From Matt Hinsley: How We Make Change

We dream of a world where music is here for everyone, connecting us, inspiring us, and bringing joy and meaning wherever it goes. We are having our Fall fund drive here at ACG and it’s because of our community and supporters that we are able to share stories like this. Click here to learn more about supporting ACG.

How do we make change?

It’s all about people. As I reach the start of my twenty-eighth year with ACG this simple truth is clearer to me than ever before. 

We’ll invest just over $1.6 million in our community programming this season, and today as we enter the final weeks of our Fall Fund Drive, I wanted to share a few thoughts about what we’re investing in, and why.

At ACG we make positive change in the world through a combination of two things: beauty + kindness. 

Beauty is like our organizing principle. It’s the reason we get together, for a concert or class or rehearsal. In the aim of making beautiful things – and this extends to art, food, and the Rosette itself – we find our medium for togetherness, our reason to gather and wonder and celebrate. Kindness, however, is the magical force that lifts and inspires us. Kindness is why we return year after year, its why we give, its why thousands of kids courageously apply themselves and take chances, day after day in our classes.

We’ll spend close to $500,000 on our artistic productions this season, but really that’s an investment in people. We’ll hire composers, arrangers, performers, sound and lighting technicians, and the managers and caterers needed to make it all work.

I began doing this when I was 20 years old, and ringing in my ears at the time was the caring conventional wisdom that you can’t make money as an artist. I set out to change that. When you read about artists struggling with housing and healthcare as they play for tips, I’m proud to say that’s not what happens at ACG. We’ve grown from having no articulated budget, to become the largest classical guitar talent buyer in the history of our nation. And that means consistent, meaningful employment for a lot of people.

And we’ll spend nearly a million dollars on our education and healing programs, which is an investment in the amazing teachers, directors, healers and performers who build our school programs, run our community ensembles, and bring music to places where it’s urgently needed.

It’s in this space of nurturing, that the role of kindness is profound. There’s a secret sauce at the heart of ACG education. Yes, we teach music literacy and skills to play guitar, but there’s a reason our systems have spread all across the nation and beyond. There’s a reason close to 4,000 kids are playing guitar in our central Texas school programs each day. There’s a reason we have 13 years of peerless success engaging incarcerated youth. We devised a whole theory and training system, actually, that you can learn about here. But the main thing to know today is that it’s all about kindness. And kindness, is all about people.

Where does our funding come from? Well, that’s all about people and kindness, too. About two-thirds of ACG revenue is contributed, and that comes from a combination of foundation sources and from individuals like you who believe in us. The other third comes from “earned revenue” – things like ticket sales, Rosette rentals, workshop and ensemble registrations, and schools that pay for our curriculum systems and training.

I’m incredibly proud of our team and I’m incredibly grateful to our many friends like you who make it all possible. Each week I hear about students in our scholarship programs who are overcoming challenges with just a little bit of support, I hear about struggling teachers in our nationwide network who are improving thanks to the patient coaching of our experts, I hear from artists near and far who are hoping to get involved in our thoughtfully designed artworks, and I hear from community leaders who want advice about building similar organizations wherever they live. All these things happen because of a combination of beauty + kindness, delivered by people who care, and who are paid professionally to do the intricate work they’re uniquely qualified to do. 

Thank you for helping make it all possible. Thank you for believing in us, and in the power of music to do good in the world. If you have any questions at all about how we do what we do, the big plans we have for the future, or how you might be able to get more involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at matt@austinclassicalguitar.org

In gratitude,

Matt Hinsley, Executive Director


Music & Healing: Yellow Paper Birds by Eden Pearl with Shayna Sands

ACG Music & Healing brings human connection, beauty, and expressivity to individuals facing isolation and challenge, through collaboration with a skilled and trained ACG Artist. These services are available to a wide variety of clients through partnerships with more than a dozen social service providers including hospitals, shelters, residential rehabilitation facilities, parental education and family health organizations, and veterans service providers. Learn more about ACG Music & Healing.

 

Yellow Paper Birds is a beautiful song about keeping hope with you so you can fight towards a better future. Crafted with heartfelt words and melody by Eden Pearl (vocals), with Shayna Sands on guitar.

It was written and recorded in partnership with Foundation Communities.

"We started out as a guitar workshop but one day during a smaller group, we tried our hand at writing. Eden had a very brilliantly creative mind and took to it right away. She said she had written parts of songs and poems before.  Within a few sessions she had the main concept and lyrics along with a beautiful melody. We were in the process of learning to play and sing simultaneously in the class. I added some chords to fit her cool vibe and it worked :) It was a lovely process that also blossomed into a mentorship and friendship. She has taught me a few things about singing too!" - Shayna Sands

Special Thanks to ACG Production Director Todd Waldron for both video and audio capture and engineering.

