2023-24 ACG Education Report
Sticky2024-09-05ACG Education
The 24-25 school year is underway. ACG is investing a million dollars in our education services this year. As you’ll read in the report below, ACG Education enriches the lives of thousands of young people and families in communities near and far. If you are inspired by this work we hope you will consider making a gift as part of our Fall Fund Drive. Click here to donate.
2023-24 was filled with important organizational milestones, beautiful individual moments, and progress toward our strategic goal of scaling our services nationwide. We are excited to share many points of light in this report, but we’d like to begin with our why:
Music education in school does great things for students, it’s been proven in decades of studies, and new data we’ll share in this report will underline just how powerful it can be.
Guitar is the world’s most popular instrument, and when programs are built with care and rigor, we can bring new and different students to these proven benefits on a massive scale.
When we learned that enrollment in our partner programs in Austin ISD surpassed both orchestra and choir district-wide, we asked ourselves: ‘What if we could do this in every major metro area in the nation?’
After 22 years building the resources, training protocols, and real-world applications of guitar program building, we believe we have the unique skills and knowledge to make a major positive change in American music education, which in turn will have a large-scale impact on tens of thousands of young people in the coming years.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE
Music is our medium for connection, and it’s through connection that we make positive change. The key to it all is our people. Classes and concerts can be safe and inspiring places for growth and belonging if the people involved bring care and wisdom to their approach.
Therefore, our most important and most significant investment has always been in the amazing and dedicated individuals who make up our team, and then radiate out our values through modeling and training.
In the past twelve months we’re ecstatic to have brought four very special people onto our team: Phil Swasey, Jordan Sanchez, Alex Lew, and Rey Rodriguez.
Phil Swasey joined us last summer as our Director of Curriculum and Partnerships. A thirteen-year veteran teacher, Phil now leads advancements in our technology and curriculum, especially GuitarCurriculum and our method books, and is laying the groundwork for scaling partnership. Jordan Sanchez joined us this summer as our Education Project Manager. With Five years of public school teaching experience, Jordan is already revolutionizing our approach to information management and customer service, adding critical components for responsible growth. Both graduates of ACG Education, Alex Lew and Rey Rodriguez have joined our Teaching Artist team working both with our community ensembles and individual lessons programming.
INVESTING IN GUITARCURRICULUM
Since 2008 GuitarCurriculum has been our primary engine at ACG Education. A first-of-its-kind classroom guitar teacher resource, GuitarCurriculum houses all of the music teachers actually use in the classroom, along with sequencing, audio and video resources, and a range of other support materials for teachers.
We are absolutely thrilled to announce the release of a brand new GuitarCurriculum website in September 2024. A result of 6-months of work and investment, and years of dreaming and development, the new website provides superior performance for teachers, and superior data and customer service support for ACG.
NEW IMPACT DATA
In the past year we have been able to connect directly to an AISD student data reporting tool called eCST. eCST allows us to pull aggregate performance data about students in our programs across the district, and compare performance directly to non-guitarist peers matched by campus and demographic. This is a powerful new opportunity to view the impact of ACG education beyond the guitar classroom. Many studies of this nature are weakened because they compare students who self-select music instruction broadly with students who do not, allow a range of other socio-economic factors to come into play when comparing academic or behavioral performance. These problems are mitigated by these data, however, because of our ability with eCST to match students by campus and demographic, even when pulling information from many campuses.
Our new website will also include our first-ever student portal, filled with materials produced to engage our students and support out-of-school practice. Spanish language support materials, including tutorial videos, will launch with student portal as well, and a new Spanish-language method book is currently in production.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
While most of our development work is focused in the United States, occasionally we bet on particularly promising leaders elsewhere who we know will amplify our resources. Such is the case with Ravindra Paudyal in Nepal and Bosco Segawa in Uganda. With our assistance, Ravindra has developed beautiful classes for kids in central Kathmandu, and Bosco is now adding guitar as a central component in the orphanages he runs in Uganda where they just received our shipment of thirty guitars. We Hope you enjoy these videos.
NATIONAL SERVICE
In July 2024 we trained over one hundred teachers in three summits in Austin, Columbia (South Carolina), and St. Louis. That’s the most in one summer since before COVID. Our team also traveled and spoke at state music education conferences in Texas, South Carolina, New York, and Kentucky, and conducted or assisted with major district events in Loudoun County (Virginia), Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Denton Texas.
At every teacher summit our participants engage in three days of intense and joyful work improving their skills as educators and artists. As part of the training experience, they also make beautiful music together whether they’ve played guitar their whole lives, or are picking one up for the first time on day one of the summit! We do this because we’re all about making beautiful music with everyone, and we do this because frequently in public schools teachers must accommodate students at different skill levels in the same room at the same time. We hope you enjoy this beautiful performance of GuitarCurriculum repertoire from our South Carolina 2024 summit.
CENTRAL TEXAS SERVICE
With programs now in almost every Austin ISD school, and partners in San Marcos, Manor, Hutto, and San Antonio, this region is by far our largest service area. We are thrilled to report new middle school programs developing in both Hutto and San Marcos this year. With this many programs (60+) and national teacher turnover trends rising, we are extremely busy training and supporting all of the new teachers walking into guitar classes for the first time this fall. Their readiness translates directly into the quality of student experience with music, and we want to get it right.
For twenty-three years we have been investing in free individual lessons for students who would not otherwise be able to afford them. This is a transformative program, and many of the ‘full-circle’ stories we’ve shared over the years–students graduating and later returning as professionals to work with us–directly relate to this program. We increased our investment in free lessons from $50,000 to $80,000 from 2023 to 2024, grew the number of contract teaching artists from 13 to 16, and increased the number of students served from 52 to 77.
June 2024 saw our first ACG Summer Camp, a scholarship-assisted experience at our Rosette headquarters. This camp provided twenty students from across our community with a supportive and creative summer focused on music. Throughout the camp, students engaged in large and small ensemble work, collaborating daily to prepare a beautiful program of music to share with friends and family. Six exceptional artists joined the campers, offering performances, masterclasses, and interactive workshops, including sessions on composition and improvisation. For our staff, this camp was also an opportunity to develop a prototype for an affordable, engaging summer program that all Austin students can access, with plans to expand in future summers.
JUVENILE JUSTICE SERVICES
In addition to our juvenile justice programs serving youth in residential facilities in the Austin area and Dallas, we are pleased to announce a new program at Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) in the 2023/24 school year. Working in this secure day facility has given our director, Hector Aguilar, the opportunity to bring the joy and connection of music to students who are not incarcerated at a facility like Gardner Betts, but may be on a track toward increased disciplinary action. We are still operating thriving programs in Travis County’s Gardner Betts facility, Williamson County Juvenile Services, and Dallas County’s Henry Wade and Medlock facilities. We are especially pleased to welcome long-term colleague, Noe Garcia, to our contract teaching team, who is now directing our Dallas program.
After years of development, we are also pleased to announce the start of our Long-Term Engagement Project for students who have been released from juvenile detention. In 2023-24 ACG contract teacher Willem Flowers, has been seeing several students, carrying the critical connections music brought them while incarcerated into their life in the community.
In Williamson County we were invited to present for the Mental Health in Schools conference. ACG Director of Education, Travis Marcum, presented at the conference, and led a student interview.
COMMUNITY
2024-25 is the 25th season for our Community Ensemble programs under the leadership of ACG Director of Community Education Tony Mariano! With the additional last year of the South Austin Guitar Ensemble, and this summer’s addition of a third youth ensemble, our total number of community ensembles has grown to 6, serving over seventy-five people on a weekly basis.
