Festivals, Camps, and Events

The CMU Swinney Conservatory of Music holds several festivals and music camps on the Fayette campus throughout the year. Everyone is welcome to attend the public performances for each event.


Brass Invitational: April 4, 2024. The Swinney Conservatory of Music invites you to the CMU Brass Invitational. At this event, outstanding brass instrumentalists in grade 9-12 will have the opportunity to work with our experienced CMU faculty and guest clinicians to strengthen your technique and musical skills. There will be opportunities to learn more about the music program at CMU, visit with Admissions staff, and spend time with our students.

Register Here

 

State Festival Coaching Week: The faculty at CMU have over 100 years of experience in preparing students for State Music Festival and this year we want to help you! Join us for State Festival Coaching Week on April 15-19 and spend time working with knowledgeable teachers who have helped hundreds of students prepare successful performances at State.

Summer Music Camp: July 9-11, 2024. Join middle school and high school musicians for the annual Central Methodist University Summer Music Camp. Check back in April 2024 for application deadlines and more information. Camp is open to students in grades 7-12. Students will participate in band and/or choir, fun music activities, and sessions with experienced professional musicians. For more information email finearts@centralmethodist.edu.

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Band Day: October 12, 2024. This event, designed to be an educational experience for students and directors, will include Street, Field, Indoor Drumline, and Indoor Color Guard competitions. CMU Band Day is a MSHSAA-sanctioned event with schools classified per MSHSAA Official School Enrollment Information. Registration is limited to first 40 schools. 

 

Past Events

“Coro Profundo” High School Tenor-Bass Festival: September 21, 2023. The CMU Coro Profundo Festival is an event designed to inject excitement into your high school tenor-bass students early in the school year with a festival choir experience. Designed to be an inclusive, non-auditioned festival choir experience for tenor-bass singers in grades 9-12, the event will give students the opportunity to work with CMU music faculty with the goal of helping to foster a life-long love of singing with others. The festival begins at 8:30 a.m. and culminates with a concert at 3:00 p.m. Registration (use the link below) includes music, lunch, and a t-shirt.

Register here

 

Guest Artist and Opening Concert: September 27, 2023. Our 2023 guest artist will be internationally-acclaimed electric flute phenom Melissa Keeling! The program will kick off with a concert on Wednesday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m. in Assembly Hall on the CMU Fayette campus. During the flute forum, Dr. Keeling will teach classes on electronic sound effects, loop machines, improvisation, and entrepreneurialism in the music industry.

Flute Forum: September 28, 2023. CMU flute professor Lisa Thill Franck will cover topics on the full spectrum of flute-playing, from Baroque Era (traverso) to the 21st-century Glissando Flute. Attendees will learn about essential traditional flute techniques like tone production and colors, vibrato, intonation, articulation, hand position, and posture. The Flute Forum will also touch on extended techniques like harmonics, whistle tones, aeolian (residual) tone, throat tuning, multiphonics, microtonalism, and circular breathing. The Flute Forum runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on September 28. It includes a free lunch, but attendees must register at the link below.

All-State Band Audition Prep Day: Are you auditioning for All-State Band? CMU is hosting All-State Band Audition Prep Day on November 14 so you can polish the audition material and get suggestions from experienced musicians on how to make the final preparations for your audition.

“Vox Angelis” High School Treble Festival Choir: February 8, 2024The CMU Vox Angelis Festival Choir is a mid-year event designed to rejuvenate and inspire your high school treble singers in a festival choir experience. Intended to be an inclusive, non-auditioned festival choir experience for treble choir students in grades 9-12, the event will give students the opportunity to work with CMU music faculty with the aim of helping to foster a life-long love of singing with others. The festival begins at 8:30 a.m. and culminates with a 3:00 p.m. concert. Registration (use the link below) includes music, lunch, and a t-shirt.

Register Here

 

Central's Got Talent: February 22, 2024. Compete for generous scholarship offers at Central’s Got Talent on February 22. We will award two full-tuition scholarships along with significant awards for every musician who performs at CGT. If you are in a praise band, choir, or band, sign up to audition by February 1, 2024.

Upon application/registration, students will be contacted by the Office of Admissions about their acceptance and procedures for the event. Parents and families are welcome to attend and may watch their student perform. Throughout the day, we will provide opportunities to see the campus and to learn about financial aid, student services, and a variety of other helpful information. Note: Full-tuition scholarship winners are required to live on campus.

register here

 

Center Stage: February 22, 2024. Center Stage acting and theatre design competitions. Register for Center Stage by February 1, 2024 below. We will award major scholarships to the top three winners in each category. Upon application/registration, students may receive an invitation from the Office of Admissions to compete. The events are open to parents and families. They provides opportunities to see the campus and learn about financial aid, student services, and a variety of other helpful information. Note: Full-tuition scholarship winners are required to live on campus.

Register Here

 

Music Festival: March 1, 2024. CMU Music Festival is open to middle and high school students. Students can perform vocal or instrumental solos and in small or large ensembles. The CMU Music Festival is a MSHSAA sanctioned event. Please contact finearts@centralmethodist.edu for more information. 

Theatre Audition Workshop: Central Methodist University invites high school students to participate in an audition workshop at The Little Theatre. Students will present their audition pieces to a panel of CMU faculty and student directors for immediate and written feedback. Each student will have a 20-30 minute time slot to present 1-2 monologues and/or a song. Accompanists will be available for those presenting songs, if the music is received at least two weeks before the audition workshop. Admissions representatives will also be available to answer questions or tour campus.


Academic Programs

Learn more about CMU's music programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Resources for Musicians