Education Initiatives

Nothing is more central to the mission of the Feinstein Initiative than introducing and promoting the Great American Songbook to the next generation of young Americans.

By developing an effective and entertaining curriculum-based program, including in-school performances, the Initiative intends to reach youngsters by introducing them to the music and composers of the Great American Songbook for their entertainment, appreciation and deliver cultural, and purely American historical context.

Education initiatives include:

• The Great American Songbook High School Vocal Academy and Competition: the only high school vocal academy and competition in the U.S. dedicated solely to the music from Broadway, Hollywood musicals and the Tin Pan Alley era of the early to mid-twentieth century.
• Multi-disciplinary curriculum based on the music of the Great American Songbook. The free, downloadable lesson plans were developed as a companion educational resource to the 2010 PBS Series, “Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook." The curriculum is currently being implemented in a pilot program for music and history teachers in the Carmel Clay school system in Indiana for the 2011-2012 school year.

Download Lesson Plans

See Michael Feinstein's teachings at work as he visits the Christel House Academy.