Roslindale Farmers Market

BPQ plays at the farmers market

Music Drives Us!

Many thanks to Music Drives Us for awarding the BPQ a $10,000 grant for our residency at the Chittick Elementary. This funding so far has allowed us to add a cello teacher, purchase instruments, and provide “Messy Music” (music and art) presentations at the school.

Check out the great pictures of our Chittick students from Ernie Boch Jr.’s site visit to the Boston Public Quartet residency in May 09!

You will see images of our Kindergarten Music, Movement and Instrument readiness class participating in an Improv Circle led by Nina Vansuch. You will also see our Fourth Grade strings class getting ready for a “Sound Machine” (Improv Circle) on their brand new instruments!

Click Here to view the slideshow on the Music Drives Us website: musicdrivesus.org

In 09-10 all of these students are continuing in our program, creating a 100% retention rate. We have 12 fifth graders, and 15 first graders enrolled in string instrument lessons! We are also beginning the year with a waiting list of 150. Click below to find out how you can help our programming reach more Chittick students!

Click Here to visit Network for Good and make a tax-deductible on-line donation through our Fiscal Agent, Community Arts Advocates, Inc

Messy Music, April 09

These pics were taken at this years annual “Messy Music” presentation at the Chittick School. “Messy Music” is an experiential art/music extravaganza specially created for the early childhood and special needs population at the Chittick.  Principal Michelle Burnett-Herndon brought BPS Early Childhood  Jason Sachs to witness, who stated “every school should have this.” Special Thanks to Rosie Sweeney and Nina Vansuch, arts specialists, and musicians Michelle Rush, Ashe Gordon, and Kate Jensik. Many Thanks to Sam Warren, who volunteered his time and shaving cream pod expertise!

June Performance Party

Our June performance party was a grand success!

The BPQ kicked it off with some Mozart, then we created a “Rhythm, Sound and Voice Machine,” (click here for our inspiration).

Each instrument group played their own special song; Cellos, “French Folk Song”, Violas, “Hello Moon” and Violins, “Lightly Row.”

THEN a fourth grade string quartet (playing “Candy Canes”) and viola quintet (playing “Bartok Bits of Juicy Fruit”) performed chamber music for the very first time! Both pieces were written by Betsy Hinkle, especially for the students playing. Click here for a taste of some of this music.

We topped off the evening with “optional family improvisation circle,” with pretty amazing results. Click here to witness the music making!

The Equity Project

I came across this article in the New York times, and I was very intrigued. A charter school is being created in NYC as an experiment to see just what exactly makes for a great school? The founder of the school, Zeke M. Vanderhoek, thinks that it is the teachers who make all the difference. He will start with a painstakingly selected team of 8 top-notch professionals, including a music teacher, latin teacher and physical education teacher. These 8 teachers will each recieve $125K to start, with the principal himself taking $90K. Their class size will be 30, and they will shoulder many administrative responsibilties as a team. I am very excited to know how the first year goes!  ~Betsy

click here to read the article

BPQ in the Community

During April vacation week, the Boston Public Quartet sprung into action, performing a series of concerts in Boston neighborhoods and beyond.

This photo was taken in front of the Roslindale House, a Rogerson Community which provides housing opportunities and adult day time activities for a variety of Boston residents.

We also performed at the Boston Home in Dorchester, a residency and health care facility for patients with MS.

Another concert was part of a Life Long Learning course called “The Sound of Music” in Newton.

Shaw Pong, Ashe, Kate and I had a great week performing music of William Grant Still, Mozart and Cole Porter!

-Betsy

Meet the Burrages!

