ACG Education

We dream of a world where music is here for everyone, connecting us, inspiring us, and bringing joy and meaning wherever it goes. 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.

Education is at the center of our service here at ACG and we are grateful to continue to grow and share in moments of inspiration with teachers and students everyday.

In 2012, ACG in collaboration with Austin ISD, built the first Large Guitar Ensemble Concert and Sight Reading Contest. Structured after UIL competitions, students and teachers from Middle and High School guitar programs across the state gather at the beautiful Austin ISD Performing Arts Center to perform concerts they have worked hard on throughout the year and test their music sight reading abilities as an ensemble. 

Every year we are so amazed by the talent, dedication, and drive that comes into this competition from teachers and students alike. And we are so grateful for the hard work and clear success that comes out of our programs.

We had our Austin Concert and Sight Reading competition just earlier this week! It was so moving to see the transformation of nerves and jitters to cheers and pride after each group successfully moved through each rehearsal space, performance, and judging room.

Here are some beautiful moments from this years Concert and Sight Reading! Photos by Christina Castro.

One of our favorite things about music is the time it creates for togetherness. Listening and playing together gives us experiences we share as if we’re one, over time that can turn into relationships, friendships, trust, and treasured memories. 

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. Click here to learn more about supporting ACG.

This week, we had the opportunity to connect with an inspiring young man, Xavier Eric Briones. 

Eric is a high school senior, he’s an ACG Javier Niño scholarship recipient who was just accepted into all four music schools where he applied, and he already has so much to teach us all!

We met Eric in our AISD public school programs but prior to this, he was already dabbling in teaching himself how to play the guitar, and a multitude of other instruments. He grew up in a low-income household and had to learn some difficult lessons early on in his youth. He shares, 

“Guitar came to me as a mere coincidence through school. As time went on I took it seriously 2 years ago. What really brought me to it, was the love for music and how much I could express myself with it. Playing as if I was performing felt amazing, and the strive to get better kept me going. Although, I had no teacher so I was self taught and I ended up just giving up on guitar as a dream goal until I met my guitar director, Ms.Meredith, who helped me develop the goal to continue it as a career. Although I come from a really low income household, I worked hard to get to where I am now. 

I grew up as a “delinquent,” and overall a “bad kid.” I didn’t have much guidance in life for a long time. From doing things I shouldn’t have done as a kid to getting in a position where I have a legal record, I overcame a lot of stuff in life. I was able to keep going, because of the desire to help my family one day. 

I always had a lot of people tell me I would do horrible in life, and I love to prove people wrong. I grew up homeless. I was born on the street, from house hopping to house hopping. I’m grateful to God and my mother for working so hard to get to where we are today. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to get to this point in my life. As a juvenile delinquent, no matter where you are in life, and what your status is. You can do right in the world, as long as you put your mind to it and DO IT. Don’t just say it.. DO IT. It’s all in the mind, and the drive to do great things.”

I learned early on that I love to help people but when I realized I could do it with music, it inspired me. My goal is to make an impact. My future with guitar and plans in life is very simple, to make an impact on the world and upcoming generations of people. I don’t care about being the best guitarist, or musician. Simply to be the best leader I can be and an inspiration to others in the world.”

Eric is already doing amazing things within our community. Just this year, he began working with several students from our Juvenile Justice Long Term Engagement program. In fact, he performed with them in their very first public performance just earlier this week! Their ensemble is called the VITA Quartet. Eric shares more about this work, 

“I saw VITA or also known as JJE Education Group, because I came across an email from the subscription ACG Email Website, with something about Juvenile Justice Education Guitar Group, being highlighted. With having a criminal background myself, it sparked my interest because I want to make an impact with people in my community that I relate to and who may not see what the future can bring. 

So I joined VITA/JJE, as a mentor, to give the kids guidance, and hope to show them that there are options out there to do good in the world and make it far. Of course I also teach them the basics of guitar.

The concert earlier this week went great. And when the South Austin Guitar Ensemble played after us, two of the students I sat next to loved to see how great musicians can be and it was wonderful seeing the students so focused and nervous at the concert because it shows how much they care about it. These kids seriously love music, and it was awesome to see them super into it.”

Looking forward, Eric plans on attending the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida in the Fall to study Music Therapy and potentially double major in Music Education. 

“I don’t plan to retire from this path until I’m unable to walk. The feelings that drive all of this are love and passion.” 

