Bassoon Professor Partners with High School to Expand Access
Posted on March 26, 2026
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert into a powerful fundraiser addressing a critical need: access to reliable instruments for young musicians.
Dr. Reynolds joined the Jordan High School Bands, led by School of Music alumnus Cameron Garris (’19 BM Music Education, for a performance of Julius Fučík’s The Old Sore Head. What started as a musical partnership quickly became a chance to support a program facing a major challenge.
“When I moved to North Carolina, I reached out to band directors across the state to offer my support,” Reynolds said. “Cameron told me his biggest hurdle wasn’t finding interested bassoonists—it was finding bassoons that actually worked.”
Cameron Garris (’19 BM) and Dr. Ryan Reynolds
Recognizing the need, Reynolds and Garris reimagined the school’s annual winter concert as a fundraising event. With strong support from families, community members, and Jordan High alumni, the concert raised enough money to purchase a brand new Fox bassoon. Additional funds will help meet other high‑priority needs in the band program.
“I’m incredibly proud to be part of such a creative and supportive musical ecosystem in North Carolina,” Reynolds said. “Access to quality instruments is a major challenge for many programs, and I’m committed to helping directors however I can.”
The project also received support from Fox Products Corporation, which sponsored the performance. “Fox Products’ commitment to supporting bassoonists of all generations is remarkable. I’m deeply grateful for their partnership,” Reynolds added.
Dr. Reynolds also expressed appreciation for Garris, the Jordan High students, and the families and community members who helped bring the project to life. He welcomes future collaborations with band directors across the state and beyond who are exploring innovative ways to expand access to quality instruments for their students.
Story by Brad McMillan Photos courtesy of the C.E. Jordan High School Bands
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Zachary Hobin as Assistant Professor of String Bass.
Zachary Hobin is an artist-pedagogue whose work spans orchestral performance, chamber music, and musical entrepreneurship. As an orchestral performer, he appears with the Atlanta Opera, Charleston Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, and North Carolina Symphony. Past ensembles include the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Riverside Symphony. In chamber music and festival settings, Hobin has appeared with Luzerne Music Center, Chamber Music Charleston, and the Silicon Valley Chamber Music Festival. His contemporary work includes performances with the Argento Ensemble, including repertoire presented at Carnegie Hall.
A committed educator, Hobin previously served as Visiting Assistant Professor of String Bass at UNCG. His past appointments include serving as instructor of double bass and chamber music at Duke University and as artist faculty of the Duke University String School.
Hobin is Co-Director of the Annapolis Chamber Music Festival, where he helps produce the annual multi-week festival each August—booking venues, hiring artists, scheduling rehearsals, and curating thematic programs—while supporting outreach, fundraising, and commissioning. He is a frequent clinician for college, honors-festival, and public-school programs.
Hobin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Music at Oberlin Conservatory. His doctoral thesis, “Density, Distortion, and Delay,” explores analytical approaches to shaping a performance of Kaija Saariaho’s Folia. Former teachers include Kurt Muroki, Thomas Sperl, Rachel Calin, Peter Dominguez, and Kate Nettleman.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
The UNC Greensboro Concert and Lecture Series presents Lawrence Brownlee, leading tenor from the Metropolitan Opera, on March 20th in the Elliott University Center Auditorium, with special ticket rates for UNCG students, faculty, and staff.
A leading figure in opera, both as a singer who has graced the world’s leading stages and as a voice for activism and diversity in the industry, Brownlee has captivated audiences and critics around the globe. Brownlee has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (New York Times), “one of the world’s leading bel canto stars” (The Guardian), and “one of the most in-demand opera singers in the world today” (NPR).
Some of Brownlee’s most celebrated roles are the title role of Mozart’s Mitridate, re di ponto with Boston Lyric Opera, Count Amaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (broadcast Live in HD in theaters worldwide) at the Metropolitan Opera, and Tonio in La fille du régiment.
Highlights of Mr. Brownlee’s recent seasons include his return as Ernesto in Don Pasquale at Teatro alla Scala Milan and as Tonio in La fille du régiment at Lyric Opera Chicago, as well as his role debuts as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Metropolitan Opera, as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at The New National Theatre Tokyo, and Fernand in a new production of Donizetti’s La Favorite with Houston Grand Opera.
In spring 2021, Brownlee joined The Juilliard School as a Distinguished Visiting Faculty Member. He serves as artistic advisor for Opera Philadelphia and is an Ambassador for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Lyric Unlimited as well as Opera for Peace.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Ian LeRoy as Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre (Music Directing).
