Simon Estes: Arts Leader

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 [...]

The Parents’ Perspective: Now What?

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 [...]

Traveling With Instruments

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. [...]

Tim Woos Shows How Making Music can be Fun with the “Composing Game”

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. [...]

From the Top Alum Kara Sainz Wins Big

Last week we posted a great Arts Leadership project that was created and executed by alum Kara Sainz (soprano). We just got word that Kara has won a $10,000 award from the Young Musicians Foundation/ASCAP in Los Angeles! This Leiber & Stoller Scholarship is particularly special because it’s only awarded to one graduating high school senior [...]

Links we Like: The Silver Lining

This week’s installment of Links we Like is my final here at From the Top. It has been such an honor to share my thoughts and ideas on this blog for the past two months, and an experience I will not soon forget. Wanting to end on a high note (no musical pun intended), we [...]

Kara Sainz and Friends Bring the “Joy of Opera” to Elementary Students in her Hometown

As a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist, 17 year-old vocalist Kara Sainz, along with three peers from the Murrieta Valley High School choir, organized an interactive program demonstrating classical music for a group of nearly 75 elementary school children at the Ysabel Barnett Elementary School in Temecula, CA. The program was titled the “Joy of Opera” [...]

The Parents’ Perspective: Musical Beginnings

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 [...]

From the Top’s Summer Audition Tour

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 [...]

Links we Like: Music for a Better Tomorrow

This week’s Links we Like is one of my last as an intern here at From the Top, so I wanted to take this opportunity to stress the inner strength and beauty of music. This final installment observes the capacity of music to better the lives of others. Whether it be the gift of healing, the [...]

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