2021 Educational ArtReach – SPARK YOUR CREATIVITY video by teaching artist and violinist, Monique Mead, and her family
Undaunted by Pennsylvania COVID restrictions prohibiting in-school performances in 2021, Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts commissioned the acclaimed Teaching Artist, violinist MONIQUE MEAD, to create a 35-minute video resource to be presented in the classroom for all students in grades K to 6 and for Chorus students in grades 7 to 12 in the Allegheny-Clarion Valley Schools.
The entertaining and stimulating video features the “Trio con Brio” as Monique Mead and her children, harpist Isabel Cardenes (17) and Tino Cardenes (16), pianist and video executive producer, explore the larger process of creativity – in any endeavor – with music performance as the metaphor.
See the ARCA blog with the FULL STORY about the video and project!
In late May, 2021, the resource was presented by teachers Karen Hetrick and Jennifer Powell Lowrey to their students in elementary general music classes and to Jr./Sr. High School Choir.
The YouTube link is now available for public viewing below:
Monique Mead and her children, harpist Isabel Cardenes and pianist Tino Cardenes – “Trio con Brio” –have created an engaging program that explores the creative instinct within each of us.
In the thirty-five minute video, this teen-family brings you into their home to share stories, performances, and practices that can help light a spark for your own creative pursuits.
They present the three-step process that underpins any creative work – Finding Inspiration, Doing the Work and Putting it Out There – all while performing solos and duos by composers Vittorio Monti, Jules Massenet, William Grant Still, J. S. Bach, Antonín Dvořák and Erroll Garner.
From the crying violin of a Hungarian folk melody that inspired the Italian composer Vittorio Monti and the inspiration of John Williams’ Star Wars music to illustrations of the development of the double-action pedal harp and family photos from their travels and performances together, young video producer, Tino Cardenes, has employed quick frame-changing animated images to make it delightfully engaging.
The musical equivalent of “Beware if there are no callouses!” is the reality that in any project, no matter the inspiration, you have to put in the time to practice, practice, practice – which is the musical punch line to that old joke of someone asking how you get to Carnegie Hall. Tino shares his musical and technical process of learning both parts to a four-hand piano arrangement of Dvořák’s ’Dumky’ Trio – both parts of which he plays and video records and intertwines into a seamless performance. You will be inspired to take on a BIG project for yourself!
Then there’s baring your soul and sharing your project – with all its nerves, fear of failure and frustrations along the way – not to mention patience. Most charming are the outtakes as high school senior Isabel is making her video audition tape for college.
Her exasperated and self-deprecating groans as she tries and tries again – until she gets it perfect – all culminate in the elegance of her final Bach performance that won her the Presidential Award Merit Scholarship at Manhattan School of Music where she matriculated in the Fall of 2021.
By its end, you will hope there is a sequel and want to share the YouTube link with every budding musician you know – of all ages.
Enjoy their performances of:
Vittorio Monti: Czardas for Violin and Piano Jules Massenet: Meditation from the opera Thais William Grant Still: “Gamin” (street urchin) from Suite for Violin and Piano J.S. Bach/Grandjany: Harp transcription of “Largo” from Solo Violin Sonata in C Major Antonin Dvorak: II. Allegro vivace from “Dumky Trio” arranged for Piano 4 Hands Erroll Garner: “Misty”
For more information on the program and artists: https://alleghenyriverstone.org/event/spark-your-creativity-explore-your-musical-instincts/
2020 Educational ArtReach – Renaissance City Winds
Fortunately, eleven days before the COVID lockdown, on March 3, 2020, ARCA brought into the A-C Valley Schools a day of Educational ArtReach enrichment provided by seasoned teaching artists in a wind quintet from one of Pennsylvania’s leading chamber music ensembles, The Renaissance City Winds. Performing in the wind quintet were Barbara O’Brien, flute; Scott Bell, oboe; Jack Howell, clarinet; R. James Whipple, bassoon; and Jason Allison, French horn.
Known for promoting the fine art of wind chamber music since 1975, The Renaissance City Winds have been hailed in the press for being “Nothing short of brilliant” [Olean Times Herald], “Playing with excitement, musicality and daring” [WQED-FM], “Expert wind players… attractive program… enjoyable” [New York Times].
The Renaissance City WINDS musicians performed three small workshops for Allegheny-Clarion Valley Elementary students in grades Pre-K to 6 in the morning, prior to an assembly concert for all elementary students in the Elementary School gymnasium. In the afternoon they moved to the Jr. and Sr. High School to perform an assembly concert for grades 7 – 12 in the High School Auditorium.
2019 Educational ArtReach – Aria412: A Fractured Musical Fairy Tale
The celebrated opera-musical theatre ensemble Aria412 performed an arts education residency in the Allegheny-Clarion Valley Schools on Friday, March 1, 2019.
