From the Blog: News

From the Top alum Clark Pang, who appeared on the first episode of From the Top at Carnegie Hall, as well as radio show 215 in Portland, Maine this past March, had the opportunity to perform abroad this summer!  This 14-year-old cellist traveled to Costa Rica with the Oakland Youth Orchestra on their World Tour.

This tour included a performance at the Teatro Nacional for the Vice President and Minister of Culture of Costa Rica. Clark performed a Dvorak Concerto twice during the trip.

Clark warming up in Costa Rica

Clark was also awarded First Place this year in Ukraine’s Individualis International Competition. He was the only American to win first prize in the strings categories twice (both 2007 & 2010). Clark also received an Honorable Mention from the Davidson Institute for our nation’s profoundly gifted. Jim Whiting writes about Clark in his new book, Yo Yo Ma: A Biography.

This week our show with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops (taped on June 8th) is airing across the country. We’ve created a multimedia press release to spread the word, which includes pictures, video, fast facts, and more. Please check it out and share it with your friends and family: http://pitch.pe/83496.

To check local listings for the air time of From the Top with the Boston Pops, click here. You can also listen to the show online right now by clicking here.

Our next show in Boston will take place at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall at 2pm on Sunday, October 24. Tickets are on sale now. This year we are selling three tiers of tickets: Center Floor for $30, Dress Circle for $25, and Balcony for $15.  Group discounts are available for parties of 8 or more. For more information please email ticketing@fromthetop.org.

Hope to see you at the show!

Hopefully you’ve been following harpist and From the Top alum Anna DeLoi’s summer Arts Leadership project – she got together an ensemble and has been touring, raising money for CureSearch. You can read more about her ensemble, Heartstrings, and what they’ve been doing this summer here. We just got an update from her on Heartstrings‘ ideas for the fall, which we’ve shared below.

We’re considering lots of fun ways to continue and expand what we’re doing; maybe a program mixed with an instrument-petting-zoo, so that kids can get more involved, and see that they can do more than listen to us make music – they can make music themselves! We want to help them create lasting relationships with music, because we think it is an amazing gift to have in your life.  And this summer has shown us that children really can get excited about classic music, if they are exposed to it.

Anna shows her harp to kids at Maudslay Park this summer (courtesy of Heartstrings' Facebook Page)

You should have seen the kids at the last event we played – they were genuinely excited to sit and listen to piece after piece.  One little girl came up to us with an amazed expression on her face and said, “You make the prettiest sounds I’ve ever heard”. She proceeded to sit on the ground in front of us and listen for about 20 minutes, before her parents told her it was time to leave, when she blew us a kiss goodbye. I honestly wanted to jump up and put an instrument in her hands, because I just knew it could be something she’d love for the rest of her life.

Stay tuned, as we will continue to update you on Anna and Heartstrings‘ plans! You can also check out their Facebook page here.

We are pleased to announce the release of From the Top’s new iPhone app! Powered by Instant Encore, the mobile tool gives fans up-to-the minute access to From the Top’s podcasts, videos, radio show clips, news updates, concert listings and more. The application is available through the iTunes store and requires users to create an account with Instant Encore.

Instant Encore is committed to keeping classical music vital and accessible to the audience of today and tomorrow while providing organizations and artists with the opportunity to utilize the media model of our time, the Internet. We are thrilled to be partnered with them!

Stay tuned for the release of our Android app later in the fall.

Phuong Nghi on "From the Top" (photo courtesy of John Servies)

Phuong Nghi Pham, a 14-year-old pianist from Dorchester, MA and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipient, wrote a letter to Dr. Carol R. Johnson, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools District, appealing for a spending increase on the city’s musical education programs for the following school-year budget.

Phuong Nghi shares her letter to Dr. Johnson below:

Dear Superintendent Johnson,

As you know, most schools had to make large budget cuts due to the recent economic recession. This included laying off teachers as well as cutting back or eliminating parts of the curriculum that may be perceived as unnecessary in the students’ growth and development. The budget crisis has and will have huge impacts on the arts departments in schools because many people do not consider art to be part of the core curriculum. I write this letter to ask for your support in saving the arts and funding the musical education of youth.

My name is Phuong Nghi Pham. I am a 14 year-old pianist from Dorchester and am currently in the eighth grade at Boston Latin School. This past February, I had the honor of performing in Jordan Hall on From the Top, a National Public Radio program showcasing America’s top young classical musicians. It is simply impossible to forget the passion and commitment I received from the staff and the two other talented young musicians who also performed in this taping with me. From the Top, however, is not just about that sole performance. It is about young classical musicians reaching out and communicating to others through music.

Regardless of whether one plays an instrument or not, music is still an integral part of everyday life. After all, it is everywhere and has lasted through the most difficult times in history. For me, music has the power to invite both relaxation and self-expression. I believe that the more people are introduced to classical music, the more they will appreciate the influence it has had on the different societies and cultures today. I think arts programs in schools are great opportunities for this exposure because kids explore, learn, and retain better in a learning environment. In addition, the skills gained from studying music can improve academic performance because they have to practice self-discipline, think creatively, and work collaboratively.