Filmed at The Rosette, March 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uMy-Mh3zSg


Music & Healing: Lullaby Project with Any Baby Can

ACG Music & Healing brings human connection, beauty, and expressivity to individuals facing isolation and challenge, through collaboration with a skilled and trained ACG Artist. These services are available to a wide variety of clients through partnerships with more than a dozen social service providers including hospitals, shelters, residential rehabilitation facilities, parental education and family health organizations, and veterans service providers. Learn more about ACG Music & Healing.

 

At ACG, we believe in the transformative power of music. Since 2014, we’ve worked with young parents in challenging circumstances to help them write personal songs for their children. To do this, we have partnered with several incredible community organizations, including Any Baby Can.

To help illuminate the power of this work, and our partnership, we’re really pleased to share the reflection below from Any Baby Can Program Supervisor, Kathryn Austin. 

At Any Baby Can, we provide services for low income families that have children at risk of developing a developmental disorder or experiencing the impacts of chronic stress and poverty. We are so grateful for the Lullaby Project for helping our moms find the comfort and joy of raising a baby amidst so many societal barriers and stressors. This program empowers parents through the gift of creativity. Many moms walk into the session not feeling confident about their own ability to write a song or even express themselves creatively at all! However, each artist prioritizes helping the mom feel comfortable and interpreting their words and stories into such meaningful songs. More often than not, the moms leave the experience so surprised at what they have been able to create with the artist who “interprets” their love into something tangible that they can take home. It is through this partnership that moms grow in their confidence of themselves as parents and also in their skill sets to nurture and bond with their babies. The lullaby comforts and calms the infants, but also reflects back to the parents their own strength, creativity, and ability as a parent. Many of our moms become parents unexpectedly and experience a lot of stress around not feeling ready or knowledgeable about how to parent a newborn. The lullaby acts also as a tool for parents lost in the overwhelm of how to comfort their baby! They can always use this special lullaby that brings mom and baby back together when they are feeling disconnected. 

It has been so important for our families to experience these fleeting moments of calm and joy in the hectic process of becoming a parent to a new baby. Seeing moms leave their session with their artist feeling relaxed and so in love with their baby demonstrates this program has a deep impact on families and deserves to be supported financially and promoted nationally. Thank you for your consideration in funding this important project!

 

Kathryn Austin, M.Ed., LPC-S, NCC

Program Supervisor- No Estás Solo Counseling Program

Any Baby Can

Listen to a recent lullaby from this project, Love Will Live In You by Sydney with Daniel here.


Music & Healing: Water Child by Crea with Arnold Yzaguirre

ACG Music & Healing brings human connection, beauty, and expressivity to individuals facing isolation and challenge, through collaboration with a skilled and trained ACG Artist. These services are available to a wide variety of clients through partnerships with more than a dozen social service providers including hospitals, shelters, residential rehabilitation facilities, parental education and family health organizations, and veterans service providers. Learn more about ACG Music & Healing.

 

Since 2014 we have partnered with Carnegie Hall to create the Lullaby Project, a collaboration through which our Music & Healing artists are paired with a mom (mostly), in a shelter, hospital, prison, or with a social service partner, to write a personal song for her child or children.

The artist and mom spend hours together, usually over the course of about a month, talking and writing about hopes, dreams, and fears. The resulting ideas are distilled into lyrics, and the song is made.

My experience with the Lullaby Project was both exciting and intimidating. I'd been a musician my whole life up until my pregnancy really, so while Im not unfamiliar with the song writing process, its not something I'd ever been able to see through to the end. Writing and recording the music then the vocals all in one shot was definitely a big deal! But working with Arnold felt so seamlessly easy. He was encouraging every step of the way. It never dawned on me that making original music could feel that easy, and when we were done I still felt on some level that I couldn't say I had written a song (blame the perfectionism in me). He heard me express that and said, "all music is is a few chords and a feeling. You had the feeling, you wrote the words, found a melody, and thats what every song is." Now, months later, I've been singing more around my house, playing my piano again, and generally feeling more creative when before I was too nervous to try being musical again. -

I do want you to know as the manager in charge, this is an amazing program. What you all do is wonderful and I'm so grateful I got the chance to experience it and make something for my child that has absolutely no shelf life.