We’re so grateful to connect with such talented people in our community and continue to create beautiful music and experiences with them. And we look forward to sharing more stories like these with you! 

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.

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. Click here to learn more about supporting ACG.

I just left lunch with Hector Aguilar, our Director of Juvenile Justice Education here at ACG. I was so inspired by our conversation that I rushed home to write this letter to you.

Hector runs our programs for court-involved youth in Travis County’s Gardner Betts Detention Center and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs, as well as Williamson County’s Juvenile Services, and Dallas County’s Henry Wade and Medlock facilities. Over lunch he told me a series of amazing stories of young people in difficult circumstances reaching above and beyond through music. My heart was racing.

One story Hector told me was of a conversation he had recently with a young man at one of the facilities. He’s been participating in guitar for several months, finding joy, and improving as a musician. He stopped Hector after their class to ask if it would be possible for his younger brother to get involved in guitar as well.

“I’m worried about him,” the student said. “He’s getting involved in some things he shouldn’t be, and I think guitar could really help him like it’s helped me.”

In all my years in and around education I’ve seen a lot of young people do amazing things with music. But it’s less common, I’ve found, to have awareness around oneself of the broader benefits being developed. As Hector was describing the interaction, I was blown away by the perspective exhibited by this young musician, and his care and hopes for his brother.

Thank you so much for your belief in ACG and in the power of music to help youth in our community.

Leadership often reveals itself in moments of challenge and change. When faced with the absence of a dedicated guitar teacher at Bowie High School, Jianna Zamora rose to the occasion, taking on the role of a teacher’s aide and inspiring her peers along the way. Her story  shares the power of initiative, resilience, and the impact of a supportive community.

Support ACG Education and students like Jianna here.

At the beginning of the school year ACGYO member, Jianna Zamora, learned that her high school’s guitar program had consolidated into a single class and was going to be taught by the new orchestra teacher; someone not familiar with the guitar. 

Recognizing an opportunity to contribute, Jianna embraced the chance to help teach her peers when approached by the orchestra and the music theory/piano teacher asking for assistance as a teacher’s aid.

“It sounded fun,” Jianna shared. “So, I was able to get my schedule changed and began teaching the class.”

This role wasn’t just about filling a gap; it was about creating a meaningful experience for her classmates. 

“Preparing for our first performance took the entire first 9 weeks of school. Though I was very proud of our performance, we had to make every class count to perform to the best of our ability.”

The experience of leading her peers offered Jianna invaluable insights into herself and her students.

 “I’ve learned so much, about teaching obviously, but also about myself and the students,” she reflected. “Getting to be in a leadership role really helped me to become more assertive and to speak my mind, which is essential when leading a class of 10 high schoolers!”

Jianna explains what inspired her to take on this role, 

“The guitar class at Bowie has not had a stable teacher since my freshman year. Since I’ve been informed that this school year will be the last year of the guitar class, I wanted to help out and provide a good class environment for the kids who signed up for the class this year. After attending the teacher summit at ACG over the summer, I felt like with the support from my teachers, peers, and mentors at ACG, I would be able to make a positive impact on the program.” 

Stepping into a dual role as both a student and teacher wasn’t without its difficulties. 

“It definitely has not always been smooth sailing, it was kind of tough to find the balance between being a student and a teacher.”

Despite these hurdles, Jianna’s commitment never wavered. Each challenge became an opportunity for growth, reinforcing her determination and deepening her connection to her peers and the program.

Jianna’s leadership at Bowie High School has created a ripple effect, empowering her classmates and leaving a lasting impression not only on the guitar program but on us as well. We are so proud and grateful to have incredible, hardworking, and dedicated students in our community. People like Jianna, help our community thrive.

Early this October, we had the honor of hosting this season’s Artist-in-Residence, the legendary Pepe Romero, for his first week-long residency. 

Pepe’s presence was nothing short of magical, filled with moments that touched each and every one of us. Whether through his words, his playing, or his teaching, Pepe brought an unmatched depth to his time with us.

Special thanks to atsec information security for their generous support of our Artist in Residence program with Pepe Romero. 

The residency was the culmination of months of preparation. Nine exceptionally talented students from our programs worked alongside our teaching artists to refine the music they would perform with Pepe. Then together, they rehearsed in three quartets, with Pepe joining each group as the fourth member. These quartets will perform as part of our highly anticipated season finale in May, GIVE.