In fact, it was a school music program that opened the musical door to me. I was in a small class in kindergarten with other five year-olds. The main goal was simply to get the kids more familiarized with music. In the room, there were several tiny keyboards where we played and tried out various sounds. The teacher had seen potential in my playing and recommended that I move up to the piano – a more challenging instrument. And it all began from there…

At my school last year, there were decisions to reduce the number of teachers from the arts departments as part of the budget cuts. That meant that there would only be about three or four teachers in total for both visual arts and music. As a result, fewer students will be able to participate in music classes, ensembles, and bands. The chance of these programs lasting is slim. However, they have been extremely helpful to me and other students. They allow us to create a positive learning environment that encourages creativity, independence, and communication. In a time when there are many difficulties and hardships in life, music is one of the things that can comfort and give us the courage to keep going. Not only that, young musicians like us will be able to share this gift by inspiring others and enriching the world through our music-making!

I understand that as the school superintendent, you have to make very difficult decisions in creating the budgets for the coming school year. Please keep in mind that small as they may seem, these arts programs really can provide opportunities for young musicians to explore their own abilities and help many others cope with challenges in life. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Phuong Nghi Pham

(photo courtesy of John Servies)

We asked Phuong Nghi a few questions about her letter to Superintendent Carol R. Johnson:

FTT: Why did you choose this project?

Phuong Nghi: Because of the unstable economy, most school budgets have been and are being cut. People like Dr. Johnson are involved in making the decision of which curriculum should be kept and which are not as necessary. Last year in my school, there was the decision of laying off some teachers who teach music and arts because it was not considered as important as other academic subjects. I do not want something like this to keep on happening again.

FTT: What did you hope to communicate to Dr. Johnson in your letter?

Phuong Nghi: Through this letter, I wanted to make her aware that musical education is very essential to students. It helps you to express yourself in new ways, acquire new skills, and it can also improve academic achievements as well.

FTT: What did you learn from the experience?

Phuong Nghi: It redefined, for myself, the role that music plays in my life. Because this is the first time I wrote a letter to an official, this experience helped me gain more skills in advocating about music to other people and being persuasive as well. Writing this letter helped me to understand how there are many, many ways to share music with others beside performing on stage.

Stay tuned for an update on her efforts!

Simon Estes is a perfect example of a true Arts Leader. This Iowa native and world-renowned opera singer has established not only a school in South Africa for some of the continent’s poorest children, but also the Simon Estes Iowa Educational Foundation, “a multiracial, nonprofit organization that provides positive minority role model programs and scholarships to students attending Iowa colleges and universities.”

His latest project is the “Wings and Roots” tour, where he’s pledged to present concerts in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

“I want to share the gift of voice God has given me and give something back. I want to introduce audiences to classical music and a trained voice, and I want to raise funds to provide scholarships for outstanding students. The cost of college is high and many families need help. I know when I was young, I struggled. I scrubbed floors, shined shoes, carried luggage and anything I could do. I want to help young people because I believe in the value and importance of education,” Estes said.

Simon attended our From the Top Show #216 in Ames, Iowa this spring, where he met From the Top alums Caroline Weeks (viola) and Bryanne Presley (obeo), both of whom he ultimately ended up inviting to join him to perform at several concerts this fall! So far Bryanne is scheduled to perform with Simon on October 30 in Vinton, Iowa, and November 13 in Manning, Iowa.  Caroline will be performing with him this December. Stay tuned, as we’ll post more information about those concerts as we get it.

Bryanne on From the Top in Ames, Iowa

Caroline on From the Top in Ames, Iowa

From the Top is taping the next Iowa show in Davenport on October 12 at 8pm. If you’re in the area, come on down and grab a seat in the Adler Theater. Tickets & info here.

This is the second installment of our Parents’ Perspective blog series, which is meant to share information, hints, and knowledge about raising musical kids. You can read the first blog about musical beginnings here.

Today’s topic: Your kid wants to study an instrument – now what? Our parent panel gives some tips on finding music teachers.

Word of mouth can be a very powerful tool!

Gabriel Cabezas, 2007

Emmanuel Cabezas remembers, “After Gabriel went through most of the Suzuki program, his teacher suggested a traditional teacher who also performed with a symphony orchestra.  Once Gabriel studied with him for a couple of years, he in turn suggested another teacher from a university.”

Roberta McGuire says, “Word of mouth referrals from trusted and respected sources can help shorten the time in finding what you are looking for. When shopping around for an instrument, you should ask your teacher to help out with the assessment of each so that you get the instrument that best fits your child at that given point in time.”

Barbara Nakazawa advises, “School band and orchestra teachers tend to know the better private instrumental teachers so they are a great source.”

Use the Internet!

“The Internet has made it possible for us all to see what is available in music stores, music schools for classes, teachers, sheet music and music related supplies.”  – Roberta McGuire

Some online resources you may find helpful:

MTNA – Music Teachers National Association

NAMM – National Association of Music Merchants

NAMM Foundation: Best Communities for Music Education

MENC – The National Association for Music Education

National Guild for Community Arts Education

*Many states have music teacher associations. Try a Google search with your state or city + music teachers.

Additional Words of Advice:

From Barbara Nakazawa:

“Finding the right teacher for your child is very important. It’s not only the material that is taught and technique, it has to be the right personality match. Most teachers offer a trial lesson.  A good teacher should be able to direct their student to the appropriate orchestra/band auditions and help with suggestions for instruments, supplies, etc.”

