Making Music Matter Foundation

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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 Band 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.

09/28/2026

WHO OWNS THE MUSIC?

Your students may already be copyright owners and that is a conversation worth having.

Think about the student who writes songs at home or brings you a recording they made on their phone. There’s pride in that moment. They’ve made something, and they want you to hear it.

That’s a good place to begin talking about ownership, giving credit, and asking permission before using someone else’s music.

This week’s Monday Music Matters is about helping students understand the value of their own work and the responsibility that comes with using the work of others.

What do your students know about the music they create and share?

09/21/2026

Introducing Monday Music Matters

Music gives us something worth talking about.

Welcome to Monday Music Matters, a new weekly series from the Making Music Matter Foundation exploring the many dimensions of music and its place in our lives.

From the classroom to the concert hall, we’ll explore the people creating music, the ideas changing it, and the communities it brings together. Some Mondays will introduce a composer or a compelling work. Others will examine performance, education, or a development that deserves a closer listen.

Our first edition focuses on music education: national music standards are being revised.

The National Coalition for Arts Standards is reviewing the standards released in 2014. Priorities include clearer language, access for every learner, student voice and choice, technology and artificial intelligence, and preparation for college and careers.

The conversation reaches beyond a written document. It asks what students should experience through music, how they can develop their own artistic voices, and what meaningful musical learning should make possible.

Educators can help shape that future. Applications for volunteer writing team members and discipline leads are open through October 18, 2026, with work beginning in January 2027.

Explore the slides and share your perspective: What should every student have the opportunity to experience in music?

Join us each Monday. There’s a whole world of music to discover.

People. Opportunity. Community.
Making Music Matter Foundation

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day to the musicians, music teachers, conductors, composers, technicians, stage crews, presenters, and arts professionals who keep Nevada’s music community moving.

Every concert, rehearsal, classroom, festival, and live event depends on your talent, time, and hard work.

In 2024, Nevada’s independent live sector supported 16,095 jobs, generated $858.8 million in wages and benefits, and contributed $1.9 billion to the state’s GDP.

Behind every number is a real person making a living, teaching a student, running a venue, loading a stage, or bringing music to an audience.

Thank you for everything you do for Las Vegas, Henderson, and communities across Nevada.

Happy Labor Day from the Making Music Matter Foundation.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Address

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

Website

http://www.makingmusicmatterfoundation.org/

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