We believe the best way to train music teachers is to provide authentic teaching opportunities while engaging in a community of reflective practitioners. Additionally, we believe in creating a space for discussing and applying many contemporary approaches relevant to music education while remaining informed by the excellent traditions that have made music education strong in America over the last two centuries. As a community of passionate, well-prepared teachers, this opportunity serves to grow the next generation of great music educators to serve students in our public schools.

As human beings continually developing in a complex world, music can help us understand who we are, where we've been, and where we're going. Oriented toward a social justice mission, the Middle School Outreach Ensemble aims to cultivate an artistic disposition by enabling young adults to understand how music's creation, interpretation, and performance can reflect the world around them.

The Middle School Outreach Ensembles teaching component involves all levels of music lovers from our local community. More than 40 teaching artists, including CSU faculty and students, local public school teachers, and even retired teachers, come together to learn and teach each other about music.

During the eight-week program, outstanding high school students who participate get extensive experience teaching more than 150 local middle school band, orchestra, and choir students during weekly rehearsals of the CSU Middle School Outreach Ensembles (Wednesday evenings from 5:45-8:15 p.m., March 5 to April 19 at the University Center for the Arts).

With the assistance of master teachers, high school students work alongside undergraduate and graduate music education students to design, implement, and teach all aspects of the program, culminating in a concert for parents, friends, and community members on Saturday, April 19, at the UCA.

Participants will also be asked to attend a training seminar on Friday, February 21, and Friday, February 28, from 4-6 p.m., and the Super Saturday Rehearsal on April 5, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.