A strong, successful, independent nonprofit organization in Minneapolis, MacPhail Center for Music is a community resource for education and performance experiences in the musical arts. From its inception in 1907, MacPhail Center for Music has grown to become a passionate organization at the forefront of music education and appreciation for the arts, and a leader in music therapy, Suzuki Talent Education, Early Childhood Arts and community partnership programs.
Early History
In 1907, William S. MacPhail, an original member of the Minneapolis Symphony (now the Minnesota Orchestra), established the MacPhail School of Violin in Minneapolis. Due to the overwhelming popularity of its programs, including music history and harmony classes, the school expanded its offerings. As the newly named MacPhail School of Music and Dramatic Art, the school continued to grow and soon needed a larger home.
To satisfy an apprehensive East Coast investor, MacPhail’s new four-story facility was built so that the first floor could easily be transformed into storefronts and the upper studios into office space. The steady growth of MacPhail’s programs and enrollment eventually convinced investors that their concern was unwarranted.
With the larger space, MacPhail saw increased community interest and soon expanded to offer college degrees. Among the graduates of MacPhail’s class of 1927 was a young man whose musical dream would soon become a part of American culture – Lawrence Welk. After World War II, and with the help of the GI Bill, MacPhail’s enrollment swelled. Along with violin and classical instruction, MacPhail offered courses in popular styles of music, such as jazz, to reach a wider range of students.
MacPhail at the University of Minnesota
With a faculty of more than 100 and a student body of more than 3,000, the responsibility of running the institution had increased. By 1966, four years after the death of William MacPhail, the MacPhail family gifted the MacPhail College of Music to the University of Minnesota. Under the University’s administration, the name was changed to MacPhail Center for the Performing Arts.
During its tenure with the University, program directors created revolutionary curricula for young children. In the late 1960s, MacPhail introduced an Early Childhood Arts program and one of the nation’s first Suzuki Talent Education programs. It would take more than a decade for similar programs to begin to be seen across the country.
In 1987, the University announced it would dissolve relationships with institutions that did not primarily serve college students. In 1994, after taking time to develop a board of directors and internal administration, MacPhail became an independent, nonprofit organization.
MacPhail Today – Learning Through Music
A certified member of the National Guild of Community Schools for the Arts, MacPhail remains a steadfast leader in music education. In 2003, the organization changed its name to MacPhail Center for Music to reflect its dedication to the mission of its founder William S. MacPhail – promoting lifelong learning through music.
MacPhail Center for Music continues to grow, with the number of teaching artists now more than 160 and the student body more than 7,200 strong. The Center now provides instruction at 45 locations outside of its downtown Minneapolis facility in more than 35 instruments and a variety of musical styles like jazz, classical, pop and world music. MacPhail continues to offer the popular Suzuki Talent Education and Early Childhood Arts (ECA) programs, and also has developed a Music Therapy department to offer music education and therapy opportunities to individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. In addition, MacPhail has expanded its course offerings to accommodate busy executives and adults by scheduling programs during lunchtime and after work.
Through their innovative Community Partnership programs with inner city and greater Twin Cities schools and community organizations, MacPhail serves more than 3,000 children who would otherwise not have access to music education. Each program is tailored to the partner; MacPhail offers everything from ECA classes at preschools to supplemental music programs at area schools. In addition, MacPhail helps make music education accessible by awarding more than $140,000 in support annually through its financial aid fund.
Several area organizations have partnered with MacPhail to support music education. Arts organizations like the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and the Children’s Theatre allow MacPhail students to work with professional musicians and learn about and experience careers in music. Area corporations and foundations have also come together to support MacPhail, including Cargill Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Bush Foundation, CIGNA Foundation, General Mills Foundation and MetLife Foundation.
MacPhail has recently launched two “Access Sites,” providing the communities of Apple Valley and White Bear Lake easier access to the “MacPhail Experience.” Access sites are a necessary component of delivering on MacPhail’s mission of providing music education to all who seek it, and play an integral role in the growth of the organization. Access sites are designed to provide greater access to MacPhail’s full range of music education programs to the broader community with a shorter driving distance for busy families. MacPhail expects access sites will only increase and expand the sense of community that is inherent to the “MacPhail Experience.”
Over the past 99 years, MacPhail has been an integral foundation of lifelong learning through music for the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. MacPhail Center for Music maintains its strong reputation as a comprehensive community resource for music education, just as music continues to be an integral element in the life of all Minnesotans.