From Roberta McGuire:

“You don’t want to swap [teachers] a lot because it would disrupt the continuity in learning. The other key element in the teacher search process (when you are switching from one teacher to another) is to be honest with your wish to make a change.  No one appreciates being blind sighted and a burnt bridge can never be a helpful one in the future!  Honesty is always the best policy!”

If your child’s school has an orchestra or a band program, encourage them to join up. Through that experience, they will start to make friends with other like-minded students and you will start to build a network of musical friends to connect with.

Scales:  They do matter! Nobody likes to play their scales, but they do help with ear training, so one way to get your scales into your practice routine is to start with your scales! Your sound quality will improve and your teacher will love you for it!

From Naomi Aldort:

“We parents are gullible when it comes to talent. We tend to live our own dreams of glory through our children. Unfortunately children sense it and will go on the path of our dream, missing their own, if we are not careful. They will look happy and we will be fooled to think that they love the lessons, when what they really love is to please us and be the sunshine of our dreams. Eventually this becomes old and the child’s search for herself collides with her need to please her parents or other adults. Depression is one of the most common results of such inner confusion.

Oliver Aldort on From the Top, 2005

Therefore, I often recommend offering music education to a child without formal lessons.  Not offering lessons does not meant not nurturing the child’s talent. On the contrary, when not relying on a weekly teacher to do the job, you take more responsibility and the child learns a whole lot more. I offered such “home lessons” to my children, and by the time they started to study with teachers, they were already reading notes and skillful with the fundamentals of rhythms, tonality, chords, and feeling the music. They were also freely improvising and totally passionate about music. Instead of a weekly or bi-weekly lessons, their musical learning occurred a few times per day, every day of the week. I avoided praise so their love of music stayed authentic and not confused with pleasing me.”

Naomi Aldort is the author of, Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves and the mother of two musicians. Her advice columns are published in progressive parenting magazines worldwide. Aldort offers guidance and counseling by phone/Skype internationally regarding all ages, babies through teens: attachment parenting; natural learning; peaceful and powerful parent-child relationships and more. Products, counseling, and free newsletter: www.authenticparent.com

Please feel free to comment below with questions or your own personal stories! We’d love to hear from you.

Because From the Top tapes radio shows across the country, we often fly in young musicians from different states to appear on broadcast tapings. If you’re a musician, you know traveling with your instrument can sometimes be tricky. The American Federation of Musician recently launched this petition to make air travel more friendly for musicians.

Even if you’re not a musician, you can probably imagine the difficulties of hauling a large cello around. The video below shows one ordeal Octet Abbraccio, featured on our 2010 Ames, Iowa show, went through in trying to return home to Ohio. (Starts around 1:15). In true From the Top style, these young musicians kept a light heart and a humorous approach to the situation.

You can show your support for young musicians with large instruments by signing the petition here.

This spring, 17 year-old composer/bassoonist Tim Woos, a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist, held composition workshops at two different schools in Vermont - the Integrated Arts Academy in Burlington and the North Branch School in Ripton. For each school, he created  a “composing game”: a program that engaged the students as composers using visual aids and noisemakers. It was a big hit!

Tim at the Integrated Arts Academy

Tim wanted to show the students how composing music is by no means linear, and that the possibilities are endless. Tim shares more:

Young students get bored easily. If they have to sit and listen, things go downhill fast. I think that if they’re involved with the composing game, it will give them the opportunity to get excited about concert music.”

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We asked Tim to share more about his “composing game” and the overall experience:

FTT: How did you come up with your project idea?

Tim: I knew from the start that I wanted to go into schools and talk about being a composer. Not many kids really know what a composer does. My teacher, David Ludwig, has done a lot of presentations in schools. He advised me to involve the students as much as I could, so I decided on the composing game.

FTT: What was the experience like for you? How did the two schools compare?

Tim: It was an incredible experience. The students were as engaged and excited about what we were doing as they possibly could have been.

At the first performance (North Branch), it was very clear that the group performing was embarrassed and uncomfortable. They were laughing while they were playing and not taking it seriously. After they were done, I asked the other students for their comments. Most of the students said they wanted to hear the piece again because the performers were very distracting.

This made the performers realize that the other students actually wanted to hear their piece. They performed it again and it was much better. We then heard the other groups’ pieces. They were all very different and extremely creative. I was so impressed with all of the students and the work they had done.

As for the Integrated Arts Academy, I was very impressed with the school and the work they are doing. When the kids learned that I was going to school just for music one of them asked, “so, all you’re going to do is write music all day? I want to go to music school!”

The school is the only arts magnet school in the state. It’s located in a part of Burlington called the Old North End. This is the poorest area of the city and many of the kids are refugees from other countries and don’t speak English very well.

FTT: Can you give us an example of how the “composing game” works?

Tim: (At the North Branch School) I gave them the following instructions:

1. Fold your piece of paper in half.
2. Draw an enclosed shape anywhere on the paper.
3. Draw a line, wavy or straight, that connects any one side of the paper to any other side.
4. Unfold the piece of paper and draw another wavy or straight line from anywhere to anywhere.
5. Draw one thing, anything you want, wherever you want.

After they drew their “scores”, the class split into three groups of 9. Tal (Birdsey – the class teacher) went with one group, Rose Messner, the math teacher, went with another, and I went with the last. Each group picked one of the drawings to use as a score. They all went into different places after that. One group went outside. Two students grabbed their acoustic guitars and one grabbed an electric bass. I made them put the instruments away.

