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Celebrating 64 Years of Inspired Music Making!

June 28 – August 2, 2025

Alumni Feature: Michael Simpson, ’75-’76 viola

Michael Simpson (viola, ’75-’76), has made a deep and meaningful career as a music educator. He works with students in Orlando, Florida as the orchestra director at Lake Highland Preparatory School, as well as a chamber music coach at A Gift for Music, a nonprofit that provides tuition-free music education and instruments to youth demonstrating financial need. Michael recalls inspiration from many mentors and teachers along the way including those he encountered at EMF. Read more to learn about Michael’s story!

 

What first led you to become interested in music and teaching?

As a full-time teacher for the past 34 years, Michael says “the teaching has always been a part of it, and it has been what has inspired me.” It all started with “picking up the viola the first time at 10 years old, in the fourth grade classroom” in his Norfolk, VA hometown.

“The strings class was new that year to my school. And I actually just learned this within the last year – this class was a part of the first de-segregation initiatives in the Norfolk Public Schools system . . . as one of the new programs that was created to satisfy the federal government’s requirements for de-segregation. I found this out because I recently met up with one of my teachers from that school. So I was right on the front end of that program.”

Michael continued to take advantage of school programs, youth orchestras, summer programs and camps from the fourth grade throughout high school. Michael first heard about EMF at one youth orchestra rehearsal in high school. Joe Thayer, EMF’s then-Director of Admissions and Dean of Students, made a guest visit to a rehearsal one day and spoke to the young musicians about the festival.

“He talked to us about the EMF experience – [as a result], a bunch of my friends went that upcoming summer, but it wasn’t until the summer following that I decided to attend too. They all came back talking about EMF [with so much enthusiasm] that I thought, “I’ve got to go.”

 

Recalling EMF

The intensive pace and responsibility expected of young musicians at EMF led Michael, at the time a high school graduate (’75) and young college student (’76), through an accelerated period of growth.

“In my second year [at EMF]- the very first week of orchestra, we were doing till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks by Strauss, and I had never played Strauss before. It was everything I had learned about playing the viola and in the orchestra, on steroids.

“And actually, the first professional orchestra I was a part of, the very first piece I performed was that piece, till Eulenspiegel’s, by Strauss.” That orchestra was the Norfolk Civic Symphony Orchestra (now the Virginia Symphony Orchestra), where Michael performed for 10 years before moving to Orlando. “It was a nice moment [to play that piece again.]

“But at EMF, for at least one week each of the two summers, I was in the principal viola position. . . At the sectional rehearsals, not only were we practicing, but we were getting guidance from the sectional leader. If at any point you were named principal, you had to step into that leader role and provide that guidance to the others.

“Through the entire experience you are totally immersed in orchestral studies. Everything you do is with people who are also immersed – the students, and the adults [such as] the faculty, performers, guest artists . . .Even just listening to the adults talk to us young musicians and hear the stories they share contributed to that.”

Michael names several of the incredible peers and teachers he learned from:

  • Dr. Robert Hause and Robert Helmacy, two EMF conducting faculty of the student orchestras.
  • Carl Roskott, Assistant to Music Director Sheldon Morganstern. “I obtained a few conducting lessons with Mr. Roskott,” says Michael.
  • Sheldon Morganstern
  • Joe Thayer – EMF’s Dean of Students that originally introduced Michael to EMF
  • Judith Beverly – Assistant Principal Violist in the faculty orchestra, and Michael’s private teacher for both summers

Now as a chamber coach and orchestra director, Michael reflects on his experience with the conductors at the festival who were mentors to him as well.

“It amazed me what they noticed. Once I was sick for a concert, and I spoke with one of the conductors about it. And in that conversation, he started mentioning quirks of mine. He noticed I was always ready early, to play a note – and I didn’t actually play the notes early – but because of [my readiness], he was concerned that I might. And what really stuck with me about this conversation was that it was amazing how he noticed these small, but important, things from a single player out of an entire orchestra of about 62 people.”

 

Music education as mentorship

As an educator, Michael strives to provide the mentorship and support that he so values to his own students.

“One thing I do is always try to be encouraging . . . Society has become focused on being more positive in recent years, and that is good thing.”

To Michael, music is a tool to help students learn how to “do their best” in many aspects of their life.

“Even though I’ve helped many students that have gone into the profession [of music], I don’t necessarily expect my students to choose it as a profession. I tell them, ‘You’re going to get a lot of intensity from me. Because I love this – music – but if you’re going to do something else [later, in high school, college, etc.], that’s also good.’ They can still do their best as a musician.

“I have high standards . . . I help make my musicians play as best they can. In fact, the Orlando Symphony concertmaster was a guest artist in our February concert. I do my best to try and inspire students. I’m just trying to help students be the best human being that they can. My vehicle is music. That’s why we’re together.”

 

How music impacts students of all disciplines

“There have been recent studies on this: Medical schools, business schools, are looking for musicians. And colleges and universities. They keep a lookout for the ones who have done four years of music in high school, or other creative studies – theater, band, choir,. etc. Particularly things where you have to work together with others.

“Even guidance counselors know this, that schools are looking out for musicians. Out of every student college app that has a 4.0 GPA, having those years of music [and especially being a leader in that discipline] is a sign that . . . this is someone who will contribute to society. And that is what they want to see now.”

 

Advice to young EMF Musicians

When asked what advice he would give to incoming EMF musicians, Michael recommends students take advantage of the time they have at EMF, as it is “a time and a place where you can be completely focused on growing as a musician” before other things compete for your attention.

“I would say, for students specifically, to get as much out of it all as you possibly can. It’s hard to find a vacation spot like EMF in ‘real life.’ After an EMF summer, you might spend more time at school, or work, etc . . . the more you invest in it, the more you get out of it.

“Also, I will say, we had our fun at EMF. We’re in the dorms, you’ve got roommates, and the leaders there made sure there were always fun things for us to do. Work time was fun, because work time was music. But we weren’t just nerding out there! We spent time together too.”

When asked if there was anything he’d liked to add, Michael says fondly, “One of the things I’ve loved about this conversation is talking about the musicians and teachers who have inspired me.”

 

You can learn more about A Gift for Music, where Michael is a chamber music coach, by visiting agiftformusic.org. Info and tickets for Lake Highland Preparatory School concerts and events, including concerts where Michael conducts, can be found at teachtix.com/lhps