Ian LeRoy is a music director, pianist, composer, and educator whose work spans professional theatre, higher education, business, and technology. LeRoy has served as music director for productions and concerts with NYU Tisch Drama Stage, Norwegian Creative Studios, The New York Public Library, Creede Repertory Theatre, Michigan State University, and the Ohio Educational Theatre Association.
In addition to his work as a music director, he has worked as a pianist and vocal coach with Off-Broadway productions, Disney Parks Live Entertainment and Disney Cruise Line, NYU Steinhardt’s Vocal Performance program, and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.
An active teaching artist and composer, LeRoy has led song improvisation workshops at theaters and festivals across the United States, and his musicals for young audiences have been performed for more than fifty thousand students throughout the United States and Canada. He previously served as Resident Professional Teaching Artist at Hollins University, where he taught MFA playwriting students how to write musicals. His scholarly article “The Miseducation of Musical Theatre Majors: Rap Pedagogy for the Stage” was published in the Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance Journal.
Most recently, LeRoy composed and directed the new musical Signals with students at the University of Mount Union as part of the Eckler Lecture series. His work explores new approaches to musical theatre pedagogy, professional development for artists, and collaborative development of new musicals.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
Jane Thomas Bellamy Scholarship Endowment in Music
Posted on March 02, 2026
Freeman Thomas “Tom” Bellamy says his mother’s life in music was inspirational, and that is why he is establishing the Jane Thomas Bellamy Scholarship Endowment in Music. The gift is intended to provide support for deserving students majoring in Piano or Organ at UNCG’s School of Music.
Jane Bellamy’s life in music began early when she started taking piano lessons at the age of five. She played the piano and organ at several Moravian churches in Winston-Salem, and she and her brother, Emory Bellamy, were popular duet partners in the area. When she graduated from Oldtown School, where she received the “most talented” senior superlative, she found her way to the School of Music at UNCG, then Woman’s College, where she majored in Piano; minored in Organ; and pursued a concentration in Music Education.
“UNCG was a real game changer for my mother,” says Tom Bellamy. “Her teachers and professors adored her. She practiced eight hours a day. She was selected to be an accompanist for recitals and programs. The School of Music gave her an environment to hone her craft and gain confidence and precision as a musician. She was becoming her own person and gaining independence. Her music allowed her to soar.”
After graduating in 1948, Jane Bellamy’s first job was as a music teacher at her alma mater Oldtown School:
“Her musical programs were legendary,” her son recalls. “She was a great mentor and teacher for young people, encouraging them to study, practice, and express themselves. Over the years, she taught hundreds of children how to play the piano. She loved the musician’s prayer. It reads, ‘Lord, let me share my gifts with others. Let me use my talents to glorify your name.’
“One of the best parts of the relationship between my mother and me was the musical part. Growing up, I sang in her cantatas; she picked solos for me; put together duet partners; and coached me for many musical theatre auditions. She accompanied my senior recital at Wake Forest University. Tom Bellamy lives in Atlanta now, where he has held church jobs as a staff singer.
“My mother was so happy and grateful that I had an opportunity to use my talent,” says Bellamy. “We would regularly share with each other what music we were working on. I remember fondly and cherish mostly our time together. As the ABBA song says, ‘Thank you for the music—for giving it to me.’ Music heals. Music lifts you to higher ground. Music was always there for my mother—to celebrate joyous times and to walk her through difficult times. No matter what we were going through, we always had a song to sing.
“Maya Angelou said, ‘a bird doesn’t sing because it has the answer. A bird sings because it has a song.’ As for me, my mother is a never-ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words, but I always remember the tune.”
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
Lights, Camera, Action in the Schools of Dance and Theatre
Posted on March 04, 2026
David Furr and students Parys Smith, Rai Nzengui, and Jax Gervasio in Furr's Acting for the Camera class
Since its invention in the late nineteenth century, film has been intertwined with live performance, making it perhaps the most interdisciplinary of art forms. In the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Schools of Dance and Theatre, the medium of film is a tool for artistic expression, teaching, and providing career preparedness.
Professor of Dance Robin Gee explains that film and dance are a natural fit:
“The notion that film and dance work well together makes sense because dance has always been a part of it. When we were developing the camera, filmmakers were using moving bodies to assess the efficacy of the medium. The Lumière brothers were shooting moving people, instead of shooting stagnant objects. There’s always been a moving body in relationship to the camera. Having it develop as an art form historically took some time, though.”
