Alumni & Giving
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