Perhaps most notable in 2023-24, the ACG Youth Orchestra celebrated its tenth anniversary with a tour in Spain in early June. You can see the amazing photos in a day-by-day travel blog here. You can also read a lovely reflection written by ACG intern Micaela Creo here.
TWO SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Braille Learning
We received the most wonderful email from Kim, a student in the Netherlands who has been using our LetsPlayGuitar Braille lifelong learning resource to learn guitar. Kim wrote:
“Thank you so much for answering my mail request. But most of all, thanks for creating the LetsPlayGuitar course! It was such a joy to find a fully accessible course for the classical guitar.
“I have finished all 8 levels now, although I guess it will take me some time to play all pieces in the indicated tempo. I’ll keep working on that (probably the rest of my life…).
But while I am working on that, I would like very much to have access to additional music in braille. And if possible, in downloadable, BRF format.
“I am from The Netherlands, and braille material for the classical guitar is very limited here. So, I was very happy to find your course on the internet. I am completely blind. I played the audio parts of your course, via an Iphone with VoiceOver, and I read the 40 braille scores on a braille display.”
Kim went on to give us some excellent suggestions for how to make our resource even better. Thank you Kim.
Presence
In February 2024, after eight months of preparation, 65 student guitarists, the five professional singers of VAMP, bassoonist Kristin Wolf Jensen, and guitar soloist Dieter Hennings took the stage to perform the world premiere of one of our most ambitious projects ever: Presence.
Our 2023-24 season theme was Presence, inviting everyone in our community to reflect on the transformative power of bringing one’s whole self to each moment, be it solitary or with others. Artistic Director Joe Williams paired with Education Director Travis Marcum and worked alongside superstar composer and ACG Artist In Residence Reena Esmail to make an enthralling work developed in partnership with the community. Events such as this are sparks for inspired learning, they exceed expectations and stretch everyone involved to new heights, and the result is unforgettable. Enjoy.
LOOKING AHEAD: BEAUTY, KINDNESS & SPARK
As we shared at the beginning of this report, we believe we are poised for a new era of service at ACG Education. After twenty-three years of innovation and replication, with remarkable and lasting results on generations of students, we believe it’s time to scale our programs across Texas and the US at a new rate.
We’d like to close with the introduction of a new idea: spark. For a decade we have been referring to our change agents as beauty and kindness. Beauty is our organizing principle, it’s what gets us together for concerts, or causes us to work together in the classroom to refine our skills. At the same time, so much of the change we see in humans over time, and the success of our growing community, is a result of intentional kindness. You might think of beauty as the nucleus and kindness as the electron that, together, make up the atom that is ACG.
To this powerful equation, we’d like to offer a new observation. In the fertile context of beauty and kindness, we have come to realize that sparks of inspiration – unexpected projects, stretch goals, moments of sublime beauty, or joyful collaboration – become catalysts for transformation. Presence, our bold 2024 project with Reena Esmail, is a perfect example of spark.
This is a significant learning. It is significant because the better we understand how we successfully make positive change in the world, the better we will be able to scale and replicate our service elsewhere. GuitarCurriculum is our sequential method, the Five Elements are our guiding behaviors, and we now understand our change agents to be beauty, kindness, and spark.

THANK YOU
ACG Education services are only possible because of the generosity of people who share our belief in the power of music to positively transform lives. We would like to extend an extra special thanks to the following institutions and individuals for their significant financial support over the past year:
The Ben & Nancy Sander Family, Meadows Foundation, Augustine Foundation, Cain Foundation, Kaman Foundation, Tim & Karrie League, Webber Family Foundation, W.D. Kelley Foundation, Still Water Foundation, Rea Charitable Trust, Texas Commission on the Arts, Greg Wooldridge & Lynne Dobson, Lucy & Bill Farland, atsec information security, H-E-B, Kodosky Foundation, Bill & Lynne Cariker, Robert Rodriguez, Applied Materials Foundation, Ernest & Sarah Butler, Louis & Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation, Mary Raley, Seawell Elam Foundation, Texas Bar Foundation, Gail Vanderlee Strain, Jacqueline Rixen, Stacia & Walt DeBill, Louise Epstein & John Henry McDonald, Mercedes-Benz of Austin, Mockingbird Foundation, Warren Skaaren Charitable Trust, The D’Addario Foundation, 3M Foundation, Debra Lewis, Carson & Michele McKowen, Ameriprise Financial Community Relations, Arnold Foundation, Linda McDavitt, Megyn Busse, Sangeeta Kaur & Hai Nguyen, MFS Fund at the North Georgia Community Foundation, Rotary Club of Austin – University Area, Shanti Foundation for Intercultural Understanding, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Zack & Whitney Zamora, Austin Junior Forum, Free Guitars For Kids – FG4K, Robert Reynolds & Kelly Raley, Lloyd & Ferrell Pond, Jim & Jennifer Judkins, Russ & Janey Trowbridge, Kelley Bowen, Sandra Bosley, CAPTRUST, Jewish Communal Fund, Jim & Marion Jirsa, Ruth J Rubio, Tom & Judy Taylor, and Anonymous Donors
Changemakers: Hector Aguilar & ACG Juvenile Justice Services
We dream of a world where music is here for everyone, connecting us, inspiring us, and bringing joy and meaning wherever it goes. We are having our Fall fund drive here at ACG and it’s because of our community and supporters that we are able to share stories like this. Click here to learn more about supporting ACG.
For this year’s Fall Fund Drive, we would like to take a moment to introduce you to some of the amazing individuals who are at the heart of ACG’s community programs.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing a series of stories that spotlight our dedicated employees and community members, highlighting the transformative programs they lead and the incredible impact they have on our community.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating these extraordinary programs and the people who make them possible.
This week we had the opportunity to connect with Director Juvenile Justice Education, Hector Aguilar.
Hector’s work is nothing short of inspiring; he brings the gift of music to young people in the juvenile justice system, offering them a path to earn academic credit, express themselves creatively, and build relationships with music and their peers.
Hector began his career as a music educator over a decade ago in Brownsville, Texas. While there, Hector held a private studio with a friend and regularly collaborated with a local arts non-profit, where he worked with groups from lower socio-economic backgrounds and witnessed how music could bring joy and confidence to students facing significant challenges.
In 2021, Hector began his journey in Juvenile Justice Education with us at ACG.

“I knew it was the opportunity I’d been waiting for. And now, I have the honor of working with students who inspire me every day.
I’m inspired by the potential every student has, regardless of their circumstances. After working with students from challenging backgrounds in Brownsville, I saw firsthand how music can be a powerful tool for change. When I joined this program, I realized that this was my chance to make an even deeper impact.
Every day, I am motivated by the resilience of these students and their ability to create something beautiful through music. It’s their growth, their breakthroughs, and their courage to keep going that keep me coming back.”
Two of the biggest challenges of working with students in the Juvenile Justice system is building trust with those who have experienced trauma and hardship and the unpredictable nature of this environment with students being moved or released.
Trust in the classroom develops through patience, empathy, and consistency, over long periods of time; something Hector is very gifted at and fabricates into his classrooms beautifully.
“I believe that every lesson, no matter how brief, can plant a seed for growth and change.