Cha-Cha real smooth,
Crea

Water Child was made by Crea with Arnold Yzaguirre as part of the Lullaby Project. Vocals by Crea. Listen below:

https://youtu.be/E9clhIt6RRY


Music & Healing: Love Will Live In You by Sydney with Daniel Fears

ACG Music & Healing brings human connection, beauty, and expressivity to individuals facing isolation and challenge, through collaboration with a skilled and trained ACG Artist. These services are available to a wide variety of clients through partnerships with more than a dozen social service providers including hospitals, shelters, residential rehabilitation facilities, parental education and family health organizations, and veterans service providers. Learn more about ACG Music & Healing.

 

Since 2014 we have partnered with Carnegie Hall to create the Lullaby Project, a collaboration through which our Music & Healing artists are paired with a mom (mostly), in a shelter, hospital, prison, or with a social service partner, to write a personal song for her child or children.

The artist and mom spend hours together, usually over the course of about a month, talking and writing about hopes, dreams, and fears. The resulting ideas are distilled into lyrics, and the song is made.

Love Will Live In You was made by Sydney with Daniel Fears as part of the Lullaby Project. Vocals by Sydney. Listen below:

Listen to another lullaby from this project, Water Child by Crea with Arnold here.


Music & Healing: Life Never Ends by Liz with Shayna Sands

ACG Music & Healing brings human connection, beauty, and expressivity to individuals facing isolation and challenge, through collaboration with a skilled and trained ACG Artist. These services are available to a wide variety of clients through partnerships with more than a dozen social service providers including hospitals, shelters, residential rehabilitation facilities, parental education and family health organizations, and veterans service providers. Learn more about ACG Music & Healing.

 

One of our Music & Healing artists, Shayna Sands, recently completed a song with a wonderful woman named Liz and we’re so excited to share it with you! 

Shayna shared,

Life Never Ends formed in an organic way as Liz shared some of her recent findings from her journey. She talked about scenes and moments of revelation; moments of presence that captivated her, and the lessons each experience taught her. I learned so much from Liz’s wisdom and insight. She was inspired and found a talent within herself for the art of song. I am so grateful to have been a part of it and even more thrilled that she sang lead vocals on the recording!”

Listen here:


New! ACG Music Library at The Rosette

Guitar is the world’s most popular instrument, and the results have been new students engaging in school-based performing arts by the tens of thousands. We learned this year that enrollment in our partner guitar classes is now second only to band amongst all AISD middle and high school music classes. We now have partner teachers in 45 Texas school districts and 40 states. Education has been our largest budget area at ACG since 2004. And it’s all possible thanks to friends like you. So, as we reach the end of another record-breaking school year, we’d like to thank you for helping make it all possible, and thank you for your belief in ACG, and in the power of music to do good in the world. Learn more about ACG Education here. Support ACG Education here

 

Guitarists! ACG is thrilled to announce the opening of our sheet music library at The Rosette. If you’re in Austin, make an appointment to visit and stop by. Wanna know if we have what you’re looking for? Click the link below and try a keyword search. Special thanks to the many donors over the years who have contributed scores to make this resource possible, and extra special thanks to Norma Hawes on our team, our tireless librarian, who has built our database and archived the collection.

 

https://austinclassicalguitar.org/music-library/


Notes from Nepal

Guitar Foundation Nepal is made possible thanks to a generous sustaining gift from Rick Reeder at Layer 3 Real Estate, who shares our belief that music can do good in the world. We’re so grateful for our many opportunities to work with teachers near and far who bring their passion into the classroom every day. If you’d like to join Rick and many others as an ACG sustaining donor, click here! Thanks to all our friends who make our programs possible.

 

We received something beautiful from Nepal this morning.

Ravindra is an EMS professional in Kathmandu. For five years his dream has been to work with ACG to create guitar classes for his community. While the pandemic slowed progress, it has been an incredible joy to work beside him as Ravindra has done the hard work to begin his program. He is now President of the newly formed Guitar Foundation Nepal, he’s got a space to teach, and classes began in March.

Today he wrote, “I am teaching ACG’s curriculum to our students at no cost thanks to our partnership. I believe music can be used for social welfare, and I believe this aligns with your vision at ACG.”

Ravindra sent us a video of one of his new classes! They’re playing Kasaya, by our Education Director Travis Marcum. “Kasaya is like a meditation in music with many dimensions,” Ravindra wrote. “It drew our attention immediately. The students were immersed right away. I honestly did not have to teach very much, because of their admiration for the music and the composer. It’s wonderful seeing their confidence build so quickly. When we play it, we don’t want the music to stop.”