Robin Gee, Professor of Dance and dance filmmaker, recording one of her Contemporary Dance classes. Photo credit: Sean Norona
Gee specializes in African and modern dance techniques, digital media, and screen dance technologies. She has performed with such New York-based dance companies as Les Ballet Bagata, Ballets Africains de Guinée, and Marie Basse Wiles’s Maimouna Keita Dance Company with whom she toured extensively across the United States and Africa.
As she began exploring ways that film could serve in the conservation and preservation of ritual and historical African dance, Gee began to see dance filmmaking as more than documentation, but as its own kind of creative outcome.
Gee teaches a course in screen dance as part of the choreography track for dance majors:
“It’s very innovative. And now you see a lot of dance programs trying to do what we have been doing for the past ten years. We started out with technology as a kind of preservation and learning how to record your performances. Its developed into a new way of composing.
“The outcome is neither dance nor film, but a new creative work of art. It’s more than filming a live dance, it’s making a new piece of art that sits at that sweet spot between dance and film that borrows from technology to enhance composition and movement. I’m not going to just point my camera and try to recreate a live dance. That’s not dance filmmaking. Dance filmmaking finds a way to play with the best of both of those worlds and makes a hybrid new form.”
Gee is the founder of Sugarfoote Productions, a multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to promoting African and African Diasporan cultural traditions through performance, education, and community engagement. She is also the co-producer of the Greensboro Dance Film Festival. Gee’s own dance films have been featured in over thirty-seven film festivals internationally:
“Screen dance allows students to explore things like what are some of the benefits of having a 360-degree perspective? How do you use the tools of repetition—the theme and variation of silhouettes in live choreography—in a filmic practice?
“Our students are making their own work, and they’re not just learning about making films, but how they think about performance and choreography and how to infuse their curriculum with this technology, because it is where we are now. These students are digital natives, and the camera is the new stage.”
Assistant Professor of Acting for the Camera David Furr agrees that bringing film into the theatre curriculum has been impactful:
David Furr, Assistant Professor of Acting for the Camera and Professional Actor
“Film and television are where so many of our students are going to begin their careers. We’re giving our students skills they can use in multiple ways—skills that work for both stage and screen. I did a lot of live theatre then I went into film, and I learned a lot of these lessons in film that I could take back to the theater. They feed each other naturally and you need both. So, we’re giving our students the tools to succeed in the whole industry, to have a diversified career.”
Furr is a Tony-, Drama Desk-, and SAG Award-nominated actor with over twenty-five years of professional experience across Broadway, Off Broadway, television, film, regional theatre, voiceover, and audiobook narration. One of Furr’s most recent roles was Dashiell Montgomery on HBO’s The Gilded Age:
“That’s one of the reasons they brought me on here at the School of Theatre. I’m coming from the professional side, and I’m still very much a working actor, so I can bring what I’m learning in the field right back to the students.
“My college training was classical theatre, and we didn’t have any on-camera classes—I knew that going in because it was Shakespeare classical theatre. But nowadays I think we owe it to students to give them the tools by which they can also make a living. It is responsible of us to say here’s another tool you can use to get paid.”
Recently, Furr was working on a feature film, A Long Winter, based on the novel by Colm Tóibín in the Canadiana Rockies. He used his camera to shoot video of various aspects of the set and the process, edited them, then sent them to his advanced Acting for the Camera class, creating a real-time, real-world experience:
“We had been discussing terminology and the different jobs associated with filmmaking. So, I went around pointing out things like the ‘honey wagon’ (restrooms) and ‘two-bangers’ (trailers with a dressing room on each side). This one is hair and makeup—don’t jump up these stairs because there are people doing precision makeup, and you don’t want to jostle them by bounding up the steps. I was able to use video as a tool to virtually bring my students on set with me—to bring the experience of being on a film set to them.
Trinity Matthews (holding boom mic), Willow Bland, and Marlee Hale shooting a scene in an Acting for the Camera class. Photo credit: David Furr
“I want students to be able to walk on set and know the rhythm of things and how things are structured. And there might be fifty people, you know, for every student who’s doing a crew job for us. When a student isn’t acting in a scene, they might be holding the boom mic. In class, that’s just one student while in real life that would be a whole department.”