Teaching artists – singers Desirée Soteres, Kelly Fiona Lynch, Kevin Adamik and Franklin Mosley and pianist Amy Kapp – conducted three small classroom workshops for students in grades 1 to 6 in the morning preparing them for the afternoon assembly performance of A Fractured Musical Fairy Tale, based on the story of Hansel and Gretel, in the A-C Valley Elementary gymnasium. It was followed by a second performance for Grades 7 to 12 in the Senior High School auditorium.
Created for ARCA’s ArtReach program, the assembly performances of A Fractured Musical Fairy Tale – with subtitles Opera-tunity Knocks: Into the Woods with Hansel and Gretel – or – Opera Parents are the Worst – combined opera, musical theatre, jazz, rap and popular music retelling the story of Hansel & Gretel. Along the way they encountered a rapping Witch, the wicked Queen of the Night with lots of operatic high notes, a friendly Barber named Figaro, a hungry plant named Audrey II and a masked Phantom of the Opera – all to delight, amaze and educate A-C Valley students.
2018 Educational ArtReach – Beo String Quartet
In 2018 ARCA brought the celebrated BEO String Quartet to perform an arts education residency in the Allegheny-Clarion Valley Schools on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.
The seasoned Beo String Quartet teaching artists – Jason Neukom, violin; Sandro Leal Santiesteban, violin; Sean Neukom, viola; and Ryan Ash, cello – conducted three small classroom workshops for students in grades 1 to 6. Using original compositions by Sean Neukom, composer, to demonstrate the range of instruments, various playing techniques and to elicit creative responses from the students on how to “Find the Melody” and how the music made them feel – all derived from attentive listening.
In the afternoon, Beo String Quartet performed two assembly concerts for students from grades K to 12 in the A-C Valley Elementary gymnasium and Senior High School auditorium. Performing the Andante furioso movement from Dimitri Shostakovich String Quartet, Opus 118, No. 10 – A flat Major, 1964 for the Junior and Senior High School Beo had the student’s rapt attention.
Demonstrating the conflict in the dialogue of musical motives in the movement until the haunting single voice at the end, Sean explained how Shostakovich created a musical metaphor for Stalin’s totalitarian campaign with the Russian people.
At the conclusion of the assembly concert, Sean said thank you to all the students for their focused appreciation, and one ninth grader spoke out respectfully, “No – thank YOU!” demonstrating the response that the Beo String Quartet has garnered wherever they have done residencies. ARCA was grateful that these inspiring young artists could bring to the students at Allegheny-Clarion Valley Schools their enthusiasm for teaching and their love for music and its power to educate and enlighten.
2017 Educational ArtReach – Akropolis Reeds & A-C Valley Student Art Show
The 19th century Romantic composer, Robert Schumann, proclaimed that, “The artist’s vocation is to send light into the human heart”. And bright it was in the Allegheny-Clarion River Valley on Tuesday, February 21 as the dazzling artistry of The Akropolis Reed Quintet flooded joyous and glorious music making and inspired instruction to more than 700 students from grades K – 12 in the Allegheny-Clarion Valley School system.
Exploding with infectious energy and intensity and hailed for their “imagination, infallible musicality, and huge vitality” (Fanfare Magazine), the Akropolis Reed Quintet has won six national chamber music prizes since 2011, including the 2014 Fischoff Gold Medal. Deeply committed to nurturing music appreciation among young audiences, Akropolis is also winner of the 2015 Fischoff Educator Award.
Beginning with three small “pod” classroom performances in the informal community spaces outside of Grades 1 – 6 classrooms, the award winning Arkopolis Reeds Teaching Artists introduced students to their instruments and engaged the students in telling a story with music that expresses emotions – with a student volunteer depicting it visually on a white board. The Reeds said that the A-C Valley students were the best-prepared group with which they had worked. Thanks to the advance preparation given to students by A-C Valley music specialist and choral director, Jennifer Powell Lowrey, when asked what one of the lesser known instruments was, a first grader answered, Oboe – and spelled it correctly!
In the afternoon, a full gymnasium of students from K – 6 were in rapt attention as the artists remarkably extended classroom instruction dynamics and student interactions to track melodies as performed by members of the ensemble. The elementary assembly concert culminated in the musical and narrated dramatic presentation of “The Best Story” with musicians playing multiple roles from sharks to pirates, replete with costumes.
Later in the afternoon the Akropolis Reeds moved up to the High School to perform a more “hip” assembly concert for grades 7 – 12 including a brilliant arrangement of George Gershwin’s orchestral work, American in Paris, and Q/A about issues relevant to them.
The day concluded with after-school hands-on technical workshops and master classes with A-C Valley students. A-C Valley Jr/Sr High Band Director, Scott DiTullio, and Elementary band teacher, Karen Hetrick, had prepared five small ensemble groups from grades 5 – 12 including flute, saxophones and clarinets, which performed for the Akropolis Reeds.
After the Reeds’ awe-inspiring performances, the artists’ demonstrations in the after-school workshops had major impact in their insightful personal interactions with students.
