Valley Strings Camp will be held at EMU on June 25-28, 2018. Please contact the Preparatory Music Office for more information about any Strings Camp option. The registration deadlines are May 24 for the Beginner and Day Camps, and May 17 for the Adult Chamber Music Camp.
- Suzuki Strings Day Camp is for Suzuki violin students in Books 1 - 3 who are not beginners. Please check
with your teacher to see if this option is appropriate for you. Day campers will attend
camp from 9:00am – 3:00pm. In the mornings they will have a masterclass, group class,
chamber music (if reading music) and/or fiddle class. In the afternoon there will
be a variety of musical and recreational activities. The camp will culminate with
performances by all campers on Thursday afternoon!
- Chamber Music Camp (9:00am - 3:00pm) is for students who are not beginners and read music. In the morning,
students will engage with music of a variety of styles including Classical and Irish
music, and in the afternoon there will be a variety of musical and recreational activities.
Teacher, Kelly Wiedemann, welcomes students of these instruments: violin, viola, cello,
double bass.
- Suzuki Violin Pre-Twinklers (ages 3-5) and Early Beginners (up to age 7) campers attend camp for two hours each morning. Students will participate
in a violin class and an early childhood music group class each day. This option is
appropriate for young students who want an introduction to violin or have been playing
awhile and want to participate for only a few hours a day.
- Chamber Music for Adults will take place from 1:00-3:00 pm, and will include coaching sessions both in small ensembles and with all camp participants. The camp will culminate with a performance on Thursday afternoon! In order to be placed in a small ensemble and assigned pieces, we are asking participants to rate the difficulty of the two musical excerpts below:
Beethoven Quartet - Violin 1, Beethoven Quartet - Viola, Beethoven Quartet - Cello
Red Wing Academy is hosted by Eric Brubaker of The Steel Wheels as a four-day intensive music camp held July 8-11 at EMU, leading up to a performance on stage with the band at the Red Wing Roots Music Festival on Friday, July 13. Red Wing Academy is open to non-beginner violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, mandolin and banjo students ages 5-19. Students will receive individual and group instruction from highly trained music teachers and will also be coached by members of The Steel Wheels throughout the week. For more information and to apply, email academy@redwingroots.com. You can also Register Online Now and keep up to date on facebook/instagram!
Preparatory Music office phone: 540-432-4277
Preparatory Music office email: prepmusic@emu.edu
Our students and performances
Believing music can enrich everyone’s life and is to be shared, performances are arranged in formal and informal settings on EMU’s campus and throughout the community to provide quality music education to the residents of the greater central Shenandoah Valley area. Participants come from as far north and east as Woodstock and Luray and from as far south as Waynesboro and Lexington. Students also travel from West Virginia.
Upcoming Events
-
Saturday, June 16, 6:45 pm Suzuki string students will provide prelude music for the Bach Festival Concert III. Contact the Preparatory Music office for more information
-
Shenandoah Valley Strings Camp
June 25-28 at EMU
More info at: emu.edu/musiclessons -
Musikgarten Camp
June 25-28 at EMU More info and registration forms: emu.edu/musikgarten -
Red Wing Academy
July 8-11at EMU
More info at: www.redwingroots.com/academy
2017-18 Preparatory Music Calendar
Contact us
Interested in learning more about music lessons at EMU? Contact the preparatory music program offices at 540-432-4277 or prepmusic@emu.edu. We’d love to hear from you!
The EMU music program offices, both preparatory music and the undergraduate academic program, are located on the lower level of Lehman Auditorium. On the main floor of Lehman you’ll find a mainstage auditorium that houses performances, weekly chapel, university events, and more. On the lower level you’ll find the music program offices (through the glass double doors), faculty offices, a recital hall, individual practice rooms, and more.