The most rewarding experiences often come in small moments that carry a deep impact. For example, I once had a student who was initially very closed off. After weeks of persistence, he played a melody beautifully and said that playing guitar made him feel free. That moment of connection and self-realization was incredibly powerful. It’s moments like these—where music provides a sense of liberation and confidence—that remind me why I do this work.”
We had the opportunity to interview Hector about a couple of experiences he’s had that illustrates the emotional impact his program has on students in these centers,
“There was a time when I worked with a student who began to withdraw from the group. Previously, this student had been active and seemed to genuinely enjoy participating. I tried to be patient and understanding, encouraging him to join in whenever he felt ready. This continued for a couple of weeks without much change.
It wasn’t until a writing exercise that I discovered the root of his behavior. He was grieving the loss of a friend who had been killed and was struggling with the fact that he couldn’t attend the funeral or do anything about it. In the next class, I approached him privately, letting him know that I was there for him and that he wasn’t alone.
After that conversation, I noticed a gradual shift. He slowly began to re-engage with the group, and by the end of the semester, he performed in the spring concert.
Reflecting on this experience, I believe that it wasn’t just learning guitar that helped change his behavior. More importantly, he began to feel like a valued member of the group, with a voice and a safe space to express himself through music.”
“Another time, I worked with a student who openly expressed that he didn’t care about anything related to school, including guitar. After about a week of working together, he walked into class one day and said, ‘Mr. A, I still don’t care about school, but I like your class, so thank you for coming.’ His words made me feel like I was connecting with him, and I thanked him for sharing his thoughts.
By the end of our first semester, other teachers noticed a significant change in his attitude toward schoolwork, commenting that guitar class seemed to have sparked a complete turnaround for him. It was truly rewarding to know I had the privilege to be a part of his journey.
When he was released, we reached out to his mom to explore ways to continue supporting him through long-term engagement. During that conversation, she expressed her deep gratitude to ACG, sharing that her son seemed like a different person and that she loved hearing him play guitar. I believe the breakthrough for this student came from experiencing the process and joy of making music.”
Music and arts education can be life-changing for young people in the juvenile justice system. It provides a safe space for them to express emotions they might not have the words for. It teaches discipline, perseverance, and the satisfaction of creating something meaningful. Music can help them see beyond their current situation and imagine a brighter future. It’s not just about learning the guitar, it’s about building confidence, self-worth, and hope.
We at ACG are so grateful for the support of community members like you, who make programs like these possible. Hector shares more about what your support could become in his Juvenile Justice program,
“These students are full of potential, creativity, and resilience. They’ve faced incredible challenges, but they are not defined by their circumstances. With the right support and opportunities, they can achieve great things. It’s important to see them for who they are, young people with dreams, talents, and the capacity for growth and change.
With continued support, I see this program growing in ways that can make a profound difference in the lives of our students. One of my dreams is to grow a long-term engagement program which will provide consistent opportunities for these young people to connect with music and develop their skills over time. I also want to create a program where court-involved students can replace their community service hours by participating in our classes. This would not only fulfill their obligations but also give them something meaningful to work toward—something that can truly change the direction of their lives.
Beyond that, I envision deeper connections between our students and the broader community. Whether through performances, collaborations, or mentorships, I believe these young people have so much to offer and can benefit tremendously from positive interactions outside of their immediate environment. Thanks to the support of our community, this program continues to evolve and provide students with the tools they need to thrive long after they leave our classes.”
Support Hector’s Juvenile Justice program here.
A Life-Changing Trip to Spain
This magnificent story was researched and written by ACG intern Micaela Creo. Who said: “As a rising junior at Wake Forest University I attended an inspiring talk called Art, Money, and Community Service by ACG Executive Director Dr. Matthew Hinsley. Ecstatic about each story I heard, I became an ACG intern in hopes of playing a part in building community with music.”
Micaela interviewed three of fifteen students who traveled to Spain in June as part of ACG Youth Orchestra’s 10-year anniversary tour. ACGYO is directed by ACG Artistic Director Joe WIlliams. We would like to say a special thank you to Alhambra Guitars, who generously gave the group 15 guitars to play for their week in Spain, as well as more than thirty donors who helped make it possible for all to participate. For a compilation of some trip highlights, see the ACG blog, Special Moments: ACGYO Goes to Spain!.

A Life-Changing Trip to Spain
In June, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Austin Classical Guitar’s Youth Orchestra (ACGYO), a group of 15 young artists brought their wide smiles and remarkable talents across the Atlantic, to Spain! As an ACG summer intern, I was invited to interview several members about the trip. I expected a simple recap of architectural sites and trips to beautiful beaches. But I got so much more.
My interviews uncovered the unintended yet unforgettable impact this trip had on the relationships these musicians have with each other, with music, and with themselves.
As a Wake Forest University student I’ll be studying abroad amidst the rich and historic culture of Madrid this upcoming semester! I got some wonderful tips about beautiful sites to see, but the bigger lessons I received surrounded togetherness, presence, and belonging.
Here’s what I learned from ACGYO members Jianna Zamora, Teddy McCoy, and Kian Mitchell.
Togetherness
All three musicians have spent 2 years playing and growing with the YO. In these years, Teddy claims the group has played an integral role in both his personal and musical growth. Last year, the group’s trip played a pivotal role in his membership.
“I have found my fellow members to be adept players and good people, having gotten to know them in more detail on the trip we took to New Mexico my first year in the group. That experience helped assure my adhesion as a member of a thing larger than myself, and that was a lot of fun to do.”
This year’s trip to Spain took that growth to new levels.
Newness and uncertainty led the students to embrace the people they created these memorable moments with. When asked how he was personally changed by the experience, Teddy shared this beautiful sentiment,
“Often, in periods of change, we develop a stronger relationship with the elements (or people) that remain constant in the transfer. That is really how I have changed in my time in Madrid. In seeing wonderful, foreign things, with the natural instinct to stand next to the people a little less foreign to you. To see it all together. And what an experience that is. It turns an ensemble into a real group, strangers into friends, and music made simultaneously into music made together.”
Wow.
Even when they weren’t gawking at beautiful landscapes and architecture, the young artists found a surplus of joy in the simple moments that drew them closer together. Kian reminisced,
“We’d have our own little practice sessions just for fun, we would play cards and it just felt like that bond had really started to grow, that we never got that opportunity during our weekly practices back in Austin.”
My heart warmed as Jianna referenced these same moments when asked about her trip highlights. She experienced the group’s personality shine through in their nightly UNO matches, their laughter complimented by the bustling sounds of the Spanish nightlife from the street below.
“We were all so competitive that that was probably the highlight of the fun things that we did. It was just fun getting to hang out with each other,” said Jianna.
Another simple but impactful memory she shared with me was the group’s bus rides through the mountains in between cities. As they talked to each other with the windows open, she recalled the prettiest sunrises and sunsets she’d ever seen, and gorgeous scenery they wouldn’t see within the cities.
“We’d just randomly see some castle ruins just driving by in the mountains and it was so awesome.”
Their growth as a group reflected in their performances, too. Jianna highlighted,
“Spending so much time together in a social setting without our guitars, we were able to connect so much more when we were performing. I think that really made a difference.”
Reflecting on this, I’ve become more aware that music weaved its way to my most relevant childhood friendships and memories. In elementary school, my best friends and I would have an absolute blast rehearsing for our annual three-woman performance in the talent show, where we all sang accompanied by my guitar. Playing violin together, we giggled together through practices, and eagerly awaited the orchestra’s annual trip to compete at Dorney Park to ride whichever roller coasters we were tall enough for, growing closer to our peers outside the auditorium or classroom.
