• Celebrating the Life of Candy Lutz image

    Celebrating the Life of Candy Lutz

  • Week-long program culminates with a finale concert image

    Week-long program culminates with a finale concert

  • Students receive certificates and on-stage acknowledgements image

    Students receive certificates and on-stage acknowledgements

  • Students attend lectures by national and international educators image

    Students attend lectures by national and international educators

  • Students learn about the fundamentals of improvisation image

    Students learn about the fundamentals of improvisation

  • Students attend master classes taught by MSU piano faculty image

    Students attend master classes taught by MSU piano faculty

  • Students perform and share their experience image

    Students perform and share their experience

    Celebrating the Spectrum Giving

    An annual week-long festival in July, Celebrating the Spectrum Music Festival, is held at the College of Music on the beautiful Michigan State University campus. The Festival was launched in 2016 and is designed to give qualified advanced pre-college students on the Autism Spectrum a preview of a life in music.  The student’s daily schedule reflects the life of a music major in a university or conservatory setting culminating in two live performances: a “house concert” gives the students an intimate setting to try out their performances prior to the Grand Finale concert in Cook Recital Hall.

    All students perform daily in master classes conducted by College of Music piano faculty Professors Deborah Moriarty and Derek Polischuk. Classes are devoted to solo and piano four hand repertoire.

    Typically, there are 5-7 Festival participants annually with a cost of $2,500 per participant for this week-long residential camp.  Costs include:

    $1,500 Tuition to cover expenses for:

    • Daily masterclass lessons in solo piano and chamber music
    • Individual mentoring by MSU College of Music graduate student “buddies” assigned to each participant
    • Daily lectures by a college professor
    • Daily Pilates classes
    • A performance at a house concert with an elegant dinner
    • A performance at a public concert at MSU’s Cook Recital Hall

    $1,000 Room and Board to cover expenses for:

    • Transportation costs for one student and one family member/aid to attend Festival
    • 7 nights lodging in an MSU residential hall
    • 3 meals per day at Brody Cafeteria
    • Social activities/outings with participants and graduate student “buddies”
    • All on campus bus transportation

    How to give

    To support the Celebrating the Spectrum Music Festival, please mail a tax-deductible contribution with a check made out to Michigan State University and “Spectrum Festival” in the memo line, to:

    MSU College of Music Advancement
    333 W Circle Drive #102 
    East Lansing, Michigan  48824

    Or, make a secure, on-line credit card gift by visiting MSU Giving 

    For more information, and to watch a YouTube video about this unique Festival, please visit Celebrating the Spectrum: A Festival of Music and Life