What started as a germ of an idea in July 2021 has developed into a new music conservatory being offered at Academy. The idea for the Levanta Institute for Music and Creativity began when Head of School Julianne Puente, new to the Academy, quickly realized the potential of offering the Academy’s incredible facilities and expertise – especially in art and music – to the greater community. It did not take much to convince Founder and Program Director Mickey Jones, who taught music at the Academy for 18 years and now works in the admission office, to pick up this initiative and develop a vision
Levanta to Offer a Summer Workshop for High Schoolers
Long-term, Levanta will be a hub for music and creativity, including art and poetry, for students and adults. The first offering will be a two-week summer music ensemble class for high school students in grades 9-12 from June 13-25. This summer’s seminar is called Narrative Music; students will work with several faculty members to collaborate on music for film, poetry, and dance. This inaugural class will also perform with Sonic Matter, Levanta’s in-house contemporary music ensemble.
The high school summer class will culminate with a Friday-evening performance by students, followed by a morning workshop featuring Carlos Rafael Rivera, the Emmy Award-winning composer of “The Queen’s Gambit.” Levanta’s professional friends and guests will also give a special public performance of Mr. Rivera’s music on Saturday, June 25. Tickets for this event will be available soon.
Long-term Vision
Following the inaugural summer ensemble class, Jones has a vision for offering access to educational opportunities in creative music learning, music performance opportunities, concerts, and other presentations that foster the curiosity and artistry of people across all age groups. Learn more about Levanta.
Mark your calendar! Online registration for the summer class, Narrative Music, is open March 16 through May 16, in conjunction with enrollment for all Think Summer camps and courses. Get complete details about Levanta’s Narrative Music seminar.
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Mickey Jones is founder and director of Albuquerque Academy’s Levanta Institute for Music and Creativity. Having taught, performed, and conducted at important festivals and institutions around the world, Mickey brings an extensive career to the classroom where, for 20 years, he’s worked to innovate music education, incubate new ideas, and stretch the limits of what’s possible outside traditional models. His varied and eclectic approach to making music extends to the creation of music, and his compositions comprise a repertoire rich in color and form. His commissioned works include Trance of Fire and A Tree Telling of Orpheus for guitar ensemble; his solo works for guitar include Old Growth Forest, Mary’s Peak, and Black-Crowned Night Heron. Mickey holds a M.Mus. and B.Mus. in Music Performance from University of New Mexico.
