Methodist University's annual “Friends of Music Guest Artist Series” will begin the season next month with the help of a $5,000 grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

Each year, the “Friends of Music Guest Artist Series” provides live classical and contemporary musical demonstrations and recitals for up to 500 youth and adults in Cumberland County.

“Friends of Music has existed since the 1990s, and the mission has always been to support the Music program at Methodist University,” said Dr. Keith Dippre, professor of Music at MU and coordinator of the Friends of Music Guest Artist Series.

“We’ve been able to bring in a rich and diverse array of different performers and musical experiences that enrich our students and our community. These artists are real people with real stories and gifts to share. Our series grant makes all of this possible.”

Methodist University’s Series Support grant from the Arts Council will help the institution for the entire 2023-24 season, which includes the following lineup for the “Friends of Music Guest Artist Series”:

• Sept. 15 — Guitarist Guy Unger will visit and perform with students in the Gray’s Creek High School Orchestra, directed by Chuck Bossert. Unger and the Guy Unger Band are well known performers throughout Cumberland County, but Unger has been teaching guitar lessons to students of all ages for years. Unger will rehearse and perform with the middle school orchestra during his visit.
• Oct. 15 — Composer and pianist Charis Duke will visit and direct students in the Gray’s Creek High School Chorus, directed by Amy Stovall. Currently with the University of the Arts music theater department, Duke composes and directs musical theatre productions and children’s operas based on folktales and literature. Duke formerly lived and taught piano in Fayetteville.
• Feb. 23, 2024 — Bassist Carroll Dashiell Jr. and accompanist will visit and perform with students in the Pine Forest High School orchestra, directed by Nathan Artley. Currently Director of the East Carolina

University jazz ensemble, Dashiell has decades of experience as a performer, director, and composer/arranger. He has performed and recorded with orchestras and internationally renowned musicians, and he will rehearse and will be partnered with a local high school orchestra during his visit.

Each guest artist will collaborate with students from the mentioned school to prepare a recital or performance. Then, on the selected night, the guest artist will perform at Methodist University with the selected high school students joining the guest artist for a selected piece of the performance.

“The Arts council is pleased to partner with Methodist University in support of the Friends of Music Guest Artist Series,” said Bob Pinson, president and CEO of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

“Our community looks to our local universities to enlighten our lives and the Friends of Music Guest Artist Series accomplishes this by bringing in several renowned artists for all to enjoy.”

Project Support Grants increase opportunities for access to arts, cultural, and historical programming in Cumberland County. The grants are awarded to nonprofit agencies, institutions of higher education, and municipal entities in Cumberland County that demonstrate financial and administrative stability.

For more information about th Friends of Music events visit https://www.methodist.edu/events/ To learn more about Arts Council grants visit https://www.theartscouncil.com/