Making Music Matter Foundation

Making Music Matter Foundation The Making Music Matter Foundation promotes culture and community in Las Vegas—and around the world "

Based in Las Vegas, NV, the Making Music Matter Foundation was established in 2018--building on the success of its flagship ensemble, the Desert Winds, which was founded in August 2009--to provide exceptional musical performances and unparalleled music education programs for middle and high school students. The Making Music Matter Foundation oversees the Desert Winds, Chambers, Honor Winds, and Ba

nd Camp Reimagined. The Foundation celebrates the vibrant tradition of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments through full wind orchestra ensembles for both adults and students (the Desert Winds and Honor Winds), as well as smaller chamber groups (Chambers). Along with providing performance opportunities for musicians in the Las Vegas community, the Making Music Matter Foundation nurtures the next generation of musical leaders. It oversees Band Camp Reimagined, which provides intensive summer training for middle and high school students within Clark County and around the country. Underneath the core belief that music and the arts are fundamental to elevating our community, the Foundation makes music and education accessible to all through free public performances, discounted ticketing, and scholarships. Connecting people through shared emotional experiences that mirror humanity remains central to our values.

WE ARE ONLY 1 WEEK AWAY UNTIL SHADOWFIRE!GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!📅 Date: April 18th📍 Location: Pinecrest Academy Sloan Ca...
04/12/2026

WE ARE ONLY 1 WEEK AWAY UNTIL SHADOWFIRE!

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

📅 Date: April 18th
📍 Location: Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon Performing Arts Center
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM

2 WEEKS UNTIL SHADOWFIRE!GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!📅 Date: April 18th📍 Location: Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon Performing ...
04/05/2026

2 WEEKS UNTIL SHADOWFIRE!

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

📅 Date: April 18th
📍 Location: Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon Performing Arts Center
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM

We are only 3 WEEKS away until our next Desert Winds concert “SHADOWFIRE”!Don’t miss this unforgettable performance feat...
03/28/2026

We are only 3 WEEKS away until our next Desert Winds concert “SHADOWFIRE”!

Don’t miss this unforgettable performance featuring California by David Maslanka, Second Nature by Viet Cuong performed by , and much more!

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

📅 Date: April 18th
📍 Location: Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon Performing Arts Center
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM

On April 18, The Desert Winds ignite the stage with Shadowfire, a powerful chapter in the Shadows season under the direc...
02/13/2026

On April 18, The Desert Winds ignite the stage with Shadowfire, a powerful chapter in the Shadows season under the direction of Maestro Charles A. Maguire.

This concert stands at the meeting point of intensity and illumination. Throughout this season we have explored what shadows reveal. In Shadowfire, we encounter the flame itself. Not destruction, but refinement. Not darkness, but the light that presses through it.

At the center of the evening is California by David Maslanka. Maslanka’s music breathes with profound humanity. Sweeping lines rise from introspection into radiant affirmation, carrying both weight and transcendence. It feels vast and deeply personal at once, music that remembers and reaches forward with courage.

The program also features Second Nature by Viet Cuong, performed by the award winning Meliorem Saxophone Quartet of the Keys Conservatory at Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon. Cuong’s writing pulses with rhythmic vitality and brilliant color. The quartet’s disciplined precision and unified artistry bring a fierce clarity to the stage, embodying the strength that emerges when shadow gives way to fire.

These works serve as the highlights of an evening that unfolds with depth, contrast, and unmistakable intensity.

Shadowfire is an experience of combustion and renewal. It is the sound of resilience. It is light forged in shadow.

You want a camp that actually changes you?CAMP REIMAGINED.Two weeks. Two tracks. One goal: come back next season undenia...
01/20/2026

You want a camp that actually changes you?

CAMP REIMAGINED.
Two weeks. Two tracks. One goal: come back next season undeniable.

ORCHESTRA: June 8–13
BAND: June 15–20

If you’re serious about getting better, save this now.
Registration drops soon. Spots go fast. Scholarships available.

Comment “REIMAGINED” and we’ll make sure you get the link first.

We would like to thank for working with the Desert Winds last night as they prepare for Saturday’s concert, which will ...
09/20/2025

We would like to thank for working with the Desert Winds last night as they prepare for Saturday’s concert, which will open the 17th season. We hope to see you there.

Underneath beauty, there’s unrest.Beneath every note, a question.This is SHADOWS—The Desert Winds’ most daring season ye...
07/19/2025

Underneath beauty, there’s unrest.
Beneath every note, a question.

This is SHADOWS—The Desert Winds’ most daring season yet.
Six concerts that don’t just entertain—they confront. Illuminate. Haunt. Heal.

You won’t leave the same.
And maybe… that’s the point.

Our final instructor to announce! We’re excited to welcome Marcus Phillips to the instructor team at Camp Reimagined, ha...
06/14/2025

Our final instructor to announce! We’re excited to welcome Marcus Phillips to the instructor team at Camp Reimagined, happening June 16th–21th! 🎶✨

Marcus is a Las Vegas–based oboist, English hornist, woodwind specialist, composer, and arranger with a dynamic background in orchestral, chamber, and solo performance. Whether he’s freelancing across the West Coast or composing fresh takes on traditional forms, Marcus brings a bold creative voice to everything he does.

