Our goal is simply to enrich lives through participation and making music.

– Fred Gretsch, owner, Gretsch Company

Acknowledging the power of music to improve creativity, confidence, emotional stability and student performance, the USC School of Music created a three-year pilot program to meet the needs of working musicians and their desires to generate more music learning opportunities in schools and communities in South Carolina.  

A Program Rooted in Purpose

Separate from the USC undergraduate or graduate admissions process, the accelerated, one-semester micro-credential curriculum hopes to meaningfully address the shortage of music teachers in South Carolina schools. The focus of its mission is to serve rural and underrepresented communities throughout the state experiencing an “arts, specifically music, de-emphasis” in elementary, middle and secondary public schools.

During its June graduation, Dean Tayloe Harding said the program would not have been possible without the help of several key people.  

“Program director Mary Luehrsen has helped lead this program from an idea into a reality with such grace and such precision, forethought and insight. We simply couldn’t do it without her,” said Harding. “Thanks to every one of our twelve members of the first cohort, who I’m calling pioneers. And, a thank you goes out to the organization that helped fund this project — the Gretsch Foundation.”  

Owners of the Savannah, GA and Ridgeland, SC-based Gretsch Company, a globally recognized manufacturer of high-quality drums and guitars since 1883, Fred and Dinah Gretsch have been prominent figures in the musical instruments industry for more than forty years and long-time supporters of music education. As a family company deeply rooted in musical legacy, Gretsch is committed to supporting the educators and artists shaping tomorrow’s music makers.

Harding explained how the Gretsch Foundation helped make a long-time dream a reality.  

“Sometimes we don’t even allow ourselves to dream about something important because we feel there may be no way to turn a dream into a reality. When I met Fred and Dinah Gretsch about a year and two-thirds ago, it was pretty clear that they are in the business of helping people meet their dreams,” said Harding. “We talked about various ways we think our passions and love about music education in America and music at large.”  

He said it became clear they had two or three primary goals in common “relative to the importance of music and society, and the importance of music in schools that help individuals being not only more musical — as Fred signed in every e-mail to me — but also to be better citizens and productive human beings.”  

The Gretsch family and its foundation offered full scholarships to each of the twelve participants — pioneers — in the program’s pilot cohort. All twelve students completed the curriculum requirements.  

Dinah and Fred Gretsch, their daughters Barbara Gretsch, Heather Roller and Lena Thomas, and grandson Logan Thomas attended the graduation ceremony. Addressing the graduates and audience, Dinah Gretsch said it was a great honor to be affiliated with the program and was proud that “twelve started and twelve finished.”  

She shared her dream for the future.  

“My thing is the young people. As you go forward into music education or even your music degree, always touch one of those students’ hearts, change their minds, and give them a passion because that’s what we’re all here for,” said Gretsch.  

Fred Gretsch agreed. “Our goal is simply to enrich lives through participation and making music.”

Pioneers in the Field

Beginning in January 2025, music education faculty members Amanda “Mandi” Schlegel, Gail Barnes, Wendy Valerio, Hassan Anderson and guest faculty provided coursework and mentoring to help students learn how to design, create and implement an effective classroom curriculum.  

Faculty member Gail Barnes’ “Society and Music Education” online session explored factors influencing music participation.  

“I think the whole idea about how music is so much a part of every home, community and school, and then being able to try to verbalize what is almost impossible to define. I think the students got it as much as any PhD student. I thought this was great, and I am thinking about ways to build on this in the next cohort,” said Barnes.  

The program offered first-cohort members opportunities to engage with colleagues in higher education outside of the USC School of Music to continue professional development and advancement for future roles.  

Learning, Networking, Growing

Cohort member Te’Quan Coe said the program offered an opportunity to build strong networks while learning from others' experiences.  

“The cohort, our advisors, and those connections that I could make with them were really big for me. Learning from Mr. Anderson, Dr. Schlegel, and the cohort has been incredibly helpful. I’m in my first year of teaching, so it’s good to know you have somebody to go to when you’re about to pull your hair out. There’s a wealth in these connections,” said Coe.

“The music teaching artist program has been a good opportunity to network. I had an opportunity to meet with Roger Simpson, Arts Education Associate with the South Carolina Department of Education. Mr. Anderson helped facilitate that,” said MTAC graduate Janine Parnell. “I’ve been a teacher for a long time in many states; I’ve learned a lot about life and why things are how they are. I had an opportunity to talk at length to Mr. Simpson. He gave me an hour at this time. It’s amazing how much we were able to talk about. Understanding his role, what he can and can’t do, and what’s going on with higher education. He shared some things about how higher education determines how teachers get trained and if they’re ready for the classroom or not right for the classroom. It was a very enlightening conversation.”  

These connections also impacted the program’s music faculty.  

“I felt like you all needed me and I needed you. We didn’t necessarily need each other’s expertise. We needed to be able to get on the phone and chat and talk through something. And the thing that I know now that I did not know at the start is that this cohort is so ambitious. You actually want to change the world,” said Hassan Anderson. “I knew you all were doing great work, but I didn’t know how ambitious you were, and I didn’t know that I would be able to say, ‘yes, you can.’ And as I told all of you, ‘You’re graduating today, but we will be together forever.’”  

Music educator Mandi Schlegel had sage final words for the graduates.  

“I think you should be brave enough to be bad at something. Your missions are really important, and there will be times when you question it. I believe what you’re trying to accomplish is pioneering. That word comes with risk. That word comes with angst. All of your students will be okay, and you’re gonna be okay,” says Schlegel. “Be good to yourself, but don’t ever give up.” 

Thanks to support from the Gretsch Foundation, these musicians — and those in upcoming cohorts — are equipped to provide meaningful music instruction and programming to public school students in South Carolina.

Dinah Gretsch underscored the need for this trailblazing initiative: “We know it’s just the first program but spread the word. We really want great music educators across the United States.”