Alongside his performance career, Furr has spent more than fifteen years coaching, mentoring, and conducting workshops for actors as they navigate the professional industry. He notes that video has had an increased impact on how actors audition, and his class aims to support students in that way, too:
“First auditions are almost all done by self-tape. I tell students not only do you need to be good at it, but you also need to be bold with it because that’s your calling card. In addition to acting for the camera skills, I also teach some basic editing. The students can polish their tape, and it saves them money to be able to do some of that themselves.”
BFA Seniors are also provided with a showcase opportunity which is currently electronic. Their scenes are written by New York playwright Ben Holbrook (’05 BFA Acting) and shot and directed by Los Angeles filmmaker Thomas Mendolia (’12 BFA Acting):
“We used to do live showcases, but now we do this amazing showcase reel which we just sent out to over two thousand agents and casting directors. We also set up an online showcase for students to meet agents via Zoom. And now these students have material to use for their own professional reels. That’s an amazing use of video in service to our students.”
As Furr and Gee have illustrated, video and film are not just instructional “extras” in the Schools of Dance and Theatre. Bringing the medium into the curriculum has helped reframe how students create, learn, and prepare for careers in their fields, by providing an intersection between live performance and the limitless possibilities of the camera.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
Community Engagement: Public Art and the Creative Aging Network-NC
Posted on February 02, 2026
Staying Power: Initiative for Public Art and Aging is a community and arts-based research project that has grown out of the Creative Aging Network-NC Art Initiative developed by School of Art Professor of Sculpture Kasia Ozga alongside interdisciplinary UNCG faculty and community partners. The team’s research focuses on activating movement in older adults through public sculpture and brings together the School of Art with the Departments of Gerontology, Kinesiology, Human Development and Family Studies, and Interior Architecture.
Since 2023 UNCG and the Creative Aging Network of North Carolina (CAN-NC) have pursued an interdisciplinary arts- and community-based research project combining public art and experiential learning in Northeast Greensboro. The CAN-NC enhances the well-being and social connections among older adults through North Carolina through artistic programming, which is multicultural and multigenerational. This partnership seeks to lay the groundwork for more sustained research into interactive public art specifically geared towards aging populations while exposing university students to positive expressions of aging.
From 2024 to 2025 under the leadership of the project’s advisory council, UNCG School of Art Students enrolled in Sculpture 1 and 2 participated in a year-long proof-of concept process that resulted in the production and installation of a large-scale permanent sculpture on CAN-NC’s woodland campus. In the first semester, students made temporary environmental and site-adjusted artworks at CAN-NC and learned about public art, benefitting from lectures by Professors Elise Eifert (Gerontology) and Louisa Raisbeck and Anne Brady (Kinesiology), as well as technical lectures from local public art professionals at Beechwood Metalworks. For their final project of the semester, twenty students spent a month preparing maquettes and posters exploring ideas for full-scale permanent artworks on-site. This experience culminated in a public presentation in December 2024 at CAN-NC with an external jury of industry professionals.
The sculpture selected by the jury was completed by students before the end of the spring semester, disassembled, and delivered in parts to CAN-NC in late April 2025 and installed by CAN-NC community volunteers over the summer. A new group of students in a Fall Public Art Class translated a series of questions into signage around the work, intended to stimulate discussion and reflection. Professor of Interior Architecture Derek Toomes assisted students in using digital CNC technology to produce these pieces, which were installed in November 2025, extending the reach of the initial artwork.
Executive Director/Co-founder of CAN-NC Lia Miller reflected on the strength of the partnership between her organization and UNCG:
“Our partnership with UNCG School of Art on this project has been a deeply rewarding experience. I’ve especially loved the intergenerational engagement—seeing elders serve as advisors to the students, witnessing the students’ amazing creativity, and watching our campus become more vibrant and beautiful….We hope to maintain a strong, collaborative relationship with UNCG that honors the community partner’s vision and the spirit of partnership that makes this work so meaningful.”
This initiative is not new territory for Professor Ozga:
“My PhD was in sculpture and public art and the question of how public works stimulate dialogue and engagement is deeply intertwined in my own practice. I am excited to expand the scope of our research collaboration at UNCG with dependable community partners who appreciate the labor involved in producing public art and can invest resources towards mutually beneficial outcomes.”
The success of the project so far as been felt by all involved, including Daris Garnes, a member of the Elder Advisory Council through CAN-NC:
“I loved being a part of the UNCG School of Art and Creative Aging Networks partnership. It was great to see the students’ murals and environmental sculptures. Experiencing their fresh ideas was inspiring, and I loved sharing my creativity with them.”