The pieces they came up with were very creative. One group used a piece of Sonotube, two PVC pipes, a wheelbarrow, a hand-pushed lawnmower, the top of a garbage can filled with sand, and a handful of marbles. All of the groups were very tied to rhythm and always wanted a clear beat. While they were still working on the pieces, I encouraged all of the groups to use both clear rhythm and very free rhythm as two “compositional devices” to express the score more effectively. They did a great job of this.

FTT: What do you think the students took away from the event?

Tim: That composing is not a strange thing to do. All of the students went through the process of creating a piece of music.

The game is interesting because it separates composing from performing. They were not writing a piece for a violin, they were writing it for a salad bowl and a plastic cup. For some of them, it will be a cool thing that they did once. For others, they could have been hooked and want to start writing music or playing an instrument.

I wanted them to see that no matter what it is they create, whether it’s a poem, a drawing, or a piece of music, the process of creating that thing is very engaging and feels really good to do.

It was a really great project. I know I got a lot out of it, and I know the students did as well.

Reed Messner, a student at the North Branch School, wrote an article that was published on his teacher’s (Tal Birdsey’s) blog, A Room for Learning. Click here to read Reed’s article on Tim’s visit.

As you know, From the Top showcases the best young musical talent from across the country. But what about the support behind these amazing kids – the parents? We’ve set out to tap into the rich knowledge base of From the Top performer parents in an effort to share information, stories, and encouragement on raising musical kids.

This is the first blog in what we hope will be an on-going series.

Musical beginnings: How do you know your child is ready to study an instrument & are you ready to help them? Whether or not you have any musical background, our parents share why studying music is a family affair.

Barbara Nakazawa is a musician and teacher, but she looked to her son Joshua for signs he was interested:

Josh, age 6

“Starting at age three, I dragged him to one of my community orchestra rehearsals (I’m a flutist)…After a few weeks he got to be friendly with the cellists and trombonists as they sat near him.

One day he said, ”Mommy, I need a cello.”  I gave him the whole lecture about need vs. want and told him that he was too young…He was persistent as is his nature and just to change the subject I told him, “Tomorrow after nursery school we will go home and call a cello teacher.” The following day when I picked him up from nursery school I asked him if he wanted to go to Toys R Us and he said, “No, Mommy, you promised that we would go right home and call a cello teacher.” Twenty-one years later he is now a professional cellist.”

Emmanuel Cabezas says that his son Gabriel’s journey through music has been shared by their family:

Gabriel Cabezas

“We could tell Gabriel had an affinity to sound, movement and music from an early age.  I grew up among musicians, mostly pianists and violinists, and could tell Gabriel was inherently interested in it.  I played the piano for many years and took lessons at my family’s conservatory in San José, Costa Rica.  Historically, my family has not encouraged a young child to study music until he/she expresses sincere interest and commitment, as Gabriel did.

If I could take the liberty to express my perception of my wife Mary’s entrance into the world of music without much preliminary experience, I’d say she took it with much courage and enthusiasm, learning from every opportunity and developing a keen sense of musical appreciation and knowledge.  What I admired the most about Mary is her unconditional support toward Gabriel without being over protective (what is commonly referred to as “stage mothering”).  Gabriel’s journey through music has provided Mary with an extraordinary insight in an area that she naturally loves and intrinsically understands (albeit without any practical background).”

Roberta McGuire is not  a musician, but she had a general knowledge of music that helped her when Patrick started out:

Patrick McGuire

“I am not a musician, but I did study a few instruments while growing up. This gave me an appreciation for music and the ability to appreciate the work involved in learning to play an instrument and to learn new pieces on that instrument. Studying the piano helped me when my child was starting out on piano and on his other instruments…The basics were the same, i.e. being able to read the music, to fine tune the notes so that they are in tune, etc. i.e. age appropriate critical listening skills.  What was different in each was the method of producing the sound.

I sat in on the private lessons for a few years and by doing that, I learned a lot about the approach and about the instrument.

I don’t think you need to be a musician in order to help your child learn an instrument. Being a parent musician is obviously helpful, but not a must.  What you do need is the ability to ask questions and know where to obtain the information you need. There is help out there. So, don’t be afraid to ask.”

Susie Wuest wanted to give Eric the chance she never had:

Eric, 1991

“I had grown up very involved in athletics [figure skating] and there was never the time nor money for me to learn to play an instrument, something I felt that I had missed out on.  So after my two children were born, I decided that I would give them that musical opportunity.  My daughter started with piano, and when it was time for her brother Eric [two years younger] to maybe start an instrument at age 6, he…decided on violin since his father had played violin through junior high and still owned a violin.

It worked out well that my husband was musical so he could tune Eric’s violin strings in between lessons and after a short time Eric was able to play duets with him.  Once Eric realized that he could read music, he started going through his father’s stash of old violin etude books and sheet music.  That early beginning with reading music turned into a great strength for him.

I was a stay-at-home mom so I was able to plan his days so that there was always time for both practice violin and other activities.  It was almost never a question about practicing.  It was not “IF” but “WHEN.” I feel that I handled venturing into this new territory because there were many parallels to my skating days in practicing, learning, and performing.  I think that I was able to offer Eric non-musical advice through analogies to my skating life.”