ACGYO member, Jianna Zamora, spoke about her experience being part of this project,

“We’ve spent about the past 2 months working with Alex Lew, Tony Mariano, Greg Sonnier, and Teddy McCoy on our music in preparation for Pepe Romero’s arrival. It has been super fun for me because I love getting to spend time and make music with not only my good friends but also amazing musicians that really inspire me to be my best that I can be.

I am someone that gets nervous when I play solos on stage, so I was expecting some of that to happen when performing in this quartet, but it didn’t! This experience was so much fun and I felt nothing but excitement and anticipation for our performance for Pepe. As soon as we were on the stage, I was just happy that we could share the music we’ve been learning together, and I can only hope that it makes at least one person in the audience feel the way that I do when I play it!

With pepe being the legend that he is, I was nervous to meet him. Of course everyone told me that he was the nicest guy on earth (which I soon found out to be true) but I still was scared that I wouldn’t play my music perfectly. Once we got to rehearse with him, I saw that he truly is such a patient, smart, and kind person. And I’m actually almost glad I messed up a few times because in my eyes the feedback he gave me was worth way more than a compliment.

The best thing about Pepe is how he really feels the music; both when he plays and when he listens. So to see his reaction that was genuine excitement was really meaningful to me. In that moment, all the work and time we had put into this music finally became a physical, tangible thing. I’ll never forget it.

The first time we had rehearsal with him, he had us all sit with our eyes closed and pluck the low E string, and he encouraged us to feel the vibrations from the guitar. It made me think about how we sometimes take for granted what a beautiful instrument we have, and that the sound it makes is not its only sensory quality. To also feel the sound is to understand the music on a deeper level, and that’s something that has already impacted my daily practice.”

Pepe Romero’s impact went far beyond the technical elements of the music. Another ACGYO and quartet member, Satvik Chawla, shared a particularly powerful moment from rehearsal also,

“The most powerful moment for me was when Pepe reminded us that notes are like bottles; it’s what you put in them, the emotions, the expressions, that make them have substance. When I listened to his playing, both at Monday’s concert and during rehearsals, I couldn’t hear a single note that Pepe didn’t put some sort of feeling into. Everything he played had purpose, and even with slight stumbles, he kept the same musicality of the piece.”

This lesson encapsulated the artistry that Pepe brings to every performance and rehearsal, teaching students to not just play the notes, but to fill them with life and meaning. It’s a reminder that music is as much about emotion as it is about technique.

One parent who observed Pepe during a group lesson reflected on another transformative moment,

“We sat in the balcony Wednesday night for the last twenty minutes or so of the group lesson. This was during Pepe Romero’s demonstration of hand movements and exercises. If you had simply described this moment to me, I might not have been able to grasp how spellbinding it was. Honestly, at a certain point, I think I was starting to feel hypnotized! The lesson itself was very important and powerful at a practical level. Zooming back, you also saw an older man imparting the wisdom of a lifetime-how to nurture and preserve your body to keep doing what you love—to a group of young musicians with decades in front of them. To me, it was the embodiment of what it means to teach, and to learn.”

Pepe’s ability to build profound connections with his students, reminded us all that teaching music is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s about sharing a lifetime of experience, wisdom, and care.

The week concluded with our season benefit concert at the home of Jeff and Gail Kodosky, where Pepe shared the touching story of how his father composed a beautiful tango to propose to his mother. Then Pepe surprised us all by asking our Executive Director, Matt Hinsley, to join him on stage and sing! Their performance was as heartfelt as it was unforgettable, a perfect testament to the friendship and artistry that had grown throughout the week.

Would you like to see it? As a token of our appreciation, we’ll share a link to a video of Pepe and Matt’s special performance with everyone who makes a contribution to ACG from now through the end of the month! 

If you’ve already donated, or if now’s not the right time to give but you’d still love to see the performance, simply send the word PEPE to this email and we’ll send you a link.

This week was a transformative experience for everyone involved. 

Pepe and his wife Carissa reflected on their experience in Austin, sharing:

“We wanted to thank you, our hosts and your team for a wonderful time in Austin. It makes such a difference to work with people on a certain wavelength and cultivated mindset, and we are truly impressed.”

Jianna reflected on the impact it had on her as a musician, 

“I’m just really grateful to have this opportunity to make music with Pepe and all of these amazing guitarists. I’m really proud of the growth I’ve had with ACG, and I’m excited for what’s to come in the rest of this season.”

Pepe’s residency was not only a celebration of music but a celebration of human connection, teaching, and the lifelong pursuit of artistry. 

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

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.