One of the younger clarinetists said that her group was going to breathe together like the Reeds taught them to do in their upcoming Ensembles Concert at the A-C Valley School. That is what it’s all about… the inspiration of the arts impacting lives, as in the Chinese proverb, “I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.”
The Akropolis Reeds are the very pinnacle of Teaching artist ensembles in America today. A music educator wrote after a recent residency, “Akropolis performed for our middle school and did a wonderful job of entertaining as well as educating. Concepts of musical structure and imagery were brought to the students’ attention with wit, depth, and accessibility. My only complaint is that they couldn’t stay for a month!” After their residency in A-C Valley Schools, teachers and students alike felt the same way!
This residency was made possible by ARCA’s partnership with the A-C Valley Schools, a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and contributions from ARCA Members and Donors.
A-C Valley Student Art Show at Red Brick Gallery
Hallmark Card’s late Gordon MacKenzie would walk into a class of kindergarten and first graders, look at the artwork on the walls, and ask, “How many artists are in the room?” Every hand would go up. By second grade three-fourth of the kids raised their hands, by third only a few and by sixth grade, not a single hand went up.
Thanks to the District’s support of arts education and the work of gifted and inspiring visual arts teachers in the Allegheny-Clarion Valley Schools – Jessica Nimelli (K-6) and Anita Allen (7-12), student hands would go up not only throughout the elementary grades but also in Junior/Senior High School AND in vocational training classes.
Yes, the visual arts are flourishing in the A-C Valley Schools, seen in the exceptional artwork of 100 A-C Valley students in Anita Allen’s classes from Grades 7 – 12 (including Vo-Tech) in an exhibition at the Red Brick Gallery in Foxburg. Sponsored by ARCA on Saturdays and Sundays, April 8-9 and 15-16, the exhibit showcased student achievements in three-dimensional art – ceramics and pottery – as well as watercolors, acrylic, charcoal, and pastels.
The exhibit was mounted at the Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop, 17 Main Street, Foxburg, PA 16036. A Meet the Students reception took place on Saturday, April 8 from 11 AM to 5 PM. The exhibit was open Saturday and Sunday, April 8 – 9, and April 15 – 16. Gallery Hours are: Saturdays 11:00–7:00, Sundays 12:00–4:00 PM.
C Street Brass – 2016 Educational ArtReach
On March 3, 2016, ARCA brought the extraordinary brass quintet and experienced teaching artists, C Street Brass, for a full day residency in the A-C Valley Schools. The theme of their residency was how melodies play a part in telling a story, using examples from two famous American musicals, West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin.
Hailed for radiating the joy of music-making, C Street Brass brought to A-C Valley students not only their imaginative approach to brass quintet performance, superb musicianship, extraordinary technical prowess and seasoned educational skills, but also the ineffable “inspiration factor” of charismatic, young professionals in their twenties who are making a significant career in the music field and receiving accolades their innovative performances.
George Vosburgh – Principal Trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony and an ARCA favorite in the annual Christmas Pittsburgh Symphony Brass Concert – has said of the group, “C Street is the new sound, look, and feel of the modern brass quintet. Highly virtuosic playing in a wide variety of styles rolled into an accessible, warm hearted candor which makes for a delightful concert experience. ”
C Street Brass performed three small workshops in the small communal areas outside of classrooms for Pre-K to Grade 6 students, demonstrating their instruments, answering questions and performing for the students. They used examples from musicals by Bernstein and Gershwin to explain the history of each instrument and how their instruments are used differently in classical and jazz settings.
In advance of their residency, elementary music teacher, A-C Valley choral director and musical theatre director, Jennifer Lowrey, prepared K-6 students for C Street Brass small workshops, introducing them to songs and melodies from these musicals as well as the brass instrument family.
In the afternoon C Street performed an assembly concert in the Elementary gymnasium before moving to the High School auditorium to perform an assembly for grades 7 – 12. In addition to works by American composers Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin, C Street also performed Concerto for Saint Mark, Fly Me to the Moon, and other jazz arrangements for brass quintet.
After School, C Street Brass musicians conducted hands-on workshops with A-C Valley band students, coordinated by Scott DiTullio, High School Band Director.
As it is said, when listening to a “pro” who demonstrates the artistic subtlety and nuances of how the music goes, “a musical phrase is worth a thousand words…”
A-C Valley students had a wonderful time playing for and being coached by members of C Street Brass!
C Street Brass is passionately committed to educating and inspiring the next generation of musicians. In addition to their arts education work in Pittsburgh, the group has done educational residencies in Orcas Island, WA, and at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA, among others. C Street Brass was awarded a Visiting Scholars Grant by the University of South Carolina, spending several one weeks during the 2014-15 school year in Columbia, South Carolina performing concerts, teaching master classes, giving seminars, and working with local community bands and sharing their music with the community in free public outdoor performances.
