Learn from the best at the Scheidt Music Extension Program.
Musicians of all ages and levels are welcome to join in one of our supportive classes or ensembles.
Spring 2024 Offerings
Music Theory
When: January 29 - April 22. 5:30-7 PM
Cost: $360 for 12, 90-minute classes
Instructor: Kevin Carpenter
Description:
So, you want to be a music major? Music theory is usually the most challenging academic course that music majors take. This course will help prepare high schoolers for music theory, dictation, ear training, and piano.
Meet the Instructor:
Kevin Carpenter is the Assistant Band Director of the Houston Band at Houston High School. He is the inaugural conductor of the Memphis Youth Symphony Program's Concert Band and a freelance conductor and clinician in the area.
Before beginning work as a band director, he attended the University of Memphis’s Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, acquiring his BM in K-12 Instrumental Music Education.
Carpenter has studied with many exceptional conductors in varying capacities to pursue lifelong learning, including private lessons, symposia, and workshops. Clinicians include Dr. Mallory Thompson, Dr. Jamie Nix, Dr. Robert Ambrose, Dr. Donald McKinney, Dr. Mathias Elmer, and Dr. Albert Nguyen.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he spent thousands of hours creating virtual performance opportunities for his ensembles and others’. Performances include the Memphis Area Virtual Youth Choir's performance of Tichelli's Earth Song, Memphis Choral Arts "4corners4peace" concert, Memphis-Shelby County School's "State of the District" Honor Choir performance of "North" by Sleeping At Last, and the performances of dozens of other organizations, helping thousands of musicians reach audiences of tens of thousands around the world.
He is deeply involved in local music, singing in various choirs, and serving on the Board of Directors for Memphis ChoralArts. He is a member of the West Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association, the Tennessee Music Education Association, and the National Association of Music Education.
Carpenter lives in Memphis, TN, with his husband Matthew and their dog Rupert.
Guitar
When: Tuesdays, January 30 - April 23, from 5:45-6:45 PM
Cost: $250 for ten:60 minute lessons
Instructor: Patrick Sutton
Description:
Have you always wanted to learn to play guitar but have had difficulty teaching yourself? This is the perfect opportunity for you! You’ll learn in a low-pressure group with guitar professional Dr. Patrick Sutton. By the end of the course, you will learn the basic skills, chords, and strumming patterns. No prior experience is needed. The only requirement is that you bring your guitar.
Meet the Instructor:
Dr. Patrick Sutton is an award-winning guitarist, chamber musician and recording artist from Evergreen, Colorado. He was a featured artist at the 2016 Guitar Foundation of America Convention. His eclectic performing and teaching career has taken him to conflict zones, three coasts of Africa, both ends of Vietnam, border towns, major cities, as well as myriad music societies, universities, and concert halls in between. Recent concerts and masterclasses include the Florida Guitar Foundation, Portland International Guitar Series, International Guitar Artist Series at the Minnesota Guitar Society, Knoxville Guitar Society, University of Cape Town in South Africa, Shanghai Conservatory in China, and the Canadian Embassy of Afghanistan. Patrick also recently performed and taught as a Juilliard Global Visiting Artist at Nord Anglia international schools in Bratislava, Budapest, Dublin, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and New York City. Other recent international engagements include concerts in Cairo and Alexandria with Egyptian fusion group, The Nour Project, and a concert tour of Poland with the Memphis Mix soul band. In 2018, Patrick was one of twelve musicians including James Taylor, Carly Simon and Natasha Bedingfield, to compose original music for the interactive art installation, “Come to Your Senses” at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA). Dr. Sutton’s recording projects have been distributed by major record labels such as Naxos, Ravello and MSR Classics.
