Dear Friends,

The faculty and students of the College of Music at Michigan State University have made music an integral part of daily life on our campus and throughout the world. We are proud to share a few profiles that illustrate the power of music in action.

The reason for such enthusiasm is the same as it has always been – a shared belief that music makes a difference in people’s lives and that MSU musicians, educators and scholars in particular enhance our world. That belief is sustained by a variety of high-level work that can be seen in things like a one-of-a-kind conference that combined scholarly work and performance, the impact that the Community Music School – Detroit is having on children through the partnerships it has formed, and the advancement of piano pedagogy through new books like the one written by Derek Polischuk. It can also be seen in the inspiring work of young alumni like Joshua Gronlund who is making a difference in the lives of high school students in Los Angeles, and in our programs that give creative freedom to ambitious students like Jordyn Davis and encourage the work of doctoral candidates such as Alex Smith who is in Ghana as a Fulbright Hays scholar.

Without a doubt, 2018 has been the year of the Billman Music Pavilion which will serve student learning in a new world-class facility. As the year draws to a close, I leave you with a creative holiday performance on the construction site of the Billman Music Pavilion that you can view and listen to above. I am grateful to be part of a community of artists, scholars and educators whose tireless efforts bring such joy to people around the world, and I am grateful to all of our alumni, donors, friends, patrons and partners who enable us to continue this important work. Your support is incredible and much appreciated.

Sincerely,

James Forger
Dean, MSU College of Music