Moving into college in North Carolina, far away from my life in New York, I longed for friendship and certainty, clinging to my randomly-paired roommate and my new friends on the cheerleading team with me. At our first meeting with the girls on our floor, a shared love for music sparked one of my longest running college friendships, when our resident advisor asked each resident to introduce themselves with an album that started with our initial, and my friend Ella correctly said evermore. The next day, at a freshman orientation event, I frantically searched the crowded field of over a thousand freshmen for any of the few people I knew, when Ella rescued me by calling me over. That whole first year, we grew ever closer to each other, assisted by our shared passion. We shared the most special moments singing together, her lending me her guitar from down the hall, or sharing with me her newest song she wrote. These moments were pivotal in deepening our love and understanding of each other.
Presence
Back in Austin, the freshly finished 2023-24 season focused on the theme of presence, a concept Kian believed aligned perfectly with their experience abroad. To him, presence meant,
“having fun but also focusing on practicing and refining and enjoying the music. It was really about … doing what we love to do with each other.”
After performing some of the season’s pieces centered around presence, the young musicians would walk around the city, soaking in the beauty around them, as well as the role of presence in Spanish culture. In Southern Spain, it’s common to live slowly, being deliberate and intentional in the pace of daily activities. I think the immersion into that culture brought the belief into action.
“Presence was incredibly important in those experiences we had in Spain. It allowed us to enjoy those moments we had together, being present in those moments, active, and engaged with each other,” Kian elaborated. “I think we should all remind ourselves we should be present in our life and we should enjoy the ability to engage with one another in those relationships. We should definitely always be reminded of the importance of families and groups like the ACGYO.”
In my own family, music is a bonding agent. In my earliest memory, my father is serenading my twin brother and I with his guitar, which was bigger than the two of us combined. When my dad was seven, he attended classical school for concert guitar in his home country, Argentina, and the instrument remained fundamental in his life ever since. Once my delicate arms could reach around my small, cheap guitar–also around age seven, but in Long Island, New York– he became my instructor, nurturing my early obsession with music and with Taylor Swift, who dominated my listening.
My love for guitar grew with us, singing my favorite songs on my guitar with him while we bonded over our love for playing and listening to music. I doubt my music taste would’ve ended up quite as great without him training my ear in classic and Argentinian rock. When I’m far away at school, picking up my guitar feels like a hug from my dad, and he loves receiving surprise videos of my dorm room performances. My connection with the instrument also keeps me present in the quiet, simple moments in my empty room. After all, what’s a dorm without a guitar?
Belonging
To know a nation’s music is to engulf in the cultural capital they have to offer. As a daughter of Argentinian immigrants, I can personally tell you a lot about the role of music in cultures. Whether it be tango, rock, or canciones de cancha (passionate soccer chants), Argentinian music draws me closer to my culture and my family abroad. When months or years have passed without me visiting, I know I can keep in touch with my cousins Lucia and Valentina about Taylor Swift’s latest easter egg, or receive great rock music recs from my cousin German. When Argentina won the World Cup, my dad, brother and I celebrated with hundreds of Argentinian strangers in the streets of Miami, from around noon, when the game ended, to past midnight, the crowd had a life of its own. Chants and percussion filled the air, and fans cycled through the multitude of chants for the team. Vamos, Vamos… Argentina! The music was both a product and a producer of intense joy. Music’s magnetic force is a cornerstone of modern and classic cultures, its history running hundreds to thousands of years deep.
In Spain, the classical guitar has an extensive and esteemed history that the young musicians got to learn from and feel a part of as they explored, from watching flamenco performers to performing in the Museo de la Guitarra in Almeria on the southern coast. They even toured Casa-Museo Antonio Torres, where the famous 19th century guitar maker lived and designed guitars that heavily influenced today’s modern guitar. Jianna told me,
“In that guitar museum, seeing the progression of how far stringed instruments have come, it was so cool to see the history… It was so inspiring to just see hundreds of years of people that have been inspired by music to where we are now, it’s the music that brought us to Spain.”
In the midst of these foreign experiences, the music created by the group bridged the familiar and unfamiliar cultures. A Spanish speaker, Kian avoided the language barrier, but discovered the cultural barriers of being in a new country. The overlap?
“Being able to connect with people who live in an entirely different culture, those barriers we overcame through music. Being able to travel through the lens of a musician was really unique for me and I felt like I was able to connect with that important part of Spanish culture.”
To those who didn’t speak the language, the shared music was the language that connected them with the locals who stopped to listen.
To describe the time spent with one another, ACG Executive Director Matt Hinsley called the trip a “masterclass of relationships.” At the beginning of the trip, there was no way of knowing what would happen next, and yet the uncertainty yielded its most beautiful moments. In my conversations with the young musicians, there was no doubt that one extremely special performance stood out from the rest. An unplanned, yet unforgettable, concert on the steps of the Catedral de Granada in the Plaza Pasiegas stuck with the group, and surely with the people who stopped to listen. Jianna was in awe of the passerbyers who tuned in to the impromptu performance, drawn to the beauty created by this young orchestra.
“It’s just so cool to see people stop and take time out of their day to listen to us play without having planned for it. That’s the beauty of music in general, that it can just catch people’s attention and bring people together.”
According to Kian,
“There were even people in their homes up in their patios that were looking down and listening. That was really eye opening to me and inspired me to want to further continue my path of becoming a better musician so I can share and create the same exact environment.”
He gushed about the Granada cathedral as his favorite place, praising the surreal moment the group created together.
“The privilege to play the classical guitar in Granada, even playing a piece called Granada in front of that cathedral, was really amazing. It really helped me personally to connect with everyone that I traveled with, ACGYO members, their parents, and also Matt, Joe, and Alex. I felt a lot closer to them after that experience.”
Teddy also chose to highlight the particular energy on the steps of the cathedral. To emphasize its unique environment, he noted,
“The lack of formality of the performance juxtaposed with the grand location made it one of our most memorable performances. And an informative one, or really I think the word I am looking for is enlightening. Enlightenment in the sense that music is not created in a vacuum, but in the world, and in a place, and foremost, by people.”
Looking Back and Looking Forward
Overwhelmed with excitement and discovery, it’s clear the artists are forever changed by this exceptional trip. As their faces lit up describing their travels, they looked to the future, and examined the changes they felt both musically and personally. While experiencing a rich culture with such old history, it is fresh and new in the eyes of the young beholders, bearing a large influence on them.
Jianna remarked,
“Just getting to see people’s reactions to us playing, and experiencing the music we’re creating together, it’s definitely inspiring, it makes you hungry for more, to be better–be better for the group and be better for yourself, too.”
Kian shared,
“The experience reminded me that playing my guitar is not just about my growth as a musician, but it’s also about what I can share with other people and the sounds and the emotions that I can create for other people to experience. And that trip, being able to watch flamenco players and being able to play the guitar for other people and seeing everyone’s reactions, it reminded me that it’s about everyone in the room, not just about the people performing.”
Kian’s selfless perspective is right, that music is an exchange and a shared experience rather than that of a sole performer. Even in a country where no one knew him or shared prior experiences, that music could bring together strangers.
After these interactions with such bright young minds, I’m left inspired by all they shared with me. I am excited for the future of the ACGYO, and hopeful for the future of each talented musician impacted by the extraordinary trip. It’s crucial we nurture our future artists and create environments that guide them to flourish independently, continuing to make beautiful art to share with the world.