Patrick strongly believes in educational outreach's transformative power in developing countries. While in Kabul, Afghanistan for guest artist residencies in 2014 and 2015, Patrick worked with the budding generation of young Afghan musicians at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and helped set up a year-by-year curriculum for the guitar program. Patrick also recently taught and performed at the Atlas Music Academy’s “Chopin in the Forest” music festival in the mountains of Beni M’tir, Tunisia
When: Tuesdays, January 30-April 23, from 4-5 PM
Cost: $250 for ten :60 minutes sessions
Instructor: Patrick Sutton
Description:
Have you always wanted to learn to play guitar, but have had difficulty teaching yourself? This is the perfect opportunity for you! You’ll learn in a low-pressure group with guitar professional, Dr. Patrick Sutton. By the end of the course, you will learn the basic skills, chords, and strumming patterns. No prior experience is needed. The only requirement is that you bring your guitar.
Meet the Instructor:
Dr. Patrick Sutton is an award-winning guitarist, chamber musician and recording artist from Evergreen, Colorado. He was a featured artist at the 2016 Guitar Foundation of America Convention. His eclectic performing and teaching career has taken him to conflict zones, three coasts of Africa, both ends of Vietnam, border towns, major cities, as well as myriad music societies, universities, and concert halls in between. Recent concerts and masterclasses include the Florida Guitar Foundation, Portland International Guitar Series, International Guitar Artist Series at the Minnesota Guitar Society, Knoxville Guitar Society, University of Cape Town in South Africa, Shanghai Conservatory in China, and the Canadian Embassy of Afghanistan. Patrick also recently performed and taught as a Juilliard Global Visiting Artist at Nord Anglia international schools in Bratislava, Budapest, Dublin, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and New York City. Other recent international engagements include concerts in Cairo and Alexandria with the Egyptian fusion group, The Nour Project and a concert tour of Poland with the Memphis Mix soul band. In 2018, Patrick was one of twelve musicians including James Taylor, Carly Simon and Natasha Bedingfield, to compose original music for the interactive art installation “Come to Your Senses” at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA). Dr. Sutton’s recording projects have been distributed by major record labels such as Naxos, Ravello and MSR Classics.
Patrick strongly believes in educational outreach's transformative power in developing countries. While in Kabul, Afghanistan for guest artist residencies in 2014 and 2015, Patrick worked with the budding generation of young Afghan musicians at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and helped set up a year-by-year curriculum for the guitar program. Patrick also recently taught and performed at the Atlas Music Academy’s “Chopin in the Forest” music festival in the mountains of Beni M’tir, Tunisia
Piano
When: Tuesdays, January 20-April 23 from 4:15-5:15 PM
Cost: $250 for ten :60 minute sessions
Instructors: Natalia Vanegas Escobar and David Cordoba
Description:
Have you always wanted to learn to play piano? This is the perfect opportunity for you! You’ll learn in a low-pressure group setting taught by U of M piano staff. By the end of the course, you will learn basic techniques, chords, scales, and beginner pieces.
Meet the Instructors:
Colombian pianist Natalia Vanegas is building a promising career as a performer and teacher. Her pedagogical journey started in 2012 in her home city, Medellin, as a private instructor at the Amadeus School of Music. Since then, she has developed a passion for teaching and started to work in different academies and to build her private studio. She is a doctoral candidate and graduate assistant at the University of Memphis, where she studies with Dr. Jonathan Tsay and teaches class piano.
Competitions include a third place at the Beethoven Club Competition (2019), finalist at the Teatro Colon National Piano Competition (2019), first prize at the Costa Rica Piano Festival (2020), second prize at the Pianissimo (2020 Colombia) and Concerto Competition winner at the University of Memphis (2021). Performances include festivals and concert series in Colombia, USA, and Brazil. She also collaborated with Amadeus orchestra and the University of Antioquia students ‘orchestra in Medellin and debuted as a soloist with the Cameratta Udea orchestra and the ArteCamara orchestra. In November 2020 Natalia was invited as a guest artist and teacher at the 2020 CIMA festival in the city of Manizales, Colombia.
Natalia has adjudicated in competitions such as Memphis International Piano Festival and Competition, Shelby County schools fall Piano Festival and has been an assistant judge and staff in several versions of the Pianissimo competition in Medellin.
Her interests include Colombian and Latin-American living composers and she plans to promote these works on her following performances and an upcoming recording. Currently, Natalia is an active member of the MTNA collegiate chapter at the University of Memphis group that was selected to present at the MTNA and NCKP 2021 conference entitled "Innovative Intermediate Piano Music from Latin America".
