MSU's newly leased 22,000-square-foot building, located at 3408 Woodward Ave., will host music classes for Detroit youth and will serve as a new headquarters for College of Education teaching interns.

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University will expand its presence in Southeast Michigan this fall, establishing Community Music School Detroit with classes for area youths and adults and a new headquarters for College of Education teaching interns and programs in Detroit schools.

MSU signed a seven-year, $490,000 lease at 3408 Woodward Ave. and will be the only occupant of the 22,000-square-foot building. The facility also will house offices for admissions, advancement and governmental affairs, and will provide some space for faculty research in Detroit.

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said Southeast Michigan has always been important to MSU and that the new facility represents a new level of engagement.

“We are – and have been – engaged with Southeast Michigan on a variety of levels,” Simon said. “From our work at YouthVille to expansion of the College of Osteopathic Medicine to serving more than 500,000 individuals annually through our extension offices, we are an established presence in the area.

“Occupying this facility will lend a new, formal face to our investment in the region and will provide additional opportunities to deepen our connection with Detroit and the surrounding area.”

Approximately 49 percent of MSU’s incoming freshman class comes from the three-county Southeast Michigan area and more than 21 percent of MSU’s 460,000-plus living alumni reside there.

Community Music School is the outreach arm of the College of Music. The college initiated CMS Detroit in response to the community’s desire for enhanced music education and performance opportunities, said Rhonda Buckley, associate dean for outreach and engagement for the College of Music.  

“The programs are built on the knowledge that exposure to music dramatically enhances learning, life skills, cognitive development, social awareness and problem solving – all skills that are transferable and necessary in these changing economic times,” Buckley said. 

CMS Detroit offerings will include:

• MSU Jazz@CMS Detroit – Urban youth, ages 11-19, will meet weekly for a total of 20 three-hour sessions. College of Music jazz faculty members and MSU student mentors will lead each session. Included will be a summer jazz camp held on the MSU campus.
• Early childhood music education – Classes will be offered at CMS Detroit as well as at child care and early education facilities. In year two, MSU faculty will help Detroit-area preschool and child care staffs incorporate music into their programs.
• Multimedia arts classes – Classes will be held at YouthVille – a youth development center also on Woodward Avenue – for the first year and will expand into CMS Detroit in year two. Students will learn about music composition and the use of digital media technology in the creative process.
• New Horizons Band – An adult concert band, designed for music novices, will practice weekly at the Woodward Avenue building.
• Music therapy – The Music Therapy Clinical Services program will serve clients of all ages, although most are expected to be special needs children and adolescents. In partnership with Creative Arts Therapies Inc., CMS Detroit will offer music therapy to individuals and groups. 

CMS Detroit will offer a sliding fee scale, with some classes subsidized by scholarships.

The College of Education will use the new space to support several of its programs that continue to operate in partnership with Detroit schools. This includes a seven-week teaching experience in the city’s summer school program for MSU education students and regular activities for Detroit high school students interested in pursuing education careers.

Teacher candidates who are placed in Detroit classrooms for the required fifth-year internship also will attend various classes and meetings in the Woodward Avenue location. Their mentor teachers, who help facilitate the program in local schools, will meet there with MSU faculty and staff.

College of Education Dean Carole Ames said many other opportunities are possible.

“Moving into this building will help solidify our long-term presence in Detroit,” she said. “Woodward Avenue provides a great location to improve our accessibility and visibility in the community.”

Both the College of Music and the College of Education have increased their Detroit presence over the years. Last year, the College of Music started Jazz@YouthVille. Also at YouthVille, the College of Education operates a resource center funded by Detroit-based Skillman Foundation.

For more information about CMS Detroit, visit the College of Music Web site http://music.msu.edu.

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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.