Education
Education & Engagement Programs
Cultivating generations of enthusiasts for live musical performance since 1992
Music Student Scholarships
With support from generous donors, the Festival awards annual music scholarships for 3+ Grand and San Juan County students grades 2-12 for $500 each toward private music lessons or music camps. Thanks to the enthusiastic response of community supporters, the Moab Music Festival has been able offer a new round of scholarships each year since 2017.
The 2025 scholarship application window is April 15 – June 27. Recipients receive award notification in late-July. Awards are distributed and recipients are recognized at the annual Moab Music Festival Labor Day Community Concert at Old City Park, September 1 at 2pm. To apply during the open window, click the link below.
To fully or partially fund a music lesson scholarship, contact Erin Groves, Development and Community Engagement Director, at the Festival Box Office, 435.259.7003, or email: erin@moabmusicfest.org.
Summer String Camp
Summer String Camp is a collaboration between the BEACON String Program, Moab Music Festival, Moab Folk Festival, and Moab Charter School. Each summer, the Moab Music Festival helps coordinate one week of summer string camp for primarily Southeastern Utah string students of all abilities, ages 6-18. Camp provides level-appropriate daily instruction by professional coaches from around the region, music games, crafts, listening activities, and concludes with a casual camp recital and reception.
Registration for 2025 Summer String Camp opens March 15, 2025. Camp runs June 9-13, 2025 (8:30am-2pm daily). Registration is through the BEACON Afterschool Program.
School Assemblies
To provide local students with exposure to a wide variety of live musical performances, every child enrolled in the Grand County School District attends at least one music assembly each school year, during the annual Festival and Winterlude series. Assemblies feature a selection of guest musicians from each performance series. In recent years, featured artists have included big band musicians Kim Hawkey & Elvanelle, folk artists Brittany Haas & Friends, Latin jazz great Paquito D’Rivera, and various vocal programs from New York Festival of Song, to name a few.
Winterlude
In late January/early February, the Festival presents a winter series featuring educational workshops, guest artist concerts, and outreach events. Guest artists have included violist/composer Jessica Meyer, Frye Street Quartet, the Alison Shearer Quartet, W4RP Ensemble, and many others. Winterlude includes:
- Workshops for local youth and adults lead by professional musicians
- Free and low-cost guest artist concerts
- Outreach events like visits to Grand County Schools, Moab Senior Center, KZMU radio, Musical Story Hour
- Winterlude Showcase featuring workshop participants and guest artists
Visit our Winterlude page for more info.
Musical Story Hour
The Moab Music Festival and Grand County Public Library host four collaborative Musical Story Hour events throughout each year. The two organizations partner to read musically themed stories with live musical demonstrations by local artists for families with young children, newborn to early elementary. Events conclude with musically themed crafts and an instrument petting zoo. Featured instruments have varied from Japanese Taiko drums and the Aboriginal didgeridoo to classical strings and brass.
2025 Musical Story Hour Dates (All Saturdays at 10:30am):
- February 1 – special Winterlude musical story hour at Star Hall
- April 12
- July 19
- November 8
Education Initiative Awards
Each fall, the Festival solicits project proposals from all Grand County School District music educators and beyond in an effort to support local music education in the classroom and across the community. Awards fund music education resources for pre-k through high school programs, as well as adult music programs. Projects typically include the purchase of new musical instruments and accessories, musical scores and teaching curriculum, and fund efforts like ongoing music teacher training and class trips to musical events.
Moab Music Festival Education and Engagement programs are supported, in-part, by My Good Fund, the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation, The Steiner Foundation, Rocky Mountain Power, the Janet Q. Lawson Foundation, Utah Division of Arts and Museums, Creative West, the National Endowment for the Arts, the George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the City of Moab, The Synergy Company, Daynes Music, the sale of Festival program book ads, Moab Music Festival benefit events, and individual donors.