Click here to hear the Burrages play Haydn

The Burrages share their experiences learning an instrument:

“I began learning the string bass when I was in third grade.  I didn’t
really take to it because it was hard to carry around so I switched to drums
and violin in 4th and 5th grade.  I had to pick between drums and violin in
6th grade so I chose violin.  In 8th grade I decided to play the cello.  I’ve
been playing cello now for almost three years.  Thing is, I almost quit music
after the first instrument, and if I had I would never have known how good it
feels to play music.  I really think all the other instruments helped me to
become a better musician all around.”   – Zach Burrage, age 16

“I began learning violin in 3rd grade.  It was a lot of fun, but
it got harder as I went along.  I stayed with it, even when at times I was so
frustrated I was ready to cry.  I just kept trying.  I’d put it down, then pick
it up again.  The more I practiced, the easier it came.”   – Lydia Burrage, age 16

“I started playing the violin in 2nd grade.  It was fun and easy
at first, then my teacher wanted me to practice and I hated that.  Almost seven
years later, and I still don’t like to practice.  Once I start it, it’s fun,
because once you start to sound good on a piece, it’s really cool and then you
want to keep going.”   – Miranda Burrage, age 14

Many Thanks to the Burrage Family for volunteering on Thursdays at the Chittick!

April Performance Party

Here are some pics from our April Performance Party. Like what you see? Come hear us live this Thursday June 4th, for our end of the school year Performance Party! It will take place in the Gym of the Chittick Elementary School, 154 Ruskindale Road, Mattapan, MA.

click here for some live footage from this event

A visit to Community MusicWorks

Last week I drove down to Providence with friend/colleague Javier Caballero, program and development coordinator of Project STEP, to attend a Community MusicWorks seminar on the use of technology in fund raising. The seminar itself was great as always; informative, fun, creative, etc. We decided to stay a bit afterward, to tour the CMW office and see their lesson site (the Met School, Peace Street Campus).

First off, I always love popping into the CMW office on Westminster – always something new to check out on the wall, and a friendly, laid-back atmosphere where everyone is welcome. The first thing of note was a student who had wandered in to the office simply to hang out and help out, of his own accord.  This student was about to attend Phase II, which happens every other Friday and is a place where CMW teens gather and work on various music and social change projects. I believe the recent project is their annual Youth Salon, coming up soon, where the teens create their own event to benefit a local or global cause.

When we arrived at the Met school, I was first struck by the layout of the rooms they use for their teaching. There is a big space in the center, with tables, and classrooms (with glass windows and doors) radiate out from the large room in a circle. Ideal for combinations of large and small groups, and individual lessons, with a very open, inclusive, and communicative feel.

CMW fellow Rachel Panitch had brought snacks this week, but most weeks they partner with a Johnson and Wales chef/educator who prepares and provides a tasty and healthful meal in the school kitchen while educating the kids about nutrition and local ingredients. Awesome!

The kids began trickling in shortly after we arrived. This was my favorite part. Lots of greetings of various types, among students, teachers, and us, the guests. Fidelia “Kirby” Vasquez, a Phase III member of the CMW board, and a student at Classical High, recognized me right away. I have met her like once before, but in atypical teen fashion, she began chatting with me like a peer. She was so excited to share with me an improvised composition she had just put together with some friends a couple days before. Not as part of an assignment, or prompted by anyone at CMW, but just friends hanging out, playing cello, viola and violin and recording a song they had written together.  I listened to it with her I-pod and head phones, and I was very impressed.

I invited her to the BPQ improvisation workshop on April 4th (click here for more info), and she invited me to a panel discussion she is participating in, representing CMW, on April 5th at Tufts. She was really excited to hear that the Boston Public Quartet is creating a residency inspired by Community MusicWorks.  We agreed to become facebook friends too.

Then the CMW fellows began running through the Samuel Barber quartet that they are preparing for an upcoming concert. Phase II students pulled up chairs and listened intently to the beautiful playing. The fellows quartet sounded great!; blended sound and articulation, real musical communication. We were all transported to that place where only live music, up close, can take you.

As we were getting back into the car to head back to Boston, another Phase III student, Josh Rodriguez, walked up. Javier jumped out of the car and they hugged -they knew each other from Apple Hill, a place where all become bonded for life.

I encourage anyone interested in the work of arts and social change to pay an in-person visit to Community MusicWorks, and soon.

~Betsy

Moments from Chittick Black History Month Presentation, 2.12.09

Click HERE to view a slideshow of the BPQ and our students in action!