"Immersion: instruction based on extensive exposure to surroundings or conditions that are native or pertinent to the object or study; especially, foreign language instruction in which only the language being taught is used." Merriam-Webster.com
It takes more than a series 30- or 45-minute weekly lessons to become a musician. Immersion provides the best chance for a student or emerging artist to connect with music and the wider community in a meaningful and sustained way. This is the founding and guiding principle of the CMC Atlanta GAP and ART programs.
While some students study music with no performances in mind, most people take lessons and classes with the goal of developing the skills and confidence to play for others, either friends and family members or an appreciative audience, small or large. After all, who wants to be alone hour after hour in a practice room, taking lessons week after week, with no end, no purpose, no clear goals in sight?
Drawing on Studio Lesson and CMP Course & Workshop training, AMHS and Gap students form small ensembles of all kinds--
Chamber Ensembles, Jazz Combos, Rock Bands, Bluegrass, Folk, and Old-Time Bands, small vocal ensembles, and music theater troupes. Through our ensemble program, we help aspiring musicians cultivate a stylistically and developmentally sensitive authentic performance practice.
We don't force students to perform, but we're serious about creating formal and informal performance opportunities that meet two goals: supporting the student's development and furthering the cause of living musical traditions. For more invested students, in particular, this often involves performance off-site in community venues, as well as local galleries, coffee shops, and theaters. We also arrange for students to perform at festivals (for example, on the Main Stage at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival) and in professional venues like the Variety Playhouse and 7Stages. The concomitant benefits for the student include added motivation (a snow-balling of interest and skill development) and the simple pleasure of playing music with friends.
Through Performance Programs, we also host a number of Performance Events by professionals for the benefit and enjoyment of students. Center faculty, guests, local and regional professional musicians visit the Center or a procured off-site venue to perform . Guest performers often pair their performance with a CMP Workshop.
When a student enrolls in GAP, department coordinators and Studio Lesson faculty assess the student's readiness and when appropriate, match the student with an accompanist or place them in a small ensemble or band based on skills and stylistic interests. Students who already play in a band or with one or more friends independently may request for their group to rehearse at the Center and/or receive Center coaching once enrolled.
Center faculty coach students to help them prepare to perform on any number of informal and formal, on- and off-site performances held each term. We create performance events that fit well with each style of music and meet the educational and developmental needs of our student ensembles. Recitals, Salons, Shows, Concerts, Festivals, Jams.
CMC Atlanta students perform on the Main Stage @ the Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Featured Video :: CMC Atlanta students at Variety Playhouse in Little 5 Points
Music Performance, Composition, Theory, Apprenticeship, Community Service, Music Outreach & More
CMC Atlanta GAP draws local, regional, national and international students. Local Atlanta students often live at home with parents or other family members, but any student who enrolls is welcome to consider living in one of our apartments or to consult with us for support arranging suitable housing.
CMC Atlanta has a limited number of efficiency apartments available at the Little 5 Points location. Rent for these furnished, dormroom-like units includes all utilities, internet, and more, and varies, depending whether the student lives alone or with a roommate. CMC Atlanta also has a limited number of unfurnished and potentially furnished one and two bedroom apartments a block from the Little 5 Points Center in highly desirable Inman Park. These apartments are more expensive, reflecting the rental market in gentrified neighborhoods of the northeast/Atlanta Beltline corridor. For students who wish to find more independent housing, CMC Atlanta Directors and GAP Faculty are also able to provide guidance by helping connect students with property management offsite and consulting with those unfamiliar with Atlanta neighborhoods and commuting options and patterns.