From April 14 – 22, 2023, Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC) is hosting its first Acoustic Music Project (AMP), a unique project that brings talented young musicians and songwriters from around the country together to hone their skills under the tutelage of GPAC teaching artists and visiting headliners. Eleven students aged 16 to 22 were selected based on an application process that evaluated their abilities.
The nine-week immersive experience includes study with AMP Artistic Director, Grammy- nominated guitarist Darrell Scott, Native American guitarist and flutist Bill Miller, and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Beth Nielsen Chapman. Meals, tuition, concert tickets, local ground transportation, and hotel accommodations are provided free of charge to all participants.
“As part of the project, four of this season’s national touring artists will work with the young musicians,” said Paul Chandler, Executive Director of GPAC. “We are thrilled that Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Shawn Colvin, and Marc Cohn will lead workshops. The young talents will also be immersed in the Memphis music scene by visiting historic recording studios and meeting with producers, engineers, and recording artists.”
The Acoustic Music Project culminates in a concert on Saturday, April 22 at 8:00 p.m. in the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall. Project participants will perform original works created and refined during their AMP experience. Tickets are on sale now at the GPAC website or by calling the box office at (901)751-7500.
The Acoustic Music Project was made possible by the Arney, Gronauer, and Scheidt families.
About GPAC
Located in the heart of Shelby County, Germantown Performing Arts Center serves the greater Memphis metro area of over a million people and is accessible to all members of the community. GPAC is comprised of the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall, an acoustically perfect, 854-seat venue featuring a sprung pine stage, an elegant green room, five large dressing rooms, and a spacious lobby for entertaining and assembling; The Grove, a dynamic outdoor venue which can accommodate approximately 1200 guests in a lush outdoor setting; and the Watkins Studio Theater, an intimate black box theater. Ray Charles set the bar high when he opened GPAC in 1994, immediately defining this performing arts center as a place where excellence is the norm and where the world comes to perform. GPAC presents world-renowned performing artists in a variety of genres, year-round educational activities for all ages including the GPAC Youth Symphony Program, rotating visual art exhibits, and many community events. The center benefits from a professional infrastructure that possesses a clear direction, strong financial health, professional staff, and a dedicated board of directors.