My final takeaway? A Spain bucket list! When I asked Teddy, Kian, and Jianna for a place they thought I absolutely needed to see, I got one answer: Granada, Granada, Granada. Teddy specified,
“It would have to be that Alhambra–forgive me for being so plain. I just can’t help it. It was beautiful and I have never seen anything close to it: the walls covered in writing, and the geometry.”
As of right now, I have no idea what exactly will come of my own travels to Spain, or how my takeaways will compare to those of Teddy, Kian, and Jianna. What I do know is that such uncertainty leaves room for the most thrilling possibilities and new discoveries.
Special Moments: Connecting with Rey Rodriguez & Francisco de la Rosa
We are so grateful for our community of incredible music educators! Education is one of our most precious assets here at ACG and we would like to take this opportunity to spotlight some of the amazing people we have the privilege of working with. Click here to learn more about ACG Education.
One of the coolest moments we get to experience here at ACG is watching students in our Education programs grow into professional musicians and educators themselves and come full circle back into our programs.
This week we had the opportunity to speak with two young men whom we met through our programs in their youth and who are now part of our Education programs as educators!
Rey Rodriguez began his journey in his 6th grade guitar class at Bedichek Middle School, under the direction of ACG’s current Director of Curriculum, Phil Swasey! He continued in our programs throughout High School at Crockett, under the direction of Ron Hare.
During his time at Crockett, the idea of being a professional musician started to come true for Rey. He shared,
“The first time I really connected with ACG was probably when I had my very first lesson with Jeremy Osborne during my sophomore year in high school.
“At first it was a little intimidating. Not because Jeremy was scary, in fact he was one of the nicest people ever, but because I felt like I wasn't good enough to be around someone as good as him. I wanted to be an amazing guitarist and really push my boundaries. I wanted to make sure that he knew I was taking it seriously, especially because I normally couldn't afford lessons and I wanted to take as much knowledge as I could away from him.
“He was very kind and flexible, but also knew exactly what he wanted out of his students. He taught me how to file my nails and was able to show me how to express myself through the guitar. I had a great time learning from him!
“I am the only musician in my family and it was kind of rough trying to find my way through the musical sphere. Thanks to my amazing teachers and friends, who are also musicians, I was able to see just how happy having a career in music can be. Being a musician always pushes you to be the best you, and I really like that aspect of being one.”
Rey pursued a music degree at UT Austin after his time in our programs and began his teaching career there as part of the UT Austin String Project. He had some beautiful things to say about his experience teaching,
“I love seeing others enjoy music. I know that may be a bit cliche, but seeing someone's face light up as they play their first song or after overcoming a hard challenge is amazing. You see the positive effect that music has on others and through teaching I am able to help students expand their capabilities! If they can overcome the challenges that music throws at them, what's stopping them from achieving any other goal in life?”
Beginning in September, Rey will become one of our Education Associates here at ACG! He’ll also be Co-Director of our South Austin Guitar Ensemble (SAGE) with his Middle School director Phil Swasey, as well as directing the ACG Choir Community Ensemble. Rey shared,
“I was a member of the ACG Youth Orchestra my senior year of highschool. It was so much fun! There were some exceptional musicians in that ensemble. I really looked up to them and it pushed me to become a better musician.
“Joe Williams was an amazing leader and he really shaped how I approached ensembles once I began teaching at UT string project. My first time conducting an ensemble with ACG was during our recent ACG summer camp. I conducted the HOME ensemble and it was amazing and very rewarding. The kids were incredible musicians and I couldn't have gotten any more lucky with my first time conducting for ACG.
“I would have never believed anyone if they told me I'd be able to work with Phil Swasey one day. He's someone I've always looked up to and someone who's always been an amazing mentor and person. I'm extremely excited and can't wait to see what we do with SAGE this upcoming season!”
Francisco de la Rosa began his journey at the prime age of five years old in El Paso, TX! We had the privilege of connecting with him in our program at Akins High School.
Francisco shares,
“When I was five years old, I received my first guitar after begging my parents to buy me a toy guitar from a street vendor at the border crossing of Juarez and El Paso, on our way back from visiting family in Mexico. By ten years old I had outgrown that guitar, and I received my first full size acoustic guitar as a birthday gift. I taught myself by ear until I was 15, at which point I received the privilege of learning Classical guitar at Akins.
“My time at Akins really changed my life. It was truly an inspirational time in my life when Travis Marcum and Jeremy Osborne were my guitar teachers. They really gave me a sense of belonging in the guitar class, and I made some of the best friends and memories in that class.”
Francisco has been performing and volunteering for ACG events since 2009. After graduating from Texas State with a Bachelor of Classical Guitar Performance in 2021, he joined the ACG team as a teaching artist.
“I was always inspired by my experiences with Dr. Marcum and Mr. Osborne. However, as mostly a Rock performer for a good portion of my life, I didn’t view myself being much of a classical educator growing up. Nonetheless, all this changed after teaching private lessons and conducting ensembles and watching many inspiring guitar teachers in the classroom. Teaching really grew on me. Just like guitar class helped me come out of my shell as a shy teenager, teaching helped me find out I had another calling, and that was to help other young performers find their hidden talents, like others did for me.
“What I enjoy the most about teaching is giving back to my community and seeing students enjoy playing guitar. Being an educator is my chance to create a safe and accepting environment for my students, where they experience the joy of music and the sense of belonging to a team. I enjoy this the most because someone did this for me, and now it’s my turn to help others.”
This fall, Francisco will begin his new position as the full time guitar instructor at Bedichek Middle School! We’re so excited to have him there. He shared,
“I am extremely honored and thankful to have earned this position with AISD. What I look forward to the most is the ability to advocate for my students, create a community with students, parents, family, and staff to enjoy guitar music together in events at Bedichek and other community events. My goal is that students can learn that music is powerful and can serve their community in many positive ways. Another thing I look forward to is collaborating with all my guitar education friends I have made through the years as an ACG teaching artist. These educators have all been my mentors and a huge inspiration to this next stage of my life.”
As we welcome Rey and Francisco into their new roles, we are reminded of the profound impact music education can have on both individuals and communities. Their journeys from eager students to inspiring educators underscore the transformative power of dedication, mentorship, and the arts. We look forward to witnessing the incredible contributions they will make in our programs and to the lives of their students. Thank you for being a part of our ACG family and for supporting the next generation of musicians and educators. Together, we continue to create a vibrant and nurturing environment where passion for music thrives.
Special Moments: Juvenile Justice Reflection by Angelica Campbell
At ACG, we believe in the transformative power of music. We have witnessed firsthand how music can transcend boundaries, touch hearts, and make a positive impact in people’s lives. Over the past decade, we have been privileged to create and sustain Texas’ first and only daily, for-credit performing arts course for young people incarcerated in the Juvenile Justice system. Learn more about ACG Education and our Juvenile Justice programs here.
We are having our May fund drive here at ACG and it’s because of our community and supporters that we are able to share stories like this. Click here to learn more about supporting ACG.
In my time at ACG, both as a student and now as Director of Communications, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing transformation through music many times. Nowhere is it more profound than in our Juvenile Justice center concerts, and so when I got the date for our spring concert at the Williamson County facility I raised my hand to go. I and many other members of our community had the opportunity to see the group and wow, what an opportunity.
About twenty of us went through security, and then eight more magnetic doors down various hallways before we finally entered the gym where six residents sat anxiously at the head of the room, guitars in hand. We sat on the right side of the gym while other residents, some family, and a handful of staff members sat on the left side of the gym. It was a full house!
