Arts Learning

On an individual level, we hope to see adult amateur musicians develop their technical musicianship and skills like sight-reading, learn new methods for effective practice sessions, and build confidence as performing musicians. The Retreat can accommodate up to 25 participants, and we aim to maximize enrollment. We will offer a discounted rate to members of the Itasca Symphony Orchestra, and hope at least 10 participants will be from our local community. On a broader community level, we hope to boost interest and enthusiasm for learning and performing music as an adult and senior community members and encourage general interest in the arts. We envision participants building new relationships based on common interest and love for music and engaging in music-making beyond the Retreat, which will strengthen the community and enhance individual lives socially and emotionally. Evaluation and assessment are built into our daily activities. The participants will be involved in setting goals and reflecting on progress toward those outcomes each day. Practice and performance sessions also include critique by instructors and peers, and instructors provide feedback to the students throughout. After the completion of the week-long retreat, student participants will complete an evaluation form to collect their self-assessment of changes in skill, technique, confidence, new connections made with other musicians, and interest in continued learning. Teaching artists will also provide an assessment of overall student progress as well as feedback on the content and format. This information will help us reflect on our success and improve future adult learning opportunities.