Transforming lives one day at a time :: The online journal of Community MusicWorks

Summer adventures

Most CMW staff are out of the office this summer. Here are a few updates on what people are doing:

Sebastian and Minna will attend Eric Rosenblith's International Musical Arts Institute in Maine, and Jessie will join them for one week.

With the help of a professional development grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, Jesse attended the Violin Craftsmanship Institute in Durham, NH and will spend several weeks at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music.

Adrienne is spending the summer at Indiana University where she is studying with the great cellist Janos Starker. "I've had my first lesson already and it's thrilling and inspiring to be studying with such an amazing artist. There is so much I can learn from him; I can't wait for my next lesson."

Jori is spending a week in Baltimore with five amazing CMW students (Ian, Alexis, Natasha, Luis, and Kirby) at the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange International Teen Institute. Conceived of by the youth artists in the Dance Exchange's Teen Exchange, the Institute will give CMW students the opportunity to collaborate with the other teens to develop a performance around the theme of "(be)longing(s)." The CMW crew will join students from Jordan, South Africa, Canada, and other parts of the US, and will return to Providence with new skills, experiences, project ideas, and commissions to launch at home as ambassadors of this experience.

Sara is spending time out West, "looking forward to lots of fresh air, free babysitting (thank you Grandma!) and consequently, more practice time."

Rachel and Arlyn are piloting CMW's first Summer Program on four Fridays in July. Read about it in the May 2009 edition of The Works, CMW's newsletter. Stay tuned to the blog for updates...

Heath is scheduling 09-10 season concerts for the PSQ and CMW Players and enjoying Cow Trax when possible.

Musical Minds

Musical Minds is a NOVA documentary featuring Dr. Oliver Sacks and the research that he has done on why music affects the brain, and how music can treat some neurological disorders. It is freely available to stream from the PBS website--only between July 1 and 7.  Enjoy!

Other blogs of interest

Music Haven blog (neighborhood string quartet residency in New Haven, CT)

Boston Public Quartet blog (neighborhood string quartet residency in in Boston, MA)

Pre-Twinkle class

As graduates this month of CMW's Fellowship Program, Rachel and Arlyn were asked to provide several memorable moments or anecdotes that would shed light on their favorite experiences over the past two years spent at Community MusicWorks. Their responses are posted as a series on this blog throughout the month of June.

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How do you take the violin out of its case? What are the parts and strings on the violin? How do you hold the violin, and where do your arms and fingers go? How can you make a beautiful sound with the bow?

This semester, three of our program’s “little sibs” had the chance to learn about these important first steps towards being a violinist in CMW’s first Pre-Twinkle class. Amy, Beny, and Shakiru were the first participants in Pre-Twinkle and made their performance debut in the May 30 Performance Party.

There was so much to learn and explore, even without instruments! I had so much fun teaching our Pre-Twinklers how to read basic rhythms, shadow bow, and sing the “Treble Clef Song,” a handy rhyme that helps us remember the lines and spaces. In the fourth class, I handed them instruments for the first time. I was so excited by the enthusiastic spirit and focus demonstrated by the students and their parents on this day! Since then, Amy, Beny, and Shakiru have practiced and mastered many Pre-Twinkle goals, such as:

rest position/playing position
pizzicato on the open strings
bow hold
playing “Mississippi Hot Dog” on the open E
preliminary left hand motion

Each Tuesday, well before our scheduled time, I would spot the Pre-Twinklers peeking into my teaching room, eagerly waiting for our class to begin. They were passing time in the big space at the Met School, waiting with their families as their older siblings were in lessons, Music Lab, or Fiddle Lab. Later in the semester, I was pleased to find they were no longer waiting, but practicing on their own and experimenting with sounds!

-Arlyn Valencia, Fellow (07-09)

Moments & Memories: Fiddle Lab

As graduates this month of CMW's Fellowship Program, Rachel and Arlyn were asked to provide several memorable moments or anecdotes that would shed light on their favorite experiences over the past two years spent at Community MusicWorks. Their responses are posted as a series on this blog throughout the month of June.

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Without realizing it at first, Fiddle Lab has been a testing ground for my next project. The trust and expectations we’ve built have been strong enough to get everyone not just playing, but singing and dancing regularly.

Here’s how I know the tunes are taking hold as a blossoming part of students’ musicianship:

• I hear snippets of them being played in the hallways before lessons and workshops.
• I challenged students to “prank fiddle call” me over April vacation and one day was greeted by the sound of two celli and a viola playing Roddy McCorley together on my voice mail.
• The tunes we’ve learned this year have been from Old-time, Celtic, French-Canadian and Cajun styles, and everyone has a different favorite tune.
• After the success of the Dancing Concert Trip, I went out on a limb and taught two introductory dances to the types of music we’re learning. Each week since, I’ve been asked “are we dancing today?”

-Rachel Panitch, Fellow (07-09)

Anthem text

Lyrics by Kirby Vasquez (Phase III)

ANTHEM

Of the people, By the people, For the people,
We are the future of the United States!
Power, freedom, understanding and now change,
Join hands to turn a new page.

Work together, build together, stand together,
We live the dream of our forefathers today.
As we walk, we make a pledge to march ahead
We prove what Doctor King once said.

For we now have a sense of pride above all,
We stand tall,
We stand tall...