Hector Aguilar, ACG’s Director of Juvenile Justice Education and teacher at Williamson County, was sitting amongst the performers as we entered. When he stood to greet the audience, he expressed his pride and gratitude for his students and the admirable work and dedication it took to prepare their spring concert; the students beside him stared at the large crowd that came just to hear them. You could see that they were both nervous and excited.
The concert consisted of a mix of solos, trios, quartets, and full ensemble performances. It was beautiful. It was profound.
Not only was the music, their connection to Hector, and their musicality amongst each other so wonderful to witness, the energy each member of the ensemble carried was inspirational.
When the first soloist performed, you could physically and energetically see an extraordinary shift. When his turn was up, he looked up at the other residents and staff, he looked over at the crowd from ACG, he looked at Hector, introduced the piece he was playing, and then finally he looked down at his fingers and took a breath. He played beautifully. His demeanor lightened as he heard himself playing well; he was thoughtful and musical. When he finished, he stopped the ringing of his instrument and looked up at the cheering crowd with a huge smile on his face.
Every performance went in a similar manner. The nerves eased, faces lit up across the ensemble, there was excitement and celebration in every corner of the room. It was a joy to experience.
The impact of an experience like this is immeasurable. As a musician who went through ACG’s guitar program at Crockett High School, I have felt firsthand the impact of working towards a creative goal, performing for a supportive audience, and feeling inspired to follow that feeling in every area of my life.
For these young people, many of whom have faced significant adversity, this concert was more than just a performance. It was a moment of triumph, a chance to be seen and heard, to express themselves in a way that words often fail to capture.
Experiences like this build confidence, a sense of accomplishment and pride. It goes beyond the notes they played and the applause they received; it touches their hearts and minds, fostering growth, healing, and hope.
I’m so grateful I got to witness such a special moment.
I asked Hector if he could share a few words about his experience working with these students and what the journey towards this moment was like. He shared,
“For three years now, I've been incredibly fortunate to work with the talented students at the Williamson County Detention Center, guiding them through the beautiful journey of making music together. Each day we meet, we immerse ourselves in music, and their commitment and progress are truly remarkable. The weeks leading up to the concert were filled with a mix of excitement and nerves, but witnessing their journey from uncertainty to absolute focus on stage was nothing short of inspiring. Watching the students transform from nervous beginners to confident performers was nothing short of magical. It was a reminder of the incredible resilience and talent within each of them. One of the most unforgettable moments for me was seeing a student, who once doubted they'd ever have this opportunity, shine on stage with pride and focus. It's moments like these that remind me of the profound impact music can have. This work moves me deeply because it highlights how music can transform lives, offering growth, self-discovery, and a sense of accomplishment. It’s a joy and an honor to witness how music helps them discover their potential and connect with something greater. This is why I love what I do.”
Learn more about our Juvenile Justice Education programs here. Support ACG here.
Special Moments: ACGYO Goes to Spain!
The ACGYO, founded in 2013 under the direction of Joe Williams, is an ensemble of advanced young guitarists from across our community. The youth involved have spent years refining their musical skills, and along the way they’ve made amazing videos, premiered many new works, performed on Austin’s biggest stages, and toured as far as San Francisco. We couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of ACGYO, they’re going on tour in Spain this June!
Learn more about our Youth and Community Ensembles.
Our ACG Youth Orchestra is preparing to go on their most exciting tour yet next month; all the way to Spain!
On June 3, the ACGYO will set foot in Madrid, the vibrant capital of Spain, marking the beginning of their European adventure. From there, they will travel to the picturesque town of Muro De Alcoy- a place where magic truly happens.
YO members will have the opportunity to visit the esteemed Alhambra Guitars factory, where amidst the rich craftsmanship, they will pick up fifteen of Alhambra’s exquisite 4 P Conservatory model guitars. Over the course of a week in Spain, the ACGYO will enchant audiences across Southern Spain with Alhambra’s donated instruments.
From intimate performances in quaint villages to large concerts in bustling cities to master classes with world renowned musicians, these young musicians will not only blow their audiences away, they will be forging connections, fostering cultural exchange, and celebrating the universal language of music.
We can’t wait to share their adventures with you!
We at ACG extend a heartfelt thank you to Alhambra Guitars and Fundación Alhambra Guitarras for helping us make this dream a reality.
We also share our deepest gratitude to every member of our community who supports ACG, we are only capable of creating moments like these because of you. We are profoundly thankful to all of you.



David Russell Returns to Austin: A Celebration of Music & Community
At Austin Classical Guitar, our mission is to inspire individuals in our community through musical experiences of deep personal significance. One of the ways in which we do this is through our artist residencies, where we bring world-renowned musicians to Austin to engage with our education programs and community events. Learn more about our mission here. Support ACG here.
This week, we are thrilled to welcome back a long-time friend of ACG and a legend in the guitar world, David Russell. David's return to Austin marks a special occasion as he reconnects with our education programs and community in various ways.
Throughout the week, David will be conducting two master classes at the college and high school levels, offering invaluable insights and guidance to aspiring musicians. These master classes provide a unique opportunity for students to learn from a master guitarist and gain inspiration from his wealth of experience.
David will also be connecting with our community during our ACGtalks happy hour this coming Thursday; allowing music enthusiasts and supporters of ACG to connect with each other and with David in a relaxed setting, fostering conversations and sharing insights about music and life over delicious snacks from our friends over at New World Deli.
The highlight of David's visit will undoubtedly be his four sold-out concerts this weekend, serving as the grand finale to our season. Audiences can expect to be mesmerized by David's unparalleled artistry as he takes them on a musical journey like no other.
David's presence in Austin holds special significance, especially considering the challenges we've faced in recent times. The last time we had David Russell with us was in 2021 when the world was still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the obstacles, we came together as a global community to spread messages of hope through music.
One of the standout moments from that time was the online concert titled HOPE, where artists from across the world shared music and messages of resilience and optimism. David Russell's contribution to this event, captured in a beautiful video, served as a beacon of hope for all who watched it. His music transcended barriers and brought comfort to countless individuals during uncertain times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RIfbgg8DAo
One of the last projects we undertook before the shutdown in March of 2020 was a marvelous 360 video of David Russell performing Asturias with a guitar ensemble made up of AISD students. The video was filmed in the room that has now become The Rosette and is one of our most watched videos on YouTube! Watch below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPLo9ZEGKcA
As we welcome David Russell back to Austin, we are immensely grateful for his unwavering support and dedication to our mission. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our community for their continued support, which makes moments like these possible.
In David Russell's return to Austin, we find not just a celebration of music but also a celebration of community, resilience, and hope. It's a reminder of the power of music to uplift, inspire, and unite us, even in the most challenging of times. We look forward to sharing this musical journey with David and our community, knowing that the memories created will resonate for years to come.
A Generous Gift: Connecting with luthier Michael Fontenot
At ACG, we dream of a world where music is here for everyone, connecting us, inspiring us, and bringing joy and meaning wherever it goes. We share with deep gratitude that it is through the generosity of our community that we have been able to obtain this dream in many ways. Learn more about supporting ACG here.
Owning your first guitar is an incredibly special moment for an aspiring musician.
Over the years we have had the opportunity to share this moment with many young musicians in our programs through the generosity of our community.
This year, we received a very special donation from luthier and guitarist, Michael Fontenot.
Michael donated one of his very own creations in support of ACG Education and we’re giving it away this Friday at our Student Spotlight concert in The Rosette!
