CSU Spur Music Lab

Community-based music outreach

CSU Spur MusicLab is a community-based, and culturally relevant music outreach program that provides fundamental music education for middle school and high school-aged students. MusicLab bridges the gap between meaningful musical encounters and underserved communities.

Led by CSU Music Education students, and supervised by licensed music teachers from Northern Colorado, the MusicLab collaborates with guest artists from Take Note Colorado to provide culturally responsive music lessons and activities.

No previous music experience is required to enjoy this open-door opportunity!

MusicLab takes place monthly at CSU Spur 2nd Saturday in February, March, April, and May. We are fortunate to be housed in the brand new Hydro building at CSU Spur.

CSU students interested in teaching at Music Lab should look for application submission deadlines for following Spur season.

Details

Dates: 2nd Saturdays @ CSU Spur – February 11, March 11, April 8, and May 13, 2023

Location: CSU Spur is located in the Hydro Building at 4817 National Western Dr., Denver, CO 80216

Music Lab Poster (PDF)

2nd Saturdays at Spur

MusicLab Guest Artists – Sponsored by Take Note Colorado

Take Note Colorado is a statewide initiative to provide equitable access to musical instruments and instruction to every K‑12 student in Colorado. Take Note Colorado supports programs that are inclusive, student-centered, culturally responsive, and empower all students to participate in music.

FEBRUARY 11 @ MUSIC LAB: Kid Astronaut is a time and dimension traveling artist making futuristic R&B. Kid Astronaut (@kidastronavt) was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. His music is a heartfelt mixture of soul, pop and engaging storytelling through lyrics that are an honest and revealing look into the soul of this adventurous songwriter. He is also the Co-founder of CONSCIOUS CREATIVES (@conscious.creatives), a Denver based artist collective that believes in the idea "you are the creator of your reality, why not make it great?" linktr.ee/kidastronavt

Photo by @luckyjayded

MARCH 11 @ MUSIC LAB: Lolita Castañeda is a rising artist Mexican-American Latin pop artist who burst onto the streaming scene in 2018. Lolita combines a variety of compositional elements to form her unique and authentic sound. Artist, activist, and advocate for the arts, Lolita facilitates and encourages people, organizations, and companies who have a humanitarian objective. To date, Lolita has amassed hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify, including her recent release, ‘I'm Not Waiting.' Lolita Castañeda

APRIL 8 @ MUSIC LAB: 2MX2 is a Latin Pop/HipHop group out of Colorado. They are known for their modern renditions of traditional Latin music into danceable urban rhythms that explore topics such as immigration, health, education reform and other matters of our time. Band members are Owen Trujillo (aka 01), who was born in Zacatecas, Mexico; and Denver natives Juice ET Hugo, Lolita, DMD, and Kenny O. 2MX2

May 13 @ MUSIC LAB: Pink Hawks are master-level world musicians garnering comparison to sonic innovators such as Fela Kuti’s Afro-beat and Mulatu Astatke’s Ethiopiques Jazz. "Sun Ra's melodically off-the-rails piano playing, and the languid, sonically adventurous atmospheres of Yo La Tengo." (Tom Murphy, Westword) Put on your dancing pants as Pink Hawks set the floor on fire. Pink Hawks

Music Lab Faculty

Sebastian Adams – Program Coordinator

Sebastian Adams graduated from Colorado State University in 2018 with a Master in Music Education, including a wind conducting emphasis; during his masters program, Mr. Adams was the associate program director of the Middle School Outreach Ensembles program and served as interim professor of music education following graduation. His published master's thesis supports the relevance of teacher-student rapport in the secondary music classroom with seminal works in educational psychology.

Mr. Adams is currently in his ninth year as instrumental music director at Timberline Pk-8, a Title I school in St. Vrain Valley School District with a thriving Mariachi program. He serves on the Leadership Committee, and co-designs staff trainings on the trauma-informed classroom, equitable grading practice, and school climate/culture.

Mr. Adams is the artistic director of the Northern Colorado Concert Band where he collaborates with Chase the Music Foundation, a non-profit that connects musicians and composers to perform works for children battling critical conditions. More than a dozen original works have been premiered for children and their families with three more premiering by May 2023.

Mr. Adams loves all of his students, and believes music education is a fundamental right for all children.

Katrina Hedrick – Curriculum Coordinator

Katrina Hedrick is passionate about cultivating students’ personal artistry in music to express and interpret their lived experience, and live an active musical life. Her approach is focused in developing ways to integrate culturally responsive practices with Elemental Music teaching pedagogies, National Core Arts Standards, and mixed-ensemble rehearsal strategies for small, underserved, secondary music programs.

Ms. Hedrick's 12 years of teaching experience includes grades 6-12 vocal, instrumental, and general music programs in rural and urban Colorado public schools; collegiate pre-service music teacher education with Colorado State University; and college and career advising for first generation college students with TRiO Programs with Fort Lewis College. Katrina began teaching at her alma mater, Ignacio High School, on the land of the Southern Ute Tribe in southwest Colorado. She is now in her fifth year teaching grades 6-12 at Bruce Randolph Schools in Denver, Colorado. Ms. Hedrick is very excited to be working as the CSU Spur Music Lab as curriculum coordinator to cultivate our relationships and musicianship with the students and families of the local Denver community.

Ms. Hedrick earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Fort Lewis College (2010), a Masters of Music from Colorado State University (2018), and American Orff Schulwerk (AOSA) Teaching Certifications at UNLV-Las Vegas (2014), San Francisco Orff Institute (2019), and Metro State University in Denver (2021). She is an actively performing multi-instrumentalist in the Denver area, and a clinician for regional, state, and national music education conferences, chapters, and collegiate programs. Ms. Hedrick is a co-founder and former vice-president of the AOSA Four Corners Chapter, and currently serves on the board for AOSA Rocky Mountain Chapter. Most importantly, she is an active participant in social justice projects that serve to dismantle systemic racism at local and national levels through music. knhedrick@gmail.com

Rachel Nieves – Teaching Artist, High School Student Liason

Rachel Nieves is a third year music education major at Colorado State University. Rachel is passionate about providing music education for all students, and loves working with middle school students because of their wit and humor. She aspires to live in Denver, and is excited to get to know what music education looks like in the city. In her free time, Rachel goes to the gym, spends time with her friends, and composes songs.

Leah Dunphey – Teaching Artist and Administrative Assistant

Leah Dunphey is a third-year music education major studying French horn at Colorado State University. Having grown up immersed in music, she is passionate about connecting with people, history, art, and the world through music. Leah is thrilled to both pursue and create opportunities in this inaugural year of CSU Spur Music Lab. She has worked with students of all ages in various settings around Colorado, and is honored to be a part of this incredible program. Leah looks forward to meeting new students, and cannot wait to learn and grow as a musician and educator!