This project has intentions of being sustainable long-term with multiple community partners, expanding its scope and reach. The work already completed at CAN-NC lays the foundation for more long-term collaboration with other older-adult communities in the Triad and beyond. Professor Ozga has already begun conversations in the summer 2025 with potential future community partners for new project development, with hopes that it comes to fruition in 2026. She is excited to extend the existing work with new thought partners. As the team expands the scope of their undertakings, they aim to partner not only with non-profits focused on older adults living independently, but also with institutions and public entities here in Greensboro/Guilford County.
In addition to receiving multiple internal grants to support this community-engaged research, including the CVPA Community Engagement Grant and the Partnerships & Pathways Grant from UNCG’s Institute for Community and Economic Engagement, Professor Ozga also used this research proposal as a catalyst for the 2025 Summer Faculty Community-Engaged Course Development Grant and Workshop geared at integrating the project into course content for the Art Course: Site-Specific Sculpture 3. Other funding support has been provided by the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship & Creativity Grant, as well as the Triad Retirement Living Association.
Interdisciplinary team members from across UNCG are Professors Elise Eifert (Gerontology), Louis Raisbeck (Kinesiology), and Sudha Shreeniwas (Human Development and Family Studies)—these faculty members specifically assisted with grounding this work in existing theoretical and applied research on sensory change and stimulation on older adults. Professor Derek Toomes (Interior Architecture) assisted with the technical side of the project, supporting project development.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
From playing the piano to painting to pirouettes, UNCG’s College of Visual and Performing Arts opens its doors each summer to youths and adults for camps and arts intensives.
This year, the School of Music will host the 43rd annual Summer Music Camp, the largest university music camp in the United States. The School of Art will offer the 13th annual Summer Arts and Design Intensive, and the School of Dance will invite educators to attend a three-day Jazz Dance Workshop led by a visiting Uprooted Educational Team. For anyone interested in taking part in any of these summer experiences, application time is this month!
Summer Music Camp: Based on Excellence and Access
Summer Music Camp offers two one-week sessions with programs in band, chorus, orchestra, and piano and serves over sixteen hundred middle and high school students under the guidance of the artist faculty of the UNCG School of Music, long recognized as a national leader in musical excellence.
Campers and counselors in rehearsal at UNCG Auditorium during Summer Music Camp.
Brad McMillan, Director of Summer Music Camp, has been a part of the team for over half of its existence—twenty-three of its forty-three years. He has served as dorm counselor, rehearsal assistant, private lesson instructor, Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, and Associate Director:
“Our camp was founded on the principles of access and affordability, and we work hard to preserve that spirit in everything we do. It keeps us closely connected to music education across North Carolina and beyond.”
Emily Scotton (’06 BA Music) attended as a camper, then worked in a variety of roles while at UNCG. She now serves as an Associate Director of the camp and says it gave her access to music in a way that middle school could not provide:
“I grew up in a rural area where musical opportunities were limited, so I truly treasured my summers at camp. Those experiences helped to shape my love of music, and they’re a big part of why this work means so much to me today.
“We didn’t have a complete set of instruments at my school, so Summer Music Camp was the first time I had ever seen a bassoon, let alone played in an ensemble with two! The camp is also the first place that I ever had to keep up with my own schedule and budget my time wisely for a week— including navigating a college campus at the age of twelve and having a shared living experience with hundreds of other kids that same age—that learning experience is priceless!”
Dr. Jonathan Caldwell, Director of Bands, says the strength of Summer Music Camp is its strong foundation:
“You can’t talk about Summer Music Camp without talking about Dr. John R. Locke, my predecessor here at UNCG,” states Caldwell. “John built camp from nothing. His passion and commitment to camp is what continues to drive us forward.
“Dr. Randy Kohlenberg, Professor of Trombone, started working for camp in 1984, the year he came to UNCG, and still supports everything we do. There are more than a few counselors who have worked at more than thirty Summer Music Camps. The reason we are so large and so popular is because of the hard work of those who came before us—who built a music camp based on access, affordability, and fun.”
America’s Largest Music Camp
For two weeks in July, the UNCG campus—not just the Music Building— is filled with hundreds of middle and high school musicians here as overnight and day campers. Last year, two thirds of the campers traveled from outside the Piedmont Triad area, representing fourteen states and even Bermuda.
“The beauty of Summer Music Camp is that it has grown and changed, yet somehow still feels wonderfully familiar at its core,” says Camp Director McMillan. “Over the years, I’ve watched our enrollment grow—not just because our longstanding programs are still so popular, but also because new offerings keep bringing fresh excitement to camp.