Listen to them play here:


PLAY Finale: A Chat with Matthew Lyons

Join us this Wednesday, April 12 at Soundspace at Captain Quackenbush or Thursday, April 13 at The Rosette for a charming concert dedicated to Home as our PLAY series finale. Matthew Lyons and Stephen Krishnan come together as the MoonTower Duo with James Tabata to bring us new and original works of music that represent life, our home, and our community in its present form. Learn more and find tickets here

 

This week we had the chance to connect with a very special friend of ACG and a member of the MoonTower Duo, Matthew Lyons. 

Matthew’s journey with ACG started when he was 11 years old, performing at a student recital. He shared, 

“I remember messing up the end of whatever study I had poorly prepared and compensating for it by ending the piece with an AC/DC lick (and the look of bemusement on Matt Hinsley’s face afterwards). In the 20 years since then, I’ve grown to see ACG as an artistic home and supportive community. I’ve attended countless performances, arranged and composed works for numerous projects, and grown as a musician thanks to the educational and creative opportunities provided by ACG”

Not only is Matthew a beautiful guitar player, he also is a very talented composer! He finds inspiration in bringing joy to his listeners through his music the same way music brings joy to him. 

“I’m obsessed with colorful harmonies, infectious grooves, direct melodies, and the ways in which these elements can interact to stage an emotional journey for the listener. I view performing – especially performing my own music – as attempting to create a space in which an audience can feel connected through their shared experience of (hopefully) enjoying the music.”

Matthew first collaborated with his duo partner, Stephen Krishnan, for the first time in 2019 when Stephen performed a guitar concerto Matthew dedicated to him. Three years later, they reconnected to play duos they had written! Matthew shared,

“I love working with Stephen because he’s an incredibly flexible musician who’s down to experiment to discover new things about the music we play.”

The MoonTower Duo’s upcoming performance as part of our PLAY series finale promises variety. They will stretch the boundaries of what a classical guitar can be, playing a range of styles from delicate jazz waltzes to belligerent Tom Waits-inspired musical thrashings. Their music will showcase different sounds from the soft twinkling of guitar harmonics to resonant depth of the upright bass played by James Tabata!  

“We love stretching the notion of what a classical guitar concert can be, as the music we play is largely written by us or by musicians who aren’t part of the canon.”


ACG Originals: We've Always Known, Song Descriptions

For the last eight years, ACG Music & Healing has built beautiful connections in our community. This special initiative pairs songwriters with individuals experiencing profound challenges to use music as a pathway for connection and self-expression in creating original songs that give voice to their hopes, fears, and dreams. WE’VE ALWAYS KNOWN brings together four amazing singer/songwriters to re-interpret, re-visit and share some of these extraordinary pieces of music. Featuring guitarist Claire Puckett, violinist Camille Schiess, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Fears, and Music & Healing Director and guitarist Travis Marcum. Join us for this unforgettable evening on March 25-26. Find tickets here.

Below are the song descriptions for this concerts program.

 

In the Garden Green 

By Meg with Travis Marcum & Amelia DeVivo

In the Garden Green was written as a part of Lullaby Project in Spring 2019 by Meg for her son Garner. As she thought about meeting her baby for the first time, Meg used the familiar image of a garden as a symbol of growth and peace through the joy and challenges of life. Meg, her husband Tom and their now two little ones Garner and Cora are long time friends of Travis and Amelia. In the Garden Green was written together in friendship and support of the beautiful life ahead for their family. You can listen to the song here.

 

I am Strong

By L. with Claire Puckett

Community Partner: Red Oak Hope

I am Strong was written by L. in Summer of 2022 in collaboration with ACG community Partner Red Oak Hope. Red Oak Hope is a world-wide organization based out of Austin serving women who are victims of trafficking and exploitation. L. and Claire Puckett wrote a truly powerful song about perseverance in the face of doubt and adversity. You can hear L. singing I am Strong here

 

Beauty in My Pain

By Lexi with Daniel Fears

Community Partner: Texas Oncology

Beauty in My Pain was written in early 2023 by Lexi. During their time together, she and Daniel spent hours talking about hopes and fears, challenges and joys of life. Daniel describes Lexi as a truly gifted storyteller. Lexi wrote every lyric, creating a beautiful statement of faith and togetherness through the toughest of times. You can listen to the original song here

 

