Missy McPheeters, director of the Symphony of the Magic Dragon and the Mid-Missouri Youth Orchestra, and owner of her own personal business giving stringed instrument lessons, has announced a new and unique program to offer beginning lessons to six select students – absolutely free.
The program is offered to area students from grades 5 through 8. In order to participate, students should download an application which includes space for a short written essay on why the student would like to take lessons. Once filled out, the application should be submitted along with a letter of reference from one of their teachers and sent to: Missy McPheeters, 294 Ginny Drive, Linn Creek MO 65052 by mail or by email to missym@mrsmcpea.com.
The deadline to submit applications is March 1.
Six students will be selected from all applications received and those students will be given lessons beginning on March 18 and will run every Saturday until April 29 for two hours. The students will be supplied with an instrument, all necessary accessories including a music book and the lessons themselves at no cost.
“After directing the Lake Area Strings [the former name of the Symphony] for several years, I realized that the only way to grow the program was to create a feeder program where students could learn to play orchestra instruments in a group setting. At that point, I began the Mid-Missouri Youth Orchestra.”
The youth orchestra had its ups and downs, growing to as large as twelve members at one point, but the pandemic took its toll. Without practice space or concert venues, the program has been dormant for the past several years. But that is all about to turn around and the group will become active again this spring. “Now that that the youth orchestra will be back in session, I would like to establish a way to advertise and entice more students into the program.”
A lifelong lover of music, McPheeters has a music education degree from Kent State University, and has been playing the violin since she was ten years old. Teaching kids interested in learning orchestral strings is one of the things she is most passionate about.
“I love when students just light up with information. You teach them something and when they really get it, they enjoy the music they're playing because they understand what they're doing. I love that about teaching.”
McPheeters also values the friendships made with young musicians, and she has stayed connected with many of her students, even after they have stopped lessons and started lives and families of their own. She added, “I taught public school for three years in Ohio - and I'm still friends with some of the kids that I taught - and that was 30 years ago!”
Interested candidates can download an application at https://mrsmcpea.wordpress.com/group-lesson-application-2/. Or view and print the application at the end of this article.
For more information, call Missy McPheeters at 573-286-3467 or email her at missym@mrsmcpea.com.
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