He holds a Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Russ de Luna (English hornist of the San Francisco Symphony) and worked closely with many members of that world-class orchestra—experiences that helped shape his artistry and passion for pushing musical boundaries.

Marcus has performed with The Desert Winds, Henderson Symphony, Las Vegas Sinfonietta, SouthWest Symphony, West Edge Opera, Silicon Valley Philharmonic, Festival Opera, and many more ensembles across the country. He also served as a resident musician with the San Francisco Symphony’s Adventures in Music youth program.

As a founding member of Deep Tones, a bi-coastal collective of musicians and composers of color, Marcus is committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and reimagining what concert music can be.

Catch him next at Camp Reimagined, where he’ll be sharing his talent, insight, and passion with the next generation of woodwind players! - https://bit.ly/440J9D8

We’re thrilled to welcome Mrs. Jessica Baronet Schwartz to the instructor team at Camp Reimagined, happening June 16–21!...
06/14/2025

We’re thrilled to welcome Mrs. Jessica Baronet Schwartz to the instructor team at Camp Reimagined, happening June 16–21! 🎶

Jessica recently returned to Las Vegas, NV, after an impressive journey teaching and performing across the Southern and Western U.S. She holds a Master’s Degree in Instrumental Performance (Horn) from the University of Nevada, Reno and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Louisiana State University.

She began her teaching career working with students on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, later returning to Vegas before heading back to her roots in Louisiana. There, she and her husband led a nationally competitive high school band program, and Jessica served as Director of the Louisiana Junior Youth Orchestra.

Jessica’s versatility as a music educator spans band, choir, and orchestra, and she’s known for her work as a clinician, ensemble technician, and passionate advocate for young musicians. Performance highlights include appearances with the Henderson Symphony, The Desert Winds, Toccata Tahoe Symphony, Ruby Mountain Symphony, and many more across Louisiana, New Mexico, and Nevada.

Currently, Jessica lives in Las Vegas with her husband David, their three daughters - Joslyn, Nora, and Sutton - and their 14-year-old pup, Charlie. When she’s not teaching middle school band or performing, she’s soaking up time with her family and rocking the multi-tasking musician-mom life.

Catch her at Camp Reimagined next week - ready to inspire, instruct, and make some incredible music! - https://bit.ly/440J9D8

🎓 Did you know? Students who participate in music programs:✔️ Score higher on standardized tests✔️ Develop stronger lead...
06/10/2025

🎓 Did you know? Students who participate in music programs:
✔️ Score higher on standardized tests
✔️ Develop stronger leadership skills
✔️ Have higher self-esteem

At Camp Reimagined, we go beyond notes and rhythms—we shape thinkers, leaders, and artists.
Music is more than practice. It’s preparation for life.
Join us at Band Camp Reimagined June 16th through June 21st! Spots are still available! - https://bit.ly/43jMONw

Nolan Kozlovsky is a low brass specialist originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and he's pumped to be joining the instru...
06/05/2025

Nolan Kozlovsky is a low brass specialist originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and he's pumped to be joining the instructor team at Camp Reimagined, June 16–21! Nolan is currently based in Las Vegas, where he’s working toward his Master of Music in Performance under the mentorship of Gary Ofenloch, renowned tubist of the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Utah Symphony.

When he’s not making music, Nolan gets hands-on as a carpenter and handyman, channeling the same focus and creativity into building and fixing as he does into teaching and performing.

At camp, Nolan is excited to share his passion for all things low brass, help students level up their playing, and have a blast doing it. - Join us at Band Camp Reimagined June 16th through June 21st! Spots are still available! - https://bit.ly/43jMONw

🎶 Say hello to Jodie Wilkerson, joining us as an instructor at Band Camp Reimagined from June 16–21! She’s a euphonium p...
06/03/2025

🎶 Say hello to Jodie Wilkerson, joining us as an instructor at Band Camp Reimagined from June 16–21! She’s a euphonium player, trombone dabbler, and low brass enthusiast who brings both serious experience and serious good vibes to the stand. 🎺✨

Jodie picked up the euphonium in 7th grade and never looked back. She earned her Master of Music in Performance from the University of New Mexico, where she not only performed Ein Heldenleben with the New Mexico Symphony but also taught private lessons and led low brass clinic.

Jodie has a full-time career in communications and fundraising—but her musical roots run deep. Jodie’s played with some top-tier ensembles, including the Brooklyn Wind Symphony (BKWS), where she hit major stages like Carnegie Hall, WASBE, and the Midwest Clinic. Since moving to Las Vegas in 2022 with her husband Rob, she’s also performed with The Desert Winds and found a home in the vibrant Vegas music scene.

Oh, and if you’re a band nerd like us, you’ll want to check out her work on recordings like Fandango (with Philip Smith & Joseph Alessi 💥) and Michael Markowski / Brooklyn Wind Symphony.

Jodie’s thrilled to help the next generation of musicians find their voice—and maybe their inner euphonium star—this summer at Band Camp Reimagined June 16th through June 21st! Spots are still available! - https://bit.ly/43jMONw

Address

3459 Street Rose Pkwy, #120/416
Las Vegas, NV
89052

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