by Aaron W. Hughey

The Murray Civic Music Association has been around for over 40 years. The current president of the Association is Brian Reynolds, chair of the Murray State University Music Department.

“The Murray Civic Music Association is not directly related to Murray State University,” notes Reynolds, who has been the chair of the Music Department for five years. “It is actually a non-profit organization with its own Board of Directors.”

“It’s important to make that distinction since all of the Association’s events are typically held on the M.S.U. campus,” Reynolds adds.

“We do four to six performances a year,” Reynolds notes. “We like to bring in national and international performing artists whenever our budget permits. Recently we had the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra in town for a concert.”

Later this year, the Association plans to sponsor a performance by Footworks, a progressive dance ensemble.

“We actually sponsor quite a variety of events,” Reynolds explains. “In addition to orchestra performances, we also sponsor chamber music and ballets.”

“Frequently we have guest artists who provide children’s concerts and workshops,” Reynolds says. “We have three of these events scheduled for this year.”

“The children’s workshops are particularly well-received,” Reynolds notes. “They involve students from first grade all the way through high school and provide them with a chance to talk with the artists and ask them questions.”

“Times have changed,” Reynolds adds. “There is more competition now for children’s, and even adult’s attention. We try to keep this in mind when selecting artists and even when scheduling performances.”

The Murray Civic Music Association surveys its membership occasionally in an effort to stay as responsive as possible to the wants and needs of the community.

“The response to our activities from the general public has generally been very good,” Reynolds indicates. “Then again, the Association has a long history with the local community; they know they can expect quality performances when we offer an activity.”

“We also have very strong financial support from local businesses,” Reynolds continues. “They either co-sponsor or underwrite many of our events. The Association really couldn’t function without them.”

Reynolds also observes that the M.S.U. Music Department, which is very supportive of the Civic Music Association, is doing quite well these days.

“We have around 180-190 undergraduate and a few graduate Music majors at the moment,” Reynolds explains. “Collectively, they put on over 100 performances a year for the public at no charge.”

“Their performances also serve to enrich the cultural environment of the local community,” Reynolds adds.

The M.S.U. Music department faculty are also very active in the local scene.

“We have 19 full-time and 10 part-time faculty in the department,” Reynolds says. “They do a fantastic job of instilling in our students an appreciation for the performing arts.”

“Our Concert Choir has been selected to perform in two national conventions,” Reynolds observes. “And our Wind Ensemble recently performed in Great Britain.”

“The M.S.U. Music Department contributes substantially to the activities of the Murray Civic Music Association,” Reynolds concludes. “It’s an arrangement that benefits both organizations as well as the general public.”

For additional information about upcoming events sponsored by the Murray Civic Music Association, please call their Events line at (270) 762-5499.