At ACG we often think of special moments as gifts. This holiday season, we’d like to share some of these gifts with you in a series we’re calling Beautiful Gifts.

Learn more about how to support ACG and make a year-end gift here.

Just this week, we had the privilege of witnessing a heartwarming and transformative experience as ACG Teaching Artist, Brendon Grabowski and Director of Guitar at Travis High School, Susan Ronzac presented a gifted guitar to a talented young student at Travis named Tyrique. This guitar, generously provided to us by Hungry for Music, is a symbol of encouragement, inspiration, and a bright musical future for Tyrique. 

Tyrique’s private teacher, Brendon, shared his thoughts on Tyrique’s musical journey and the impact of this gift. 

“Tyrique is an extremely focused, inquisitive and hard working person who deserves a beautiful guitar that can match his high level of playing. It has been so much fun to watch Tyrique change as a player every single week as he practices diligently and works on all of the things we changed in his previous lesson. His care for music and the guitar are inspirational, and it is my honor to call him my student (and of course Susan’s!). Bravo to Tyrique and his bright musical future – I look forward to our continued growth over the years!” – Brendon Grabowski, ACG Teaching Artist

Moments like these can be life changing and leave a lasting impression. Susan shared what this moment was like in her classroom with Tyrique, 

“One of the best parts of this morning was how much his classmates supported and cheered for him. Every one of them was really happy for him and they thought he was the most deserving among them all. That instrument will be carried with him 24/7. The smile on his face will be there for weeks! Thank you all so much for this amazing gift, that couldn’t go to a more deserving student, and also for ACG’s unwavering support for both my program and of me. I have the teaching career I dreamed about in my youth because of that support. Being able to see the sheer joy and amazement on Tyrique’s face has filled my cup! Moments like this are why I do what I do!”  – Susan Ronzac, Director of Guitar at Travis HS

Director of Community Education, Tony Mariano, reflected on the profound impact a gifted instrument can have on a young person’s life. He shared, 

“When I think of the true effect a gifted instrument can have on a young person’s life, the word that immediately comes to mind is validation. A gift of a beautiful instrument tells a young artist, “you are doing the right thing, keep creating beautiful things, stay inspired, the community believes in you.” The emotions that are on full display when a young person opens the case for their new guitar for the first time and pulls out a spectacular new instrument are profound. Joy, pride, inspiration, encouragement – these are the feelings that power ACG. I am incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of these wonderful moments, and I am incredibly grateful for the community that steps up to make these gifts and these moments possible.” – Tony Mariano, Director of Community Education

Stories such as these exemplify the transformative power of music and the importance of community support. ACG is grateful to be a part of Tyrique’s journey and to contribute to the joy and inspiration that music brings. 

As we continue our Beautiful Gifts series, we look forward to sharing more heartwarming moments that showcase the positive impact of music in our community. 

Learn more about how to support ACG and make a year-end gift here.

Austin Classical Guitar Youth orchestra is celebrating its tenth year with a tour to Spain! We’re raising funds to make sure all the members can go, and to help make ACGYO the best it can be. If you’d like to make a gift, you can donate here.

What a wonderful journey we’ve had so far at ACG Youth Orchestra! We’ve commissioned and premiered new works, performed in Austin’s major venues, made beautiful recordings, toured across Texas and beyond, and collaborated with other students, professionals, and even stars like Clarice Assad, David Russell, and Pepe Romero!

This year, in addition to beautiful performances and the premiere of a major new work by celebrated composer Reena Esmail, ACGYO is going on tour in June to Spain. We’re raising funds so that every member can make the trip.

We welcome your support! You can donate here, or, if you would like to get involved as a sponsor or business partner, email [email protected] and we’ll talk!. Either way, we’ll make sure to invite you to special ACGYO performances this season, keep you informed on all things related to our trip to Spain, and send special thanks from our super-talented young members along the way.

ABOUT ACG: In addition to our amazing concerts and the opening of our new theater in Hyde Park, The Rosette, our Education division has had the incredibly rare opportunity to add an entirely new for-credit course subject to American public schools. What started in one school in 2001, has grown to every Austin ISD school, 45 schools districts in Texas, and 40 US states, including Texas’s first and only for-credit daily performing arts classes for incarcerated youth (now in five facilities), and the world’s first lifelong learning system in braille for blind and visually impaired learners. If you’d like to learn more about this cause, you might enjoy reading our most recent Education Report.

Thank you for helping us make the world a better place through music!