“We employ over 150 members of staff each summer including conductors, piano instructors, classroom teachers, private lesson instructors, counselors, administrative staff, an instrument-repair technician, and nurses. Teaching faculty and counselor/rehearsal assistant staff include School of Music faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and dedicated alumni who return year after year.”
Dr. Caldwell says it is truly a team effort:
“We engage with partners across campus who have worked with us for decades in housing, dining, the EUC, parking, and more to provide this camp every year. But it’s all built on a principle of service, which is infectious and provides a framework people want to be a part of.”
Music Camp is a Win-Win
Dr. Caldwell has been involved in Summer Music Camp since his appointment as Director of Bands six years ago and has been taking on more administrative responsibilities. He says he never attended a camp when he was a student, but he sees great benefit both for the campers and the instructors and counselors:
“One is the music they get to make with other campers from across the country and our amazing counselors, conductors, and teachers. They get to experience life on a college campus while also getting the social benefits of an overnight camp. They get a chance to make lifelong friends all while experiencing music in an environment that lets them grow while having fun.
“For our counselors and conductors who are in-service music teachers, this can be a way to recharge. Our conductors often comment on how focused their work during camp is compared to their work during the school year when their attention can be pulled in all kinds of directions.
“Many of our counselors are also current college students who can develop their passion for teaching and learning while also benefiting from working with other counselors who may have decades of experience teaching in public schools and for the Summer Music Camp.”
Camp Director McMillan agrees:
“For our current UNCG students, camp offers an invaluable opportunity to work directly with middle and high school musicians, develop their teaching skills, and deepen their passion for education in a very focused setting. They also have the chance to observe and learn teaching strategies from returning counselors and instructors—many of whom bring decades of experience from public and private school classrooms.
“For the instructors and counselors who are current music teachers, camp gives them the chance to continue doing what they love in an immersive environment that likely feels different from the demands of their daily positions.
“And perhaps just as important as the instructional benefits, our counselors form lifelong friendships. Whether they were classmates at UNCG or arrived from other universities and met at camp, these connections create a meaningful network of friends and colleagues. Every one of these friendships is rooted in a shared love of music, teaching, and the UNCG Summer Music Camp.”
Having experienced both the teaching/administration and the student side of the camp, Scotton says Summer Music Camp is a win for everyone:
“Growing up, the closest town or city that offered private lessons was twenty-five miles away. When I came to Summer Music Camp, I was able to take lessons on both my primary instrument and piano. Without the Summer Music Camp, I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today. My experiences at camp both as a camper and as an employee are responsible for my career as a High School band and chorus teacher, and as the UNCG Athletic Band Director:
“I have long said that the Summer Music Camp is the single greatest recruiting tool that the university (not just the School of Music) has, and I stand by that. My decision to attend UNCG as a college student was 100% influenced by the time I spent as a camper. There was a sense of belonging well before my audition for the school of music, as I’d already lived in the dorms, had class in the science building, and hung out in the game room at the student center.”
Camp Director McMillan says he has seen that recruitment benefit firsthand:
“Camp provides thousands of young people with their first introduction to the School of Music and to UNC Greensboro. Over the years, many of them have chosen to attend UNCG because of the positive experiences and relationships built here whether they ultimately went on to major in music or not.”
“Our Summer Music Camp community has really become its own little family,” says Scotton. “We celebrate each other’s triumphs and genuinely care for one another. I have so many funny stories and anecdotes from throughout the years that they could fill their own book! I have nothing but love and admiration for all my Summer Music Camp connections.”
Summer Music Camp has two sessions: July 12th–17th and July 19th–24th. Application window opens on February 9th.
Summer Arts and Design Intensive: Nurturing Passion and Developing Skill
The UNCG Summer Arts and Design Intensive is open to high school students who are passionate about art. There are one hundred spaces available for campers who were in grades 8 through 12 in the 2025–2026 school year.
The Summer Art and Design Intensive culminates in a professionally installed exhibition in the Gatewood Gallery.
The week-long, residential program allows for exploration of a variety of creative visual art experiences, including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, graphic design, animation, and filmmaking—a new element this year through a collaboration between the School of Art and the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Media Studies.