Next time, we explore how to find the right resources to support your child in their musical studies. Please feel free to comment below with questions or your own personal stories! We’d love to hear from you.

Although From the Top doesn’t tape many radio shows during the summer, our staff keep busy during these hot months with an important and exciting task – holding live auditions for our NPR radio show.

Live auditions are an opportunity for us to hear young musicians in a different and fun capacity; most of our auditions come in by mail. Recent stops our live audition tour included Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI), Interlochen Center for the Arts, Brevard Music Center (BMC), and Aspen Music Festival (AMF).  Below are some highlights from the travels of Tim Banker, Caroline Cardiasmenos, Megan Lantz, and Tom Vignieri.

News From Interlochen Center for the Arts:

Tim Banker

Tim Banker reports: “As usual, our Interlochen auditions are a real marathon for the brain as we see kids from 9am to 9pm (no exaggeration).  The level at Interlochen is very high and so it’s pretty inspiring.  It really doesn’t get boring.  Interlochen is totally international so we also heard amazing kids from locations as far flung as Israel and Peru.

One of the terrifying things about Interlochen is when you try to get breakfast at the cafeteria at like 7:40am.  Why?  Because at 7:45am about 1,000 kids have to be at their orchestras or rehearsals or classes and it’s like experiencing a buffalo stampede in all directions except the buffalo are all carrying bananas, half filled bowls of cereal and jelly lined pieces of toast.  I was half asleep at the time and simply froze to protect myself. Pretty funny.”

From the Top staffers also delighted in an Interlochen tradition: The Melody Freeze, which is, according to Tim, “a gloriously mobbed ice cream stand from which you can buy $1 soft serve.”  Yum!

Music and From the Top Alums at BUTI:

Tom Vignieri

At the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Tom, Caroline, Megan had a great day of auditions, hearing a number of excellent prospects for the show ranging from strings to winds and brass.

“I feel so lucky to be able to regularly visit Tanglewood, the western Massachusetts summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra,” says Caroline.  “I was lucky to participate in programs there two summers when I was in high school and I still feel the same excitement driving through the main gates.”

Over the weekend, Tom visited the Tanglewood main grounds to hear Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms paired with Mozart’s Requiem.  There, he sought out recent From the Top 10th anniversary alum Keitaro “Kei” Harada.  Keitaro is one of only three conducting fellows at Tanglewood Music Center this summer. Tom says, “Kei is more than holding his own, already working with Michael Tilson Thomas and now Christoph von Dohnanyi who Kei is assisting on the big opera production of the summer, Strauss’s “Ariadne auf Naxos.” Click here to read Kei’s updates from Tanglewood.

Tom also attended an afternoon BUTI Young Artists Orchestra concert that included a performance of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 and Respighi’s “Pines of Rome” at Ozawa Hall.  He saw several From the Top alums including double bassist Kiyoe Wellington, trumpet player Dominic Favia, Jack Kent Cook Young Artist Sodie Finebone (who recently played the tuba for our Gettysburg show, which airs September 20), and timpanist Ted Babcock.

Hanging Out at Brevard Music Center:

Caroline Cardiasmenos

At Brevard Music Center, Caroline had the opportunity to visit briefly with Maestro Keith Lockhart before his morning rehearsal of Wagner’s Tannhäuser with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra (BMCO).

She notes, “The BMCO is the top orchestra here, and is composed of college, high school and faculty musicians. Brevard utilizes the side-by-side orchestra concept, which is a special opportunity for the students!  Hearing that sound was the perfect way for me to start a fabulous day of auditions.” (If you’re not familiar with the term, the “side-by-side” concept is where aspiring musicians perform literally side by side with accomplished musicians.  It’s an excellent teaching tool.)

At the end of the day, Caroline enjoyed catching up with Utah Symphony orchestra trombonist and BMC faculty member Bill Zehfuss:  “I chatted with him at the rehearsal in the morning and then happened to end up at the same restaurant as him later that night.  It’s so great to be able to catch up with our faculty friends on these trips.”

Across the Country at Aspen Music Festival:

This was Caroline’s first opportunity to travel to Colorado and gosh did she have fun!

“When you wheel in to the Aspen Music Festival campus, the first thing you notice is the sound of rushing water.  Castle creek runs right next to the main buildings.  That, and the gorgeous high peaks surrounding Aspen are the backdrop for a day’s worth of top notch auditions.”

Caroline spent her first day at AMF’s College Conservatory Day answering questions and rounding up additional young performers to audition: “Sometimes young performers can be hesitant to sign up for live auditions when they’re in the midst of intensive summer training.  Maybe they feel they don’t have a solo work prepared because they’ve been working on ensemble repertoire or they’re afraid they’ll be too tired to play their best after a long day of rehearsals.  We try to encourage them to look at this as an opportunity they should absolutely take.  Us “From the Toppers” are experienced running these auditions and know what the summer institute environments are like.  We are always happy to hear performers sooner than later, even if it doesn’t work out the first time.”

On her second day, Caroline ran the auditions: “Audition after audition is an inspiration for me as a musician.  And when you’re in a magical environment like Aspen, it’s even more touching.”

