3 Strings Music Workshop & Emergence Concert

3 Strings Music Workshop & Emergence Concert

Join 3 Strings' Emergence for a free, interactive, family-friendly evening of music and community in celebration of Disability Pride Month. The event will begin with a hands-on workshop of adapted instruments and music using the 3 Strings methodology facilitated by Founder and Director, Ruth LeMay. The evening will include a lively performance by Emergence, a neuro-affirming cover band showcasing the 3 Strings iconic music literacy system. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to "sit-in" with the band.

6-6:45 pm: Intro to 3 Strings Methodology Hands-on Workshop (Community Room)

Have you always wanted to play an instrument? Now is the time. Gift yourself to a free evening immersed in the magic of playing an instrument. No experience needed because you already know what you need to play. Come play a guitar, ukulele, piano, bass guitar and sound great right away! 3 Strings music methodology is ingeniously simple and it is changing the way people make music. Using information acquired in early childhood, the complexity of written music transliterates into shapes, colors (color blind adaptations included), numbers, letters, language and pictures. What once felt like an insurmountable challenge becomes easily attainable. Success in moments that can last a lifetime. Everyone deserves a chance to make music. Come on, sign up, it's fun!

Meet our workshop facilitator: Ruth “Pippa” LeMay. Pippa is a disability advocate, music education protagonist, neurological music therapy allied professional, adaptive music professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a firm believer that being musical is innately human. She has nearly four decades of K-12 urban music education as a band, choir, guitar, pop, songwriting, and adaptive music ensemble director for Minneapolis Public Schools. Pippa speaks nationally advocating for inclusive ensembles with a pathway to bring those ensembles to fruition. As President and Founder of 3 Strings, Incorporated, a 501(c)3 non-profit and 3 Strings Store, LLC (3Strings.org), Pippa provides training for leaders interested in creating their own neuro-affirming ensembles. Imagine a band where everyone plays together with music to challenge each person’s intellect. Ruth passionately believes, “everyone deserves the chance to make music."

7-8 pm: Emergence Concert (3M Auditorium)

Emergence is a dedicated group of young, neuro-affirming adult musicians changing the face of music making. Performing a mix of cover tunes and commissioned works Emergence entertains with a blend of pop, ballads, solo works, Motown, and classic rock. Now in their fifth season showcasing the iconic music literacy system 3 Strings, Emergence is deeply honored to be performing for the Minnesota History Center during Disability Pride Month. Emergence has traveled coast to coast performing for various conferences and festivals. In 2024, the band was invited to perform for the National Conference of the Association for Popular Music Education in Los Angeles, CA as well as the national conference for Music Will’s Modern Band Summit in Ft. Collins, CO in 2025. Most recently, Emergence was honored to perform multiple times at the 2026 National Special Olympic Games held in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.

Planning your visit to the History Center

Free admission and parking at the Minnesota History Center are available every Thursday from 4–8 pm. Attendees are invited to explore the exhibits available on the 3rd floor before the start of the event. Directions to the History Center can be found on the museum website.

To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact engagement@mnhs.org.

This event was made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.