“The Quilt” Makes Its San Antonio Debut

“The Quilt” Makes Its San Antonio Debut

Cast and crew of “The Quilt” film speak during a Q&A session following the screening premiere. © 2023 Robert Michaelson “The Quilt: A Living History of African American Music”, an educational documentary produced by Musical Bridges Around the World, had a full house for its red carpet premiere at the Jo Long Theatre of the Carver Community Cultural Center. The venue is also the same location where all of the onscreen dialogue and some of the film’s musical performances were filmed, with the rest being captured at Texas Public Radio’s Malú and Carlos Alvarez Theater & Studio. Community is a big...

Kids to Concerts Merges Into Musical Sprouts!

Kids to Concerts Merges Into Musical Sprouts!

Over the course of Summer 2022, Musical Bridges Around the World has made some positive shifts in the Musical Sprouts educational program, which has provided live concerts (or virtual concert films) plus cultural curriculum and learning to students in need. We have finished the five-year Sprouts research study proving its efficacy and are now in the process of expanding the program exponentially with the needs we see in the community. Our first educational program, Kids to Concerts, started in 2001 by providing impactful live concerts in schools. Now as Sprouts continues to grow and provide these same exact live concerts as part of its...

The History of Musical Sprouts

The History of Musical Sprouts

A History by Anya Grokhovski, DMA, MBAW CEO, Founder & Artistic Director The beginning of Musical Bridges Around the World’s educational programs started at the oldest official venue for Mexican culture in the U.S., Instituto Cultural de Mexico. We’ve always had an excellent relationship with this gem of a space in San Antonio. It’s the largest cultural arm of Mexico in the country, outside of Washington, DC. The performance hall seats about 180 people, and our first audiences were children from surrounding schools who walked to the concerts with their teachers. As the series grew, we learned that many schools faced logistical...

Musical Sprouts in UTSA’s Education News

Musical Sprouts in UTSA’s Education News

UTSA’s College of Education & Human Development’s Chris Reichert just published a new online article covering the latest in MBAW’s Musical Sprouts, a FREE educational engagement program providing students the opportunity to travel the world by bringing performing artists and cultural connections to their classrooms. During the past three years, the curriculum portion of the program was also subject to a simultaneous research study put together in partnership with the University of Texas System to determine and prove the impact and efficacy of the program. In this article, Sprouts research assistant and UTSA Department...

Fall 2021 Educational Impact Report

Fall 2021 Educational Impact Report

Report by Jennifer Reed-Martinez, MBAW Director of Community Engagement This fall, over 3,300 students traveled virtually to Ukraine with our Kids to Concerts program, with a concert video (seen below) by renowned Ukrainian musician Jurij Fedynskyj. During the pandemic, this program had to shift from live in-person concerts to virtual concert videos. And now, as schools move back to a mix of virtual and/or in-classroom learning, the program adapts to meet that change again as our January concerts covering the music of African American culture & history will be live in the schools.  In addition, 650 students received five hands-on,...

Musical Sprouts Research in UTSA Today

Musical Sprouts Research in UTSA Today

Our growing Musical Sprouts curriculum-based program has made its way into the University of Texas at San Antonio’s news site UTSA Today! The article discusses the partnership with UTSA researchers to analyze how our program is affecting and helping local students in the San Antonio area. Check it out here: https://www.utsa.edu/today/2020/02/story/musical-sprouts.html and here:...

2014 Kids to Concerts Performers

2014 Kids to Concerts Performers

Founded in 2008 in Austin, Texas by the award-winning lutenist and early music specialist Slobodan Vujisic, the Austin Troubadours is an international group of instrumentalists and singers that is dedicated to reviving the beauty of musical masterpieces from Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Seven musicians in period costumes with more than 30 authentic period instruments perform dances and songs of Medieval and Renaissance Europe. The Flying Balalaika Brothers consists of three famous representatives of Russian Balalaika school.  The Original Flying Balalaika Brothers were formed in Los Angeles in 1995 by Zhenya Kolykhanov (a.k.a. Z Rock),...

2013-14 Kids to Concerts Supporters

We are able to continue presenting our programs either free, or very affordably priced, thanks to the generosity of an idealistic group of people who go the extra mile because they believe in our mission.         Brown Foundation     City of San Antonio City Council District 1 City of San Antonio City Council District 3 City of San Antonio City Council District 4 City of San Antonio City Council District 8 City of San Antonio City Council District...

2013 Kids to Concerts Outreach

This year MBAW is targeting middle school students, presenting 25 concerts in mostly Title One middle schools in several different San Antonio public school districts, at no cost to schools visited.  Texas Title One schools are those most persistently low achieving, and most in need of improvement.  Studies have shown middle schoolers are at a “jumping off point” in their education, open to new ideas and engaged in their world.  These are influential years in their education, and an important time to create opportunities for real learning about the world.  Many of the students in the Title I schools we visit never travel outside their...

2014-15 Kids to Concerts Artists

2014-15 Kids to Concerts Artists

In 2014-15, MBAW will introduce kids to Spanish Flamenco, Russian balalaikas, Mediterranean Baroque, Jewish traditional and Argentinian Tango ( artists TBA) A true jewel of the Texas performing scene, Austin Troubadours is an international group of musicians that is dedicated to reviving the beauty of musical masterpieces from Medieval and Renaissance Europe thru performing dances and songs in period costumes with more than 30 authentic period instruments. Founded in 2008 in Austin, Texas by the award-winning lutenist and early music specialist Slobodan Vujisic, a veteran of the European early music scene. Prior to relocating to the United...

Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Education

Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Education

2014 Mary Kathryn Archuleta Mary Kathryn Archuleta holds a B.A. in Psychology/Music Education from the University of Colorado.  A nationally recognized leader and author in Adaptive Music Education, she has devoted nearly 50 years to students with special needs.  As founder and Executive Director of Dreams Fulfilled Through Music, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the joy of music to those with special needs, Ms. Archuletas life has been dedicated to customizing and adapting traditional music education materials and equipment to meet the needs of her specially challenged students.  Her teaching career began in Boulder,...

Kids to Concerts Testimonial Letters

Kids to Concerts Testimonial Letters

Review from Cristina Pato Visit in October, 2012 Click to read review of Cristina Pato’s visit to New Braunfels area schools. Kriewald Road Elementary: Caleb Gonzalez, Fine Arts Director Musical Bridges, I just wanted to thank you for bringing the “tour” to our district and to the 600 students at the school. I recieved a lot of wonderful feedback from the students and staff. Some students even came up to me and said, “After that show, I want to go to Russia”. You have to remember, some of these kids do not even know that San Antonio is in the United States. A harsh reality, but it is a fact. Having the group...