Dear College of Music Alumni and Friends,

Fall has arrived, and we are well into our first semester of performances and classes. Students and faculty, as is the norm here, are hard at work studying, teaching, rehearsing and sharing their joy of music far and wide. Amongst all of this typical activity is a loud, messy, disruptive, yet oh so exciting new development on our grounds: the construction of our new Music Pavilion!

The space on which this new 37,000 square foot facility will stand has been under intense preparation since the summer. Workers have begun pouring the foundation of this long-awaited facility that will significantly improve for generations to come the spaces in which our students work. First, however, we must celebrate this major milestone in the history of the MSU College of Music with a Music Pavilion Groundbreaking Ceremony.

To be held on October 19 at 10 a.m. adjacent to the construction site, we are excited to invite you to watch the event on our Livestream channel (livestream.com/musicmsu) as we play a major role in the celebratory events marking the success of the university-wide Empower Extraordinary capital campaign. The event will feature performances by MSU faculty and students, remarks by Interim President John Engler, Provost June Youatt and others, and a special announcement about the naming of the Music Pavilion.

The new Music Pavilion and accompanying renovations to the existing facilities will be nothing short of transformational, enabling our students and faculty to work in a more professional, safe, and cutting-edge environment. We are immensely grateful for the many alumni, friends, patrons and others who have recognized the value in supporting this project and the students, scholars and performers it will benefit.

After 18 months of fundraising, generous MSU alumni, friends, parents, faculty and staff have contributed more than $16.3M to this student-focused bricks and mortar campaign – nearly 94% of our $17.5M private fundraising goal. Our efforts continue, and every gift, big or small, has a positive impact. We welcome all inquiries into how you can become a part of this campaign. There are still opportunities to name spaces in the new facility, and we look forward to hearing how you would like to participate in a way that is meaningful to you.

Thanks to all who have joined us in making this project a reality. The best is yet to come!

Sincerely,

James Forger, Dean
College of Music