Students can register for a number of instrument lessons and music education topics for the spring semester. Photo courtesy of the Butler Community Arts School.
ERIKA KOVACH | STAFF REPORTER | ekovach@butler.edu
The Butler Community Arts School (BCAS) has officially opened spring class registration for youth and adult lessons.
This spring, BCAS will offer a wide variety of programs, including private lessons for any instrument or voice type, and group classes focused on different music genres. The school will also offer featured programs, such as Piano for Little Bulldogs, for 5 to 9-year-old students just beginning to learn the keyboard.
Lessons are taught by Butler students, alumni or local professionals, all taking place in Lilly Hall with private lessons and groups typically meeting once a week for instruction.
BCAS program coordinator Megan Sheeley said that with varying degrees of experience, all that is usually expected of students is access to an instrument and music. Often, students will even work with teaching artists to select the best pieces to share for events like Community Performance Day.
“Think recital, but it’s a full day of performances hosted at a community venue,” Sheeley said. “Private lesson students have the opportunity to perform, and our string and wind ensembles also [play]. We’ve previously hosted this event at venues such as the Indiana State Museum, Newfields and the Indianapolis Art Center … It’s a wonderful performance opportunity for students to showcase the work they have put into their musical education to the community.”
While regular lessons and performances are valuable to new music learners, Butler students who are teaching also gain experience.
Christian Miller, a junior music composition major, teaches private lessons in piano, saxophone and musical composition and theory. They said that with music education being the largest major in Butler’s music department, having a program where students are able to learn how to develop as a pedagogue improves their ability to be good teachers once they leave the university.
“My favorite part is getting to teach students at a variety of ages and skill levels,” Miller said. “I never feel like my work with them is ever repetitive, [and] I love getting to see all my students grow and achieve great things. I’ve had a few of the same students with BCAS for the last three years, and getting to see each of them develop their musical voice is very precious to me.”
Janae Winn, a sophomore music education major, has worked with BCAS for three semesters and said the opportunity also allows her to connect to the greater Indianapolis community.
“Learning an instrument can be an incredibly enriching experience, and BCAS provides a way for students of all ages and experiences to gain musical knowledge and skills while joining a community of people invested in the arts,” Winn said.
Sheeley said that a program like this on campus ultimately contributes to Butler’s mission to provide transformative learning and community engagement.
“BCAS provides hands-on teaching experience for Butler students that prepares them for their professions,” Sheely said. “Simultaneously, it enables Butler’s impact to extend beyond campus — enriching the cultural fabric of the city and the Midtown community.”
More information about BCAS and spring registration is available online.