We had the pleasure of connecting with Michael recently about his history and journey into becoming a luthier.
In the world of music, the journey of an artist is often marked by pivotal moments of inspiration and dedication. For Michael Fontenot, his love affair with music began at a young age, sparked by the timeless melodies of the Beatles and nurtured through years of exploration and dedication to the guitar. Michael shares,
“I believe I was 10 or 11 years old when I first heard the Beatles song I want to hold your hand. I remember being drawn, not only to the song, but I was also compelled to learn how to play it, and even to write music like that. It was a very consuming experience for me and launched my love for music. Some of the most formative influences for me in my middle school in high school years were James Taylor and Paul Simon. It is from listening to their music and emulating their style of playing that I developed a good portion of my early technique.
This period of my life was also a crash course in “ear training” and that I didn’t work from sheet music, but rather figured pieces out by listening to them over and over again. I played in a band with my older brother and would figure out chord patterns and parts for the other members of the band.”
It wasn’t until late into his undergraduate studies that he discovered his interest in classical guitar! During Michael’s senior year at the University of Texas, a friend introduced him to the classical style.
“I was amazed and intrigued with the control over different lines of music. I sold my steel string guitar and bought a Ramirez student model guitar, went into the Peace Corps with the Carcassi method, book, and the studies by Fernando Sor, and began practicing several hours a day in West Africa,” Micheal shares.
After returning to the U.S a year later, Michael began studying classical guitar at the University of North Texas with Tom Johnson. Though he was pursuing a Masters degree ultimately, he needed undergraduate hours in Music in order to do so. During his two years at UNT, he studied in Aspen with Oscar Ghiglia, Eliot Fisk, and Bob Guthrie over the summers. Michael then went on to study with Eliot at Yale University for his Masters.
At the age of 28, Michael went on to Medical school!
“Always interested in composition, I wrote humorous songs about the materials we were studying in medical school (50 ways to lose your liver, the Bipolar Blues.) Over the following 40 years, I continually played music in one form or another, composing songs and recording them,” says Michael.
Towards the end of 2020, as retirement loomed on the horizon, Michael found himself seeking a new project to fuel his creative spirit.
“In all honesty, making guitars was not something that anyone would’ve predicted for me five years ago. So to some extent, the whole project was fabricated out of whole cloth. I have obviously always loved the sound of the guitar and truthfully have marveled at its construction and beauty since I can remember. But I had no woodworking skills, and no woodworking tools. I don’t remember the moment that the idea popped in my head but as soon as I thought of building guitars, I was completely drawn in.”
Michael embarked on a journey of self-discovery, turning to online resources and mentors like luthier Pablo Requeña for guidance.
“I started watching videos on YouTube and ran across a Luthier in Malaga, Spain named Pablo Requeña who is a phenomenal teacher and builds traditional Spanish style guitars. I purchased a course and followed his instructions, and after a year built my first guitar. It took me one year to build that first guitar, largely because I was still working, and I had to build all of the jigs necessary to make a guitar. I built 12 guitars over the next two years and I’m currently working on my 15th. This year I am exploring more modern styles of guitar making including lattice, bracing, and double top construction,” Michael shares.
As he delves deeper into the intricacies of guitar construction, Michael finds himself captivated by the process of transforming raw materials into instruments that sing with life.
“For me, what inspires me about building is the process of starting off with several flat pieces of wood and ending up with something that makes such a beautiful sound, and is transformed into a piece of art by talented players. Especially this year, as I dive more deeply into the mechanisms of sound production of the instrument, I am amazed at how small changes in the design of the guitar can result in different sonic pallets.”
We are so grateful for Michael’s generous donation of one of his beautifully crafted instruments. He goes on to share more about this specific guitar,
“The guitar I donated to Austin Classical Guitar is my second guitar. It is built with Engelmann Spruce on the top, East Indian Rosewood, on the back and sides, and Spanish cedar for the neck. The Rosette is a classical Spanish style Rosette, which I purchased, and inlaid. I must give credit to Pablo Requena for these early guitars. They are all made with traditional fan bracing in the Hauser style. Pablo had made some modifications to the braces, and I followed his recipe. The guitars are extraordinarily light, especially compared to some modern guitars.”
Michael goes on to share more about this donation,
“I was motivated to donate the guitar because of the work that ACG is doing in the community. As I have gone to guitar concerts over the past couple of years and heard the level of performance of students coming out of ACG Education programs, I have been very inspired to somehow be a part of that.
There is no reason for guitars of this quality to be sitting around not being played. And while it is always wonderful to sell guitars, my personal mission is not to sell guitars, but to make guitars. I suspect that over the next year I will continue to have surplus and hope to continue to give young players in Austin a guitar that is worthy of their dedication.”
We are incredibly grateful to Michael for his generosity and are so excited to aid in the rehoming of this gorgeous instrument this Friday.
Learn more about Michael Fontenot and Fontenot guitars here.

PRESENCE: Connecting with Alexina Derkaz
Last month, we presented a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, community based collaborative concert called Presence.
The culmination of a yearlong collaboration, Presence featured music by ACG’s 23-24 Artist-in-Residence and Grammy-nominated composer Reena Esmail, and performances by the extraordinary Mexican guitarist Dieter Hennings Yeomans, Austin’s super-creative and genre-bending vocal ensemble VAMP, and critically acclaimed bassoonist and UT Butler School faculty member Kristin Wolfe Jensen. These internationally celebrated artists were joined by a massive guitar orchestra, conducted by ACG Artistic Director Joe Williams on stage at the gorgeous AISD Performing Arts Center.
Alexina Derkaz was a member of that massive guitar orchestra and we had the pleasure of speaking with her about her experience with Presence.
Growing up with two professional classical guitarists as parents, Alexina Derkaz is no stranger to the instrument.
“I participated in classical guitar festivals, competitions, and master classes in middle and high school and pursued guitar as my major at Florida State University.”
However, Alexina ultimately pursued another passion of hers, the study of Latin, in graduate school and as her career.
“Without a meaningful outlet or community, guitar fell to the wayside for years. Then, I moved to Austin and found ACG. The Chamber Ensemble is perfect for me. I get to play beautiful, interesting music and perform for audiences again!”
Our 2023-24 season theme and the theme of this past concert is presence. Alexina shared a little bit about what presence means to her,
“To me, being present means bringing my focus to the moment and environment that I’m in. When I’m teaching, it means that my awareness of each student is heightened: we’re making eye contact and I’m not watching the clock. When I’m playing music it means I’m absorbed in the phrases and not thinking about that tricky part coming up. When I’m parenting, it means that I slow down to my baby’s pace, just observing him as he explores a leaf; I have no agenda. Presence means expanding my awareness inward, to the state of my body and spirit, and also outward to the birdsong and feeling of the breeze.”
Presence, the project, was very much a collaborative effort from all parties involved. Every member of the orchestra, including Alexina, got to interact with the composition process and heard their ideas in the final product. Alexina shares,
“Presence was the opportunity to feel like I was a part of something great. So many people worked so hard to make the performance magical.
The intentional collaboration between composer and musicians is what made Presence such a unique experience. At our first rehearsal for the music, we received a worksheet of sorts from Reena. There were fragments of melodies and rhythms. As a warm-up, the ensemble was asked to use the notes to play something that reflected how we were feeling at that very moment. If I had been brave enough to volunteer, I would have played some tense exchange of notes that sounded like the Jaws soundtrack: improvisation and composition are way out of my comfort zone! Before I knew it, I was sent with a group of peers to do that: compose a mini piece to perform using the rhythms and melodies from the worksheet. Everything we did was recorded in case someone came up with something great. Reena was going to listen!