In May, we posted the inspiring ambitions of harpist Anna DeLoi, who has spent the summer traveling and performing with her ensemble Heartstrings to raise funds for CureSearch, a children’s cancer research foundation. The group has achieved a great deal these past two months.

Anna joined forces with two musician friends, Nash Ryder and Keith Williams,  who were also staying home for the summer, to collaborate with her on this project and help create Heartstrings. They put together a chamber music program, created a Facebook fan page to spread the word, and started contacting a wide range of places, from music festivals to local libraries to schedule performances. She passed up a prestigious spot at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute this summer to pursue her passion of giving back through music. Among the festivals they have visited this summer are the Marblehead Arts Festival, Somersworth Children’s Festival, and Old Homes Days of Plaistow, NH. As a result of their efforts, CureSearch, has been receiving support and donations from town committees and audience members. Anna shares more about her summer experiences:

At the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital (Courtesy Heartstrings Facebook Page)

We’re having an amazing time!! Being able to interact with our audiences at these events has been especially rewarding for us. At festivals, it’s easy for people come up to talk to us about what we’re doing this summer. Everyone has been so supportive! We especially love when we can fulfill requests of favorite classical pieces, and make our performances more personal and exciting. The informal atmosphere is like none we’ve performed in before, but it’s refreshing! Classical music doesn’t need to be “stuffy”, after all!

At Plaistow Old Home Day (Courtesy Heartstings Facebook Page)

One of my favorite moments was at the Somersworth Children’s festival, when Keith showed a little girl – she was probably 5 or 6 – how to play the cello. It’s fun to let kids try my harp, too – they’re always so excited to get involved. It’s great to see how interested they are in classical music!

There have also been more emotional moments, though. At the Marblehead Arts Festival Street Fair, we talked to a woman who’s son had died of cancer a year and a half before. I think we all poured our hearts into the music a little more after that. And last week, we played at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, Maine. We set up in a beautiful Atrium, and the music could travel into surrounding patient’s rooms. Hopefully we made their day a little brighter!

There are many more events we’re looking forward to in August, including two performances at Yankee Homecoming in Newburyport, a performance at Old Sturbridge Village, and multiple private functions – all raising money for CureSearch, of course. In fact, so many opportunities have come up this summer, we’ve decided to continue playing together in the fall. There is just so much more we want to do (plus, there’s nothing better than playing with friends)!! Once the school year starts, and there are no more fun-summer-busking opportunities, we’ll be putting together chamber concerts. We’ll also be giving classical music programs for kids – which we’re developing now – at elementary schools and libraries.

At the Marblehead Arts Street Festival

*We recently received an update from Anna on her travels and performances with Heartstrings. They performed at the Yankee Homecoming Festival in Newburyport, MA, and were part of that festival’s Family Day at Maudslay Park, then visited Old Sturbrudge Village in Sturbridge, MA. Anna shares more on future plans for the group:

We’ll be playing a couple of private functions… and then we’ll start doing concerts! We’ll soon have a date for our first fall chamber concert. Also, any new events will be posted on our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heartstrings/110695205643361?ref=ts.

Family Day at Maudslay Park

To learn more about the Heartstrings initiative and their inspiring story, visit their Facebook page. We will also keep you posted on further developments with the group here on our blog. Take a moment to visit the CureSearch website to help support finding the cure for children’s cancer.

We recently received an amazing email from alum and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Bella Markham, who you may remember had a fantastic Arts Leadership project we profiled a few weeks ago.  We share her thoughts below on how the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award has changed her life.

Mr. Perlman and Bella

When I received the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award last year, the first thing that I considered was attending the Perlman Music Program again (PMP). Last summer (2009) I spent 6 1/2 weeks on Shelter Island, New York studying under the direction of Itzhak and Toby Perlman. It was the most amazing staff of instructors. I studied with Heidi Castleman, one of the most incredible viola instructors I have ever studied with. It was the most inspirational and challenging musical experience that I have ever had. It was there, last summer that I made the decision that I wanted to be a professional violist for a lifelong career! I knew that my goal was to make this program a part of my education and development as a musician an annual priority. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation made it possible for me to attend again this summer! It truly was a gift not only to me but to others in the world that I can share with.

A typical day at PMP would start off with breakfast, some aerobics class to pump us up for practicing, then practice time from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, of course with 10 minute breaks at each hour. After lunch, we usually have chamber rehearsals and coaching with the head chamber instructor Merry Peckham. If time allows then it’s always nice to go relax on the beach or go swimming! Sometimes I took my sketchbook to draw the beautiful outlook on the beach. At 5:00, we all go to chorus where we have a wide variety of music to sing, from Mozart’s Requiem to Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. I never imagined myself being able to sing such amazing works of music, chorus is so much fun! After chorus, we have dinner. And let me tell you, there will never be a camp that has better food than PMP! For example, we have a special Korean Barbeque every year. It’s my favorite dinner! After dinner, we have orchestra in which Mr. Perlman, or “Mr. P” as we all call him, conducts us. We do orchestra for about 2 hours and by 10:00 P.M. it’s the “little’s” curfew time. When it comes to the weekends, we have many outreach opportunities such as going to perform at Vineyards and High schools and so many cool places.

But one of the most special things at PMP is the friendships that are formed. It’s so refreshing in a sense to be able to connect with other young people that are the same age as you. And it’s not awkward to have musical conversations or talk about what pieces you are working on. It’s so inspiring to be around them. I encourage you to go online to www.perlmanmusicprogram.org to read more about the program and the faculty and how to attend. PMP is such an amazing place. There will never be enough words to express my love for PMP.