Organized by Dr. Maria Lim, Professor of Art Education, the camp began in 2014 with two instructors, four classes, and about 15 students. By year five, it had grown to its maximum capacity:
“It grew really quickly and has become well known throughout the region,” reflects Dr. Lim. “One-third of our students are from outside of North Carolina. Students and parents spread the word, and an estimated 20% of campers return each year until they graduate. Sometimes they want to come back as volunteers after they go to college. They really love our camp and become members of the camp family. Some of the campers decide to come to the School of Art, but many of them come to UNCG to study in other areas.”
Participants work with faculty from the School of Art, art education staff, and visiting artists; engage with the creative community; and access extensive professional art resources on campus.
Dr. Lim says the camp provides valuable professional lessons for art education students:
“Our education interns use the camp as their service-learning course. They assist faculty and learn classroom management and pedagogical framework. They’ll gain a lot of understanding of high school students, culture, and the camp itself. It’s a professional development opportunity for the students, and we all learn from each other.”
Dr. Lim shares her goals for the students:
“First, my hope is for them to get a taste life on a college campus. So many students don’t feel like they have a reason to go to college. They love art, but they don’t see a purpose in higher education. I think the camp helps them gain insights about why they need to go to college as they pursue their career in art.
“Second, I want them to learn skills and techniques, but more importantly, how to think critically and how to deliver that in art and artistic expressions. So often, the K–12 classroom is very structured with expectations. But a college studio exploration is totally different. We help students learn that nothing is impossible here. It’s their own journey and we will help them along the way.
“Third, I just want them to have fun. Art and studying art are fun things, and they make our lives fun and exciting.”
In addition to art classes, the camp offers enrichment activities, including artist talks, visits to Art Galleries, and a career seminar on the arts. Students also produce portfolio-quality artwork for a final exhibition, a tradition that Dr. Lim really enjoys:
“It’s vivid and activating. We put on a very professional show in the Gatewood Gallery for family members at the end of the week, and the campers choose which of their pieces will be in it. It’s a good way for family members to see their work, but also a chance for students to see work from the other classes.
“I really love to love to see those faces during the week and am excited to see their final show. I like to see the campers really develop their character, their artistic character, and their personal character and watching them find this sense of belonging and connectedness and learning to value who they are as artists. As an art educator and as a parent, that’s one of the best things for me.”
The 2026 Summer Arts and Design Intensive runs July 12th–17th. The application window opens on February 20th.
Uprooted Jazz Dance Workshop: Teaching the TEachers
The School of Dance is hosting an Uprooted Jazz Dance Workshop designed specifically for dance educators looking to refine their teaching methodologies, expand their movement vocabulary, and deepen their understanding of jazz dance pedagogy.
Professor Robin Gee(center) teaching one of her Contemporary Dance classes, organizes the Uprooted Jazz Dance Workshop for Educators held during the summer at UNCG.
Led by renowned industry professionals and members of the Uprooted Educational Team, the Uprooted workshops are directly related to the documentary film Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance, serving as an educational extension that promotes the film’s core message of exploring the history, lineage, and future of jazz dance.
Professor Robin Gee is co-producer of the film, with LDR Creative, and an Uprooted instructor:
“Bringing the Uprooted Jazz Dance Workshop for Educators to UNCG is a powerful opportunity to activate our campus as a site of artistic exchange, cultural dialogue, and professional-level training. Uprooted connects our students to nationally recognized artists and practices rooted in jazz dance traditions while foregrounding innovation, equity, and community—values that strongly align with the School of Dance’s mission.
Professor Gee notes the advantages of having the Uprooted program on campus:
“For our students, it offers immersive exposure to diverse methodologies and career pathways; for the broader Greensboro community, it strengthens UNCG’s role as a hub for dance education and creative leadership; and for the School of Dance as a whole, it reinforces our commitment to hosting impactful programs that bridge academic study, professional practice, and community engagement.”
The program offers a comprehensive exploration of musicality, movement quality, and progressive lesson planning, equipping instructors with fresh ideas and practical tools to enhance their classes. Dance educators wishing to earn continuing education credits will receive a certificate of completion equal to thirty contact hours for their participation in the workshop.
The Uprooted Jazz Dance Workshop for Educators at UNCG runs July 16th–19th.
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
For Maya McCall, it’s not so much the destination (he’s open for anything), but the journey—one with twists and turns, two colleges, and three countries:
Maya McCall
“You know transferring schools and changing majors multiple times is a lot of work and it’s a lot of money, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I think this is the path that I was meant to go on and that this was the school for me to go to. And I’m very happy and excited that I get to graduate from here.”
