Grand Canyon Music Festival

Grand Canyon Music Festival (GCMF) is an award-winning festival of concerts and education programs presenting outstanding artists, premieres, and commissions by American composers. Its programming combines genres and mediums in ways that enhance the experience for its participants and illuminate through cultural and historical perspectives. GCMF has been developing and producing education programs for its communities since 1984. As part of that work, Native American Composer Apprenticeship Project fosters the practice of composition as it relates to contemporary music and Native culture through a hands-on training program in which students traverse the complete composer experience.

PROJECT

Grand Canyon Music Festival is partnering with 2021 SHIFT Awardees Michael Begay and Raven Chacon to co-manage the Native American Composer Apprentice Project. The Native American Composer Apprentice Project will mentor, support, promote, and amplify young creative voices on the Navajo and Hopi Nations. The project provides its apprentice composers a complete composer experience, from inspiration to realization, with practical instruction in music theory, notation, instrumentation, and music software, including how to use Native symbolism and music/aesthetic concepts in their own original works, providing them tools to express their unique voices. Organizational partner Grand Canyon Music Festival will co-manage the project.