July Sprouts Summer Special [ages 7-11]

Laura Macias received her Bachelor's in Music Composition and Theory from the Petrie School of Music at Converse College and her Master's in Music Composition from the Longy School of Music, where she was awarded the Nadia Boulanger scholarship. In 2005, she was selected to be part of the European American Music Alliance, where she was awarded a scholarship to study composition at L'Ecole Normale in Paris, France. In 2008, she completed the Kodaly Music Training at the New England Conservatory. Laura is an active composer in the Boston area. Her musical catalog includes compositions for chamber orchestra, art songs, chamber music and incidental music for the theatre. Laura was selected as a composer to participate in the 2011 Vancouver International Art Song Institute. Her music was also recently featured in concerts given by the Boston New Music Initiative ensemble. Besides writing art music, Laura enjoys working with children. Laura has been working to map a path for our youngest members to actively participate in group programs and to increase and deepen their involvement as they grow. She has a strong belief in developing music fundamentals, and her youthful personality makes learning fun.

Miguel Morales is a composer and arranger from Lima, Peru, with a passion for blending Peruvian and Latin music with contemporary techniques and styles. He studied Jazz Composition at the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), where he wrote arrangements for the Peruvian Music Ensemble and its Polyphonic Choir. Miguel’s work includes composing the song “Tiempo” for the first recording produced by UPC, Peru, Un Sonido (2019). At Berklee College of Music, Miguel continued to develop his unique musical style, merging his cultural roots with advanced music knowledge. Throughout his time at Berklee, he arranged and conducted pieces for the Berklee Performance Center and served as a leader and ambassador for the Latin American Association of Berklee Students. Miguel also has had the opportunity to share stage and arrange for artists like Tony Succar, Franchezka Olazabal, Milena Warthon, Eguie Castrillo and Gilberto Santa Rosa, experiences that shaped his evolving career as a composer, music director and as a guitarist. Now based in Boston, Miguel serves the East Boston community as a music educator, combining his teaching experience and musicianship to create an engaging, positive atmosphere in the classroom. His philosophy is simple: “Music is a means of communication, and our voice is waiting for us to be heard. Let’s make it sound!”