I made it through the collaboration unscathed as the ACG leadership is so kind and reassuring. That was just the beginning. Next, we were writing diaristic entries that became lyrics to the pieces, like a patchwork quilt of the ensemble members’ experiences of “presence”. Then at a mother moment, Joe, Reena, and the ensemble were figuring out the best way for us to make a percussive sound on our guitars in real time during the first rehearsal: Joe was saying “try it like this” to us, Reena was shaking her head, Joe was saying “how about like this?” We try something new, Reena nods enthusiastically – that’s the sound!”
What’s so unique about this method of collaboration in a large group setting is that all that was provided to the ensemble to begin with were a handful of notes. They had a tiny amount to work with so they could have full range in their creative spaces. However, that required a ton of flexibility with everyone involved. Alexina shared more about what this was like,
“If I were to let someone in on a little behind the scenes experience, it would have been the fact that we didn’t just receive our scores to learn all at once (like one usually does in an ensemble). We were literally getting pages at a time. One page this week, then as the composers finished a few more measures, the next page would come. It was hot-off-the-press! The composers were working so, so hard to write this music in a shorter time span than they were used to. One time, a whole page of the piece we were working on was scrapped and replaced with something new; a chord was being changed in the actual rehearsal the day before the concert… it was evolving up to the performance. We performers had to be flexible and ready to put in the work to learn the music quickly.”
We asked Alexina to share some of her favorite moments throughout the project with us and this is what she expressed,
“It was a huge treat to get to hear the singers of VAMP. I remember the first rehearsal we had with them. As they entered the room there was a palpable excitement. I was internally squealing “wow wow, real singers, this is so cool!”. Then I saw my excitement mirrored in their faces and they beheld the 70 or so guitarists facing them. The first time they sang, I literally had tears well in my eyes. I stopped playing and had to find my place again. It wasn’t only their ethereal sound, but the song itself – it was just so beautiful. One piece that a solo member of VAMP sang with one of the youth groups gave me goosebumps every time I heard it.
While the singers of VAMP inspired tears and goosebumps, our incredible bassoonist and guitarist, Kristen and Dieter, pumped us up with their technically challenging extended solos. I just had to laugh and shake my head at their brilliance…”is this for real…I get to play with them??”
Another favorite moment is the feeling of pride I had upon hearing the work the youth ensembles had put into the music. They really held their own and sounded fantastic.
Finally, I always look forward to being conducted by Joe. Conducting is essentially a very difficult form of communication and Joe is a master communicator. He delivers his directives so clearly, calmly, powerfully, and encouragingly all at the same time! He always tells us what we did well first and then tells us what to do better. He wastes no words and will sometimes pause before he says something – because everything he says matters. Before the big group rehearsals I did have the thought, “Are we going to be able to pull this off??” But we did because of Joe.”
When show day came around, we needed a space that would fit our massive community orchestra! So, we held the concert at the gorgeous Austin ISD Performing Arts Center. Which is a much bigger stage than what a lot of our performers may have been used to. Alexina shares a bit about what this was like,
“Playing on the PAC feels grand and important and dramatic and powerful! The musicians really spend the day there, arriving quite early for our sound checks and final dress rehearsal. We bond backstage, share a few meals and pre-performance tricks (like one member bringing a large box of hand-warmers for us to hold before our turn to play). We excitedly anticipate the size of the audience and recount the performance with one another after it’s over. While on stage we are trying so hard to be laser focused and communicate everything we worked on. My whole family came and brought me a bouquet of flowers afterward; they knew it was a big moment.”
We are so grateful to Alexina and to every member of Presence for being so flexible and accomplishing something so magnificent. We are grateful to our community for supporting us in projects like these.
Thank you for your unwavering support of our pursuit of what good can music do in the world today?
Gorgeous photos below by Arlen Nydam.
Lullaby Project: Connecting with Arnold Yzaguirre
Amplify Austin is next week and we’re dedicating our campaign to our beloved Lullaby Project. For ten years now, our Lullaby Project has brought comfort and connection to families facing various challenges by creating beautiful and meaningful songs for their babies.Our Music & Healing artists engage with participants in schools, prisons, hospitals, social service centers, and shelters. Together, they craft heartfelt lyrics that reflect the hopes, dreams, and fears of each participant, turning them into something personal, durable, and shareable. Support our Amplify Austin campaign here.
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Music & Healing artist, Arnold Yzaguirre about his experience with the Lullaby Project. Here is what he had to share,
My experience with the Lullaby Project, in short, has been inspirational. Really fulfilling. Something I never thought I would be doing with the guitar. And I came into it because I wanted to exercise that part of my career as a musician, which is being creative by songwriting.
I used to be in a band many years ago, so I knew I could do it. I could write a song, I could write a good melody. The one thing I was, I’m ok at, I’m a little slow at, is being a lyricist. And that’s one of the big things about this Lullaby Project. But it’s become easy when there’s a very important and beautiful subject, which is the love of a mother for their child, for their children, for their kids. And so, that’s helped me in a way to be a good songwriter in that fact.
I thank ACG for allowing me to do this; for providing this opportunity for me to meet these people. To go into a room and a space and just have a conversation with these mothers. Go into a space I’ve never been in and meet a person I’ve never met. And we’re both a little reluctant at first you know, ‘cause we don’t know what’s about to happen. But they know that they’re there for one reason, and I think that’s what makes it easy for them to open up, because it’s all about creating something beautiful for their child. And when you have that in the center, it makes this much easier, because it’s not a therapy session, even though it feels like that at times, and it can be, and it is in a way actually, but it’s Music Healing. So there are tears involved in these sessions, and there’s a lot of listening. But when you have that in the center: love, and music in the center, it facilitates things really easily. And really all I have to do is just sit there and listen to their story. That’s both easy and hard. Not sure that everybody can do this type of job, but I’m glad that I’m able to do it and I’m glad that I’m able to express myself in that way and that it’s fulfilling in that way.
Being able to do this has been a wonderful thing for my life as a human being, as a person, as a musician. Something I never thought I would be able to do with this instrument. I thank ACG again for trusting me to do it, and I hope that I keep doing it, because it’s a beautiful part of what I do with this instrument. Aside from big events like weddings and events and things like this, where I create soundtracks for big moments, and teaching, where I get to see students every week and get to work with them and create music for their lives, the Lullaby Project has been such a special thing, and I hope to keep doing it.
It’s been 10 years and that’s an amazing thing. I haven’t been part of this project for that long, but I’m grateful for the time that I’ve been given, the opportunity that I’ve been given by ACG, thank you so much.
Last year, we had the immense pleasure of presenting a beautiful concert titled, “We’ve Always Known,” where four of our incredibly talented Music & Healing artists, Claire Puckett, Camille Sheiss, Daniel Fears, and Travis Marcum, reimagined and shared ten beautiful stories and songs from our Music & Healing program for the first time ever.
During this concert, one of the pieces Arnold took part in through the Lullaby Project was performed.
Meraki's Lullaby was created with artist Arnold Yzaguirre and participant Holly. Written and recorded as a part of Austin Classical Guitar's Lullaby Project in partnership with Any Baby Can. Performed as part of our ACG Originals: We've Always Known concert. Listen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZKDSiSn4Bg