About the LIFT Anchorage Instrumental Music Program

The goal of the LIFT program is to teach youth across the Anchorage School District how to better play their instrument from experts on their instrument. When a student receives private lessons, they are able to improve on their instrument by leaps and bounds and in doing so raise the quality of every ensemble they play in. LIFT wants to bring that expertise to all our students. ASD Teachers, Professional musicians from the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, and UAA music majors and professors will hold master classes on their instrument of expertise once a week for six weeks. There will also be one-on-one pull outs to help students with individual playing technique. We want students to have a deeper understanding of their instrument and give them instrument specific knowledge that is difficult to do in the ensemble classroom. There will not be a formal performance which will allow students and teacher to concentrate on fundamental instrumental technique and not on perfecting a musical work for performance as an ensemble.

The LIFT program's development originates from the Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School Music Department and is supported by the ASD Fine Arts Department. We are grateful to The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra and the University of Alaska at Anchorage's Music Department's expertise and involvement.

This is the inagural year for the LIFT program. It will be held at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school. There will be 4 weeks of High School musicians and 4 weeks of Middle School musicians. You must be in the 7th or 8th grade and not be new on your instrument to attend LIFT.