Here at From the Top it’s wonderful to hear how young artists’ lives have been positively influenced by the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. We look forward to many exciting things from Bella in the future!

17 year-old violinist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Yurie Mitsuhashi (Show #205) explored the relationship between music and dance with second through sixth grade students at two elementary schools in her hometown of Fort Lee, NJ this spring.

Yurie performing on "From the Top" in Waco, TX

She shared a wide range of music, portraying dances from many different cultures and time periods, and allowed plenty of time for the students’ insightful questions and comments. Her goal was to share with the students how music can tell a story and how they can enjoy listening even more when they explore those stories and use their imagination. Yurie shares more about the event:

“There’s nothing more pleasing for children to see than a musician with a grin a mile wide. It shows them that they’re in for something fun and interesting rather than boring and bland.”

See below to watch video recordings from Yurie’s program.

We asked Yurie a few questions about her project:

FTT: What was the experience like for you?

Yurie: The whole project, from start to finish, was a fun one. I definitely felt good after every applause, and felt even better when children asked curious questions and asked for hugs after the concert.

FTT: What was it like working with children that age? Were there any favorite moments?

Yurie: I had two different kinds of audiences in the two elementary schools. In one of them, my audience ranged from grades 4-6. In the other, my audience ranged from grades 2-4.

I really appreciated my young, but very well behaved, audience, and was often very amused by the questions they asked in the end. Perhaps one of best questions was: “How did you start playing the violin?” When I answered that my mother was actually the one who made all the decisions and that I hated being forced to play the violin, they gasped in disbelief; I was very amused.

Another memorable experience came after I played a Brahms Hungarian Dance and explained the Czardas. A girl raised her hand and exclaimed that she went to Hungarian school and knew the Czardas dance. Then, this girl actually stood up and demonstrated the Czardas for the entire audience. I had personally never seen the Czardas before, so this was a very interesting moment for me.

FTT: What did you learn from this experience?

Yurie: I love to work with children. They ask the most interesting questions, and they are very honest (they tell you when they don’t like something, but also really cheer when they really love something).

FTT: Do you think this type of experience can help your development as a musician? How?

Yurie: I discovered that it is perfectly okay to change your image while on stage depending on who you are performing for. In fact, doing so will make you connect with your audience better, and vice versa. This way, I feel that they can enjoy a performance better than when they see a distant figure on stage whom they’d never dream of talking to.

FTT: What advice would you give other musicians interested in doing a similar project?

Yurie: I would recommend keeping organized, opting for an interactive project, knowing your audience beforehand (so you can alter your project plans as needed to interact better), and putting a smile on your face. There’s nothing more pleasing for children to see than a musician with a grin a mile wide. It shows them that they’re in for something fun and interesting rather than boring and bland.

Yurie shared an excerpt from the script she wrote for the program:

“First up is the zapateado. The Zapateado is a dance of Mexican origin. As some of you might have noticed, the zapateado dance borrows its name from from “zapatos”: spanish for “shoes”. Why shoes? Because the dance itself is based upon percussive steps created by tapping your feet on the ground- it’s similar to tap dancing. You will hear this “shoe tapping” throughout the piece, but especially in the beginning, where I have [Demonstrate here]. Now, I hope you will imagine a dancer tapping his or her shoes while I play the Zapateado by Pablo Sarasate.”

If you reside in Boston, make sure to mark your calendars for December 5, 2010 – From the Top alum and violinist Caroline Goulding will be appearing at 1:30pm at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as part of their Sunday concert series. She’ll perform a few different pieces and will be accompanied by Shuai Wang on the piano.

Caroline Goulding in 2008 at the Cincinnati, Ohio show

Caroline has been on From the Top’s NPR radio show twice: In 2006 she wowed listeners with Sonatensatz in C Minor by Johannes Brahms at the Granville, Ohio show. Two years later  she performed III. Allegro molto from Concerto for Violin, Piano & Strings in D minor by Felix Mendelssohn in Cincinnati, Ohio. She also appeared on PBS’ From the Top at Carnegie Hall.

Caroline’s repertoire for the Gardner concert includes:

• Corigliano: The Red Violin Caprices
• Beethoven: Sonta No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12
• Tartini/Kreisler: Violin Sonata in G minor, “Devil’s Trill”
• Respighi: Sonata in B minor
• Stravinsky: Tango
• Stravinsky: Scherzo from The Firebird

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Sean with the Students of Hilo Union Elementary

After appearing on From the Top, 16 year-old slack-key guitarist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Sean Robbins of Pahoa, HI organized a series of interactive performances at the Hilo Union Elementary School. He gave three 45-minute performances for fourth graders at the school, with about twenty students per group. Sean hoped to inspire these children to take a greater interest in music by demonstrating a variety of styles, and sharing the fun and valuable experiences he has had as a musician.

He shares more:

“I would like to communicate that there are younger people playing Hawaiian music and you can take it somewhere and make a career out of it.”

We asked Sean to tell us more about his project:

FTT: How did you come up with your project idea?

Sean: I chose this activity because I like to work with kids. I know that at this age they are easily inspired.

