The College of Music at Michigan State University in East Lansing is debuting its new artist-in-residence program that will bring jazz musicians to campus. The program is funded by a $1 million grant from the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union.
The first artist-in-residence will be saxophonist Antonio Hart. He will teach and give performances while on campus. Hart, a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, is a professor at Queens College, a campus of the City University of New York system.
“It is so exciting and satisfying to get this program started,” said Rodney Whitaker, director of jazz studies at Michigan State. “Living in the center of the Midwest doesn’t allow students easy access to the musicians influencing the world of jazz right now. So this way, with the support of MSU Federal Credit Union, we bring the jazz greats like Antonio Hart to the heart of Michigan. It is a win-win for our students and for our community.”