Natalia holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Antioquia, where she studied with Dr. Carlos Eduardo Betancur, Dr. Ana María Orduz and the renowned Colombian pianist Teresita Gómez; and a Masters’ degree from the University of Memphis where she studied with Dr. Cathal Breslin.
When: Tuesdays, January 30-April 23, from 5:45-6:45 PM
Cost: $250 for ten :60 minute lessons
Instructors: Natalia Vanegas Escobar and David Cordoba
Description:
Have you always wanted to learn to play piano? This is the perfect opportunity for you! You’ll learn in a low-pressure group setting taught by U of M piano staff. By the end of the course, you will learn basic techniques, chords, scales, and beginner pieces.
Meet the Instructors:
Colombian pianist Natalia Vanegas is building a promising performer and teacher career. Her pedagogical journey started in 2012 in her home city Medellin, working as a private instructor at the Amadeus school of music. Since then, she has developed a passion for teaching and started to work in different academies and to build her private studio. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate and graduate assistant at the University of Memphis where she studies with Dr. Jonathan Tsay and teaches class piano.
Competitions include a third place at the Beethoven Club Competition (2019), finalist at the Teatro Colon National Piano Competition (2019), first prize at the Costa Rica Piano Festival (2020), second prize at the Pianissimo (2020 Colombia) and Concerto Competition winner at the University of Memphis (2021). Performances include festivals and concert series in Colombia, USA, and Brazil. She also collaborated with Amadeus orchestra and the University of Antioquia students ‘orchestra in Medellin and debuted as a soloist with the Cameratta Udea orchestra and the ArteCamara orchestra. In November 2020 Natalia was invited as a guest artist and teacher at the 2020 CIMA festival in the city of Manizales, Colombia.
Natalia has adjudicated in competitions such as Memphis International Piano Festival and Competition, Shelby County schools fall Piano Festival and has been an assistant judge and staff in several versions of the Pianissimo competition in Medellin.
Her interests include Colombian and Latin-American living composers and she plans to promote these works on her following performances and an upcoming recording. Currently, Natalia is an active member of the MTNA collegiate chapter at the University of Memphis group that was selected to present at the MTNA and NCKP 2021 the conference entitled, Innovative Intermediate Piano Music from Latin America.
Natalia holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Antioquia where she studied with Dr. Carlos Eduardo Betancur, Dr. Ana María Orduz and the renowned Colombian pianist Teresita Gómez; and a Masters’ degree from the University of Memphis where she studied with Dr. Cathal Breslin.
Ensembles
When: Sundays, January 28-April 21 2-3:30 PM
Cost: $175 for ten :90 minute classes
Instructors: Elise Blatchford
The Scheidt Music Extension Program Flute Choir, under the direction of University of Memphis professor Elise Blatchford, studies ensemble works scored for flute, piccolo, alto, and bass flute for performances and competitions throughout the Mid-South region. This ensemble will improve flute technique, develop strong group intonation skills, and will give young people more experience with piccolo, alto, and bass flute.
*Must provide your own flute and piccolo, alto flutes and bass flutes are provided on-site. Must audition before registering. There is no fee to audition. Please send a recording that includes a 2-3 minute solo of your choice to e.blatchford@memphis.edu by Jan. 21.
For intermediate-Advanced brass players (at least 3-4 years of playing experience). Adults welcome!
When: Sundays, January 28-April 21 from 3:30-4:45 PM
Cost: $175 for ten :75 minute classes
Instructors: Dr. Jeremiah Frederick and Zack Corpus
The Scheidt Music Extension Program Brass Ensemble, under the direction of University of Memphis professors Zach Corpus and Jeremiah Frederick, will allow students to perform brass chamber ensemble repertoire alongside other talented students. This ensemble will improve technique, develop strong group intonation skills, and give young musicians more chamber ensemble experience.
*Must audition before registering. There is no fee to audition. Please send a recording that includes a 2-3 minute solo of your choice to zacorpus@memphis.edu and jrfrdrck@memphis.edu by Jan. 21.