FTT: What was the experience like for you? Was there a favorite moment?

Sean: This was an extremely rewarding project and I am very glad that I did it. My goal was to inspire the kids to play music, and to show them that it is a viable career.

Afterwards one of the classes decided that they wanted to shake my hand, so I had to shake 20 hands that turned into 60 since they all wanted to go again and again. After the hand shaking, we said goodbye and went to the other two classes, who were just as excited.

FTT: What do you think the audience took away from the event?

Sean: The kids were very interested in what I had to say and they sat quietly for the whole 45 minutes until I asked if they had any questions. I was also very impressed with their questions.

FTT: What did you learn from this experience? Do you think this type of experience can help your development as a musician?

Sean: This experience definitely helped my development as a musician. You have to be able to think quickly to answer any questions that the kids may ask and improvise on what pieces you are going to play to accommodate the audience. I also learned a lot about organizing an arts leadership project, and I found out that I really enjoy interacting with kids.

FTT: What advice would you give other musicians interested in doing a similar project?

Sean: I’d recommend a project like this to anyone who enjoys being around kids and wants to perpetuate music at a young age. If I were to give them advice it would be to start organizing your project right away so that you aren’t rushed towards the end, and to practice speaking in front of an audience. Most of all to be ready for any questions the kids might ask.

I was quite surprised to see that almost half the kids in the class played some sort of instrument. When I told them I started playing music when I was two years older than them, they were very optimistic in terms of becoming musicians. I hope that the kids left with some inspiration to continue playing (or to start).

Several students wrote letters to Sean thanking him for his visit. Two of those letters are included below:

On Friday, July 30 pianist George Li, who performed on From the Top’s 2006 show in Boston and appeared on the PBS show From the Top at Carnegie Hall, won first place at Oberlin College’s Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition. He won with Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, with Jahja Ling conducting The Cleveland Orchestra in Severance Hall.

George Performs on From the Top with the Vivace Trio

George has received $10,000 as well as concert engagements with orchestras in Beijing and Shanghai, China, and a full, four-year scholarship to the conservatory!

More information about the competition is available here.

Nice work and congrats, George!

Great news from Roberto Granados, a From the Top alum from our Lubbock, Texas show.  He was recently contacted by the California Symphony, who requested he join them on May 1, 2011 to perform three movements from Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.”  He has commissioned a local luthier to have a special classical guitar made for this event.

This past January, Roberto had the opportunity to to play with Jon Anderson of the English progressive rock band Yes at Tony LaRussa’s 2010 Stars to the Rescue benefit for the Animal Rescue Foundation.  They performed an abridged version of “And You and I” and “Time and A Word.”

Roberto and Jon Anderson, 2010

Roberto’s father reveals:

Prior to Jon going on stage to introduce Roberto, Roberto told Jon that while he was waiting at the hotel he had come up with an ending that he had arranged for “Time and A Word” that he wanted to play.  Jon nodded in agreement, as he walked on stage.  At the end of the piece, Roberto played the ending he had arranged.  You could not hear a pin drop in the packed theatre, and the expression of Jon’s face, hearing for the first time what Roberto had put together, showed he was deeply moved.  It was spectacular!

Currently Roberto is studying with Grisha Goryachev, an accomplished flamenco and classical guitarist who attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston studying under Eliot Fisk. Last year he played for From the Top at the Emmys; you can read more about it here.

Violinist Stephen Waarts, who appeared on our 2009 show in Stanford, California, has been busy this summer!

After winning second place in the Menuhin Competition earlier this year, Stephen performed with two symphonies in California – on May 23rd he played Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 with the Prometheus Symphony and on June 6 he performed Brahms Violin Concerto with Symphony Parnassus. Take a look at the video of his Symphony Parnassus performance below.

Right now, Stephen is participating in the six week Perlman Music Program in Shelter Island, NY, headed by violinist Itzhak Perlman. Afterwards, he is going to the Summit Music Festival, also in NY, by invitation of acclaimed violinist Aaron Rosand, who is heading an intensive violin program. In both camps he will perform as a soloist, in chamber groups, and as part of orchestras.

Mid-August Stephen will return home to California, where he will get ready to perform Paganini Concerto No. 2 with Redwood Symphony on September 19, 25. It doesn’t stop there – In October he will play Mozart Concerto No. 5 with Solano Symphony, and Paganini Concerto No. 1 with Winchester Orchestra.

More information about Stephen and links to his performances on YouTube are on his website.

We just got word that 14-year-old violinist Stephen Kim, who appeared on our radio show in Mobile, Alabama in January 2009, recently won two musical awards.

Stephen Kim Performs on Show 193 in Alabama

He received the Gold Medal in the 11th California International Young Artists Violin Competition in San Diego on June 13, which he shared with a 24 year old violinist. Stephen also won 3rd prize in the 2nd Stradivarius International Violin Competition in Salt Lake City, Utah this July.

But that’s not all – Stephen also has three big performances coming up.

On August 15 he will perform as a soloist  with The Bear Valley Symphony Orchestra, where he’ll play the Shostakovich Concerto in the closing concert of the Bear Valley Music Festival.

He will perform the Tchaikovsky Concerto on September 25 with the Fremont Symphony Orchestra in the opening concert. Then in November, he will perform the Shostakovich Concerto again with the California Youth Symphony.

Great work and good luck, Stephen!