Center for Music of the Americas Campaign
Building, Preserving and Disseminating Our Musical Traditions
The Center for Music of the Americas will study, preserve and present the music of the Western Hemisphere through lectures, concerts and community events by bringing to campus the world’s leading scholars, performing artists, and composers. Collaborations between Fresno State’s faculty, students, and the world’s leading scholars and musicians will significantly transform the department’s curriculum and position Fresno State as the west coast leader in this exciting field of study, performance, and composition.
Building on Our Tradition of Musical Excellence
The Center for Music of the Americas at Fresno State builds upon the Department of Music’s excellent tradition of educating classical and jazz musicians by enhancing learning and creative experiences through the study of a broader range of musical styles. The Center for Music of the Americas will capitalize on the unique cultural diversity of California’s Central Valley.
Preserving Our Musical Heritage
One of the primary goals of the Center is the documentation and preservation of the diverse musical contributions of the people of the Americas, particularly as they are represented in California. Securing our diverse musical heritage for future generations will be a valuable resource for the educational and creative purposes of musicians and music educators and throughout the region and beyond.
Disseminating Our Musical Traditions
The Center for Music of the Americas at California State University, Fresno will capitalize on the unique combination of cultural diversity of California’s Central Valley. Moreover, this will be the only place on the west coast where one can experience and study in one location a wide diversity of musical styles ranging from jazz, Anglo-American folk music, and mariachi to the music of indigenous peoples from the various regions of the Americas.
WHAT THE CENTER WILL ACCOMPLISH
- Communicate the musical traditions and oral histories of the Western Hemisphere, particularly those represented in California.
- Preserve historic recordings of music, musical instruments, scores, and primary sources on music, as well as create new sound recordings, thus providing valuable resource material to aid in the study of Music of the Americas.
- Provide learning opportunities through guest lectures, workshops, classes, performances, and other events that will enrich our community.
- Enhance student and community learning and creativity through residencies by visiting scholars, composers, and performing artists.
- Collaborate with local and regional arts and cultural organizations to provide programs of mutual interest for the cultural enrichment of our community.
- Become a place where students and the community can learn from experts to gain a first-hand point of view of the Music of the Americas.