Outreach

2006-2007

We’ve completed several of this season’s visits to our adopted schools in Newark. At Shue Middle School, the quartet performed for the string students, then demonstrated how we can change the feeling of a work by using different bow strokes, dynamics, vibrato and tempos. Barbara, Burchard and Yumi Kendall then coached small ensembles while Hirono worked on a group activity with the other students. On January 8, in a master class, the students showed Barbara what they had learned from the coaching. Three ensembles played Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, Pachelbel’s Canon and The Circle of Life from the Lion King.
	The capabilities of the students vary greatly, which always challenges us to coach in a way that benefits everyone. Hassan, an affable young violinist and violist was complaining that the tempo of the Pachelbel was too slow. In an exercise intended to show the students how body language can work much better than tapping your foot to stay together, I engaged him to play with me, following my every motion, now faster, now slower, even slower, extremely fast – and you know, he was right with me the whole time! All the kids burst out in spontaneous applause, then the group tried it themselves.
Our goal is to help these students not only learn and improve, but to share their enthusiasm for music, build friendships with fellow musician’s, learn how to make decisions and take control. We want them to listen critically and constructively, work in groups, being respectful of each other and become informed concertgoers. We would love expand our project to more visits each year. We are now in the 2nd year of a 6-year project which is already starting to show results. We brought a small ensemble and chorus from Newark High School to join us for our Mozart concert last June.