Miles to Go

By Christina with Travis Marcum & Claire Puckett

Community Partner: Livestrong Cancer Institutes 

Miles to Go was written in Fall of 2018 by Christina with Travis and Claire. Christina was a transcendent force for good and helped shape ACG’s Music and Healing Program with her guidance in piloting our first songwriting collaboration with community members undergoing cancer treatment. Christina wrote a vivid and honest piece about her experience with diagnosis and treatment. An accomplished seamstress and quilter, she used the imagery of patchwork and sewing to describe her familiarity with the “weight” and “wait” of this illness. She illuminated a powerful journey. Christina and her song forever changed ACG and the way that we connect with others. You can hear Miles to Go here

 

Meraki Lullaby

By Holly with Arnold Yzaguirre

Community Partner: Any Baby Can

Meraki Lullaby was written in late Summer 2018 as a part of Lullaby Project by Holly in partnership with local organization Any Baby Can. Holly chose this word Meraki meaning “essence of ourselves” to describe the feelings she had in anticipation of her baby coming into this world. Holly is a beautiful vocalist. She is full of joy and we at ACG are so grateful for her contribution. You can hear Holly and Arnold’s recording of Meraki Lullaby here

 

Don’t Wake Me

By D. with Claire Puckett and Travis Marcum

Community Partner: Red Oak Hope

Don’t Wake Me was written in Summer of 2020 by D. She created a truly imaginative and compelling vision of serenity in the face of a harsh and sharp world. D. took our Music and Healing Artists along on her journey to build an honest, whimsical portrait of transition through darkness. You can listen to Don’t Wake Me here

 

My Baby Princess

By Trimonisha with Joey Delahoussaye  

Community Partner: Travis Co. Correctional Complex

My Baby Princess was written by Trimonisha as a part of Lullaby Project in Spring of 2016 at Travis Co. Correctional Complex. Joey, ACG Music and Healing Artist would visit the facility, meeting with Trimonisha and transforming her stories, hopes and regrets into a love song for her daughter. Joey wrote: 

“When I met Trimonisha one of the first things she told me was that she and her six year old daughter Miracle had a tradition of lighting candles, drawing a bubble bath and putting on their “relaxation music”.  She let me into her world and allowed me to help her turn tears, joy and most of all her truth into a song that she and Miracle might one day listen to at their next bubble bath reunion. 

Trimonisha, thank you for putting your trust in me, someone that you didn’t really have a reason to trust. I hope you can take the bright spirit you showed to me and continue living it out in a world that hasn’t always been good to you.”

You can listen to My Baby Princess here

 

I Can Do This

By Dolly and Kourosh with Shayna Sands and Travis Marcum

Community Partner: Texas Oncology

I Can Do This was written by Dolly and Kourosh in late 2021 with Music and Healing Artist and austin singer-songwriter Shayna Sands. Dolly and her husband wanted to create a joyful and honest song of their long experience with cancer diagnosis, treatment, and the lessons learned along this journey. Inspired by Texas country acts like Robert Earl Keen, this song highlights the love between two people, the challenges inherent in their journey, and the gratitude and jubilation that is part of all life. The title for our concert “We’ve Always Known” comes from a line in this song. Dolly’s song tells us that the beauty of life and death is happening all around us and we’ve always known that it’s our connection to others that is the most important. You can see Shayna performing this song live here

 

Life

By Marcelina with Travis Marcum 

Community Partner: Lifeworks

Simply titled Life, Marcelina wrote this lullaby to her daughter in Fall of 2019 in partnership with Austin community organization LifeWorks. With a deep message of hope for her baby, Marcelina is a strong, patient young mother who wanted to impart two things to her child through the lullaby process. One, she wanted her daughter to know that life is long and sometimes hard, but if you pay attention, it is beautiful. And two, she wanted her daughter to know that the two of them are connected in every way… forever. You can hear Marcelina singing her lullaby here

 

I Keep You Strong

By Davis with Travis Marcum and Amelia DeVivo

Community Partner: Annunciation Maternity Home

Written in Summer of 2015, Davis’ lullaby called I Keep You Strong conveys a beautiful message of solidarity and common purpose for mother and child. Davis wanted to express her belief that, as mother and son, the two of them will build each other up in times of hardship and for him to know that she will always be there for him. You can listen to I Keep You Strong here.

 

Felix’s Lullaby

By Felix with Arnold Yzaguirre and Claudia Chapa

Community Partner: Travis Co. Correctional Complex

Felix’s Lullaby is a statement of hope for a better future. Arnold worked with her TCCC to craft a message to her four children that expresses the most important sentiment… I love you now and forever. It is a soft descent into a peaceful place, a better tomorrow. You can listen to Felix’s Lullaby here.