Arkansas Federation of Music Clubs (AFMC) is affiliated with the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC). Both AFMC and the wider NFMC are service organizations promoting, providing, and encouraging music and music education in America. Membership categories include Junior (6-18 yrs.), Collegiate (16-25), and Senior (19+) members.  Membership is not limited to just professional or amateur musicians but also includes composers, dancers, performing artists, arts and music educators, music students, generous music patrons and benefactors, and music lovers of all ages.  For more information about the National Federation of Music Clubs, visit their website at https://www.nfmc-music.org.

AFMC is comprised of clubs in every part of the state.  This website will give you information of clubs in your area and the Newsletters will give a good picture of the activities within the state.  Some of these activities include: Festival programs, competitive events, community outreach, music education advocacy, socializing with musical friends in your community and much, much more.  Contact the AFMC President, Kathie White, at whiteka23@yahoo.com for more information.

Riley Brule is a recent graduate of Henderson State University with a Bachelor of Music in Composition degree. Riley has been composing since high school, after several years of piano and voice lessons, as well as participating in extracurricular performances and marching band for all of her high school and middle school career.

Riley’s mother, Robin Brule, is an alumnus of Henderson State University. After meeting Henderson’s lovely music faculty, Riley decided to attend as a Piano Performance major. In the Spring of 2019, Henderson hired Mr. Don Colquitt, the band director of Fouke High School in Fouke, Arkansas. Mr. Colquitt regularly commuted to Henderson’s campus to hold private lessons with the composition students.

Riley will be attending the premier Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program in Seattle, where she will pursue a Master’s in Music in Film Scoring. The piece submitted by Riley is entitled “Ori and the Blind Forest”, written for a wind and brass quintet.

A video of a performance of the piece by the Henderson Faculty quintet will be played at the AFMC September 10th Conference. Riley was presented with the Arkansas Young Women Composer Award on August 2, 2022 by Gloria Febro Grilk and Kathie White at the home of Kathie in Hot Springs.

We Opera in the Ozarks!

Opera in the Ozarks is one of the true gems of Arkansas.  It has been a part of the musical scene here since 1951 and several generations of musicians and singers have had careers launched and expanded through their training and experience gained in the hills of the Ozarks around Eureka Springs.  The net of the singers and musicians involved today extends far beyond Arkansas to include all of the USA and international students.

Arkansas is one of five states in the South Central Region of the National Federation of Music Clubs supporting Opera in the Ozarks/Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony (OIO/IPFAC). We raise funds for general operations and for scholarships to attend this nine-week opera camp designed for career-minded students. Other states in the South Central Region include Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.

To learn more about Opera in the Ozarks, read our AFMC Newsletters, explore this site, or visit the OIO website at www.opera.org