The journey began in Wilmington, NC where McCall grew up as the only child of schoolteacher parents who loved sports:
“It was a sports household, so I was a sports kid. Sure, I did choir and took some dance classes, but the arts were never the center of my life. When I was twelve, our family moved to South America. The summer before we left the country, I went to an arts camp. We put on The Wizard of Oz and that was the moment I realized I wanted to do theatre. It had a huge impact on me.”
McCall lived in Brazil for two years and then Colombia for four, still participating in sports but doing more theatre and had his heart set on following in his parents’ footsteps. When it came time for college, the family moved back to North Carolina where McCall enrolled at North Carolina State University as an Education major:
“My parents taught at every school I’d attended, and I knew from a very young age that I was meant to teach, too. I’ve always wanted to help people be their best selves and to help them find passion in something.”
For McCall, that passion turned out to be theatre, and while in Raleigh, he did some work with The Justice Theatre Project and the North Carolina Theatre Conservancy where he performed in Mean Girls—another pivotal experience:
“That was the moment that I decided that not only did I want to be a teacher, I wanted to teach theatre. So, I transferred to UNCG. It’s the best decision I could have made because I’ve been able to study what I love. The transfer process here has been so lovely, and everyone has been so welcoming. It made me feel like I’ve been here forever.”
McCall started UNCG as a Theatre Education major but decided to go broader with his studies and will be graduating with a BA in Drama and a minor in Technical Theatre:
“I’ve been able to study what I love, and I’ve been able to learn different things from all my majors. All of the professors here want you to do well and have a bright future. I feel so cared for in the School of Theatre:
“One of the opportunities I had that I really enjoyed is ‘Short Tales.’ It’s a production with Creative Greensboro where UNCG Theatre Education majors can direct or assistant direct. The plays are submitted by local writers, and you get to choose your play, cast the kids, then work with them to put on the play. It was fun and seeing the kids perform is one of the highlights of my time here.
“I also took a class called Drama in Education, where we went to an elementary school and taught kindergarteners using lesson plans that we had created.”
There were also performance opportunities for McCall. He was an ensemble member in the musical Side Show as a “roustabout” and understudy to several roles. He also played Ericka in the play School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play, which garnered multiple awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival:
McCall (center) portrayed one of the leads, Ericka Boafo, in UNCG Theatre’s production of “School Girls; or,the African Mean Girls Play.”
“Being a part of that show was exciting, especially because it was an all-Black cast. Performing the role of Ericka was meaningful because I’m also a mixed-race kid, and I understand the struggle of not knowing exactly where you belong. I’ve had difficulties getting to know my dad’s family—he’s African American—and living abroad in primarily Latinx populations. But that’s also what made the role difficult. Because we’re so similar, I had to separate myself from her during the process. I discovered a lot about myself doing that show.
“Being a swing in Side Show meant understudying about ten roles. It was a lot of material to learn—lines and choreography. It really pushed me. It taught me a lot about how I want to help my future students challenge themselves.”
McCall, (fourth from left) in the ensemble of the musical “Side Show” at UNCG Auditorium.
After graduating, McCall plans to move back to his hometown of Wilmington and work with community theatres and children’s theatre programs. He says he feels well equipped for wherever his career path takes him:
“I’m excited to dip my toes into a lot of things, but mostly with children’s theatre. I want to help children experience what I did when I found my love for theatre.
“One thing I really love about being a BA drama student is that you get to focus on so many different areas. You learn about costumes, hair, and makeup, and you get to take classes like lighting design, sound, and stage management. I’ve taken so many kinds of classes in technical theater and performance. That’s helped me create a well-rounded profile as a theatre educator.”
That’s one of the lessons he’ll share with his future students, and it’s his advice to current School of Theatre students, too:
McCall (right) in UNCG Theatre’s New Play Festival.
“Do anything and everything. There are so many areas of theatre to try out and so many clubs and organizations outside of theatre. Try everything. You never know what you might fall in love with or what you might be really good at. By not limiting yourself, you’ll probably give yourself more career opportunities!”
A December collaboration between Dr. Ryan Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Chamber Music at UNCG, and the C.E. Jordan High School Bands in Durham, N.C., transformed a winter concert... Continue reading...
Saxophonist Franco Romero is charting a remarkable musical journey at UNCG. After beginning his training in Cuba’s conservatory system, a pivotal mentorship at UNCG helped him refine his artistic path. Today, supported by scholarships from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, Romero continues to grow as a forward‑thinking artist in the UNCG Jazz Studies program—embracing new opportunities, deepening his craft, and living out his dream in jazz.
