“I learned that through what I love to do the most, I can help people in so many different ways. I can have benefit concerts to help a cause, or I can just play my music and make people feel happy and relaxed. I think it is amazing how I can actually make people feel any emotion through my music.”

Read more about Taeguk’s benefit recital on our Arts Leadership Map!

Taeguk on From the Top in Abilene, TX, November 2010. Photo by John Best

Marcus on From the Top, November 2010

One of the strongest influences in Marcus’s musical life has been his grandmother. It was at her insistence that he began playing the piano at age 4. After that, he started studying the viola in elementary school, remembering “the first time I picked up a stringed instrument, I knew it was the thing for me.”

Marcus’s grandmother has supported his musical career by financially contributing towards audition trips and summer camps, though perhaps of greater importance is her emotional support. “She’s the one I can always count on being excited…equally excited as I am when I win something!”

But Marcus isn’t just getting support from his family – a fellow musician’s mother has also lent more than a helping hand in Marcus’s musical development. “I’m really close to [Mrs. Crawford] because she’s always been there for me.”

Mrs. Crawford has helped Marcus apply for and subsequently receive multiple scholarships, including the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and From the Top. Her support has enabled Marcus to get important training through access to programs like the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.

Marcus’s dedicated support system further extends to his private teacher, Borys Smolaga. Says Marcus, “Mr Smolaga is an amazing man and he’s been incredibly generous. Last year we were trying to build resumes for colleges and he said, ‘You need a good resume. We’re going to look at local competitions and we’re going to enter them.’ But I’d never really done any competitions!”

When it came time for his first competition, the First Annual Texarkana Concerto Competition, Marcus couldn’t find a ride to the location. Mr. Smolaga stepped in and not only provided transportation, but also hired a pianist out of his own pocket so that Marcus could have an accompanist. “He volunteered to take me…it was an all day thing and he calmed my nerves.”

Marcus is completing his senior year at Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, and has a clear view of his future.

Here’s an excerpt from the beautiful thank you letter he recently wrote in response to being selected for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award:

This past year has unveiled a series of unimaginable events that impacted my life, mainly concerning contributions from your generous establishment. When I was notified of my being a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, I was literally floored with no words to express my heartfelt gratitude. My grandmother continues to remind me that without this award, there was no absolute way I would be able to make it to even one of my dream conservatories for auditions, let alone college visits. That all changed with one letter in the mail.

I still cannot believe how lucky and blessed I was to come across such a charitable and generous foundation that supported not only mine but thousands of others’ growth in music. Your kind acts are truly those of miracle workers. You will never know how deeply thankful my family and I are because of you working miracles in my life. I promise to continue pursuing my dreams…and advocating classical music wherever I go, ensuring that I will make you proud with my every success. I hope that your foundation continues to prosper and work miracles in at least another thousand young artists’ lives.

Marcus appeared on Show #222 in Baton Rouge on November 2, 2010. Listen to the show on our website. In 2011, he was accepted to Oberlin Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard School. In mid-April, he signed the intent to enroll in The Juilliard School, which included a full scholarship.

“This is the school I’ve dreamed about since I started viola! And I got my dream teacher! I’m still in shock. It doesn’t feel real! Because of [the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's] help I can truly attend my dream school, advance my education, and live the life of a professional musician.”

Tim at the Integrated Arts Academy

Tim wanted to show the students how composing music is by no means linear, and that the possibilities are endless. Tim shares more:

Young students get bored easily. If they have to sit and listen, things go downhill fast. I think that if they’re involved with the composing game, it will give them the opportunity to get excited about concert music.”

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We asked Tim to share more about his “composing game” and the overall experience:

FTT: How did you come up with your project idea?

Tim: I knew from the start that I wanted to go into schools and talk about being a composer. Not many kids really know what a composer does. My teacher, David Ludwig, has done a lot of presentations in schools. He advised me to involve the students as much as I could, so I decided on the composing game.

FTT: What was the experience like for you? How did the two schools compare?

Tim: It was an incredible experience. The students were as engaged and excited about what we were doing as they possibly could have been.

At the first performance (North Branch), it was very clear that the group performing was embarrassed and uncomfortable. They were laughing while they were playing and not taking it seriously. After they were done, I asked the other students for their comments. Most of the students said they wanted to hear the piece again because the performers were very distracting.

This made the performers realize that the other students actually wanted to hear their piece. They performed it again and it was much better. We then heard the other groups’ pieces. They were all very different and extremely creative. I was so impressed with all of the students and the work they had done.

As for the Integrated Arts Academy, I was very impressed with the school and the work they are doing. When the kids learned that I was going to school just for music one of them asked, “so, all you’re going to do is write music all day? I want to go to music school!”

The school is the only arts magnet school in the state. It’s located in a part of Burlington called the Old North End. This is the poorest area of the city and many of the kids are refugees from other countries and don’t speak English very well.

FTT: Can you give us an example of how the “composing game” works?

Tim: (At the North Branch School) I gave them the following instructions:

1. Fold your piece of paper in half.
2. Draw an enclosed shape anywhere on the paper.
3. Draw a line, wavy or straight, that connects any one side of the paper to any other side.
4. Unfold the piece of paper and draw another wavy or straight line from anywhere to anywhere.
5. Draw one thing, anything you want, wherever you want.

After they drew their “scores”, the class split into three groups of 9. Tal (Birdsey – the class teacher) went with one group, Rose Messner, the math teacher, went with another, and I went with the last. Each group picked one of the drawings to use as a score. They all went into different places after that. One group went outside. Two students grabbed their acoustic guitars and one grabbed an electric bass. I made them put the instruments away.

The pieces they came up with were very creative. One group used a piece of Sonotube, two PVC pipes, a wheelbarrow, a hand-pushed lawnmower, the top of a garbage can filled with sand, and a handful of marbles. All of the groups were very tied to rhythm and always wanted a clear beat. While they were still working on the pieces, I encouraged all of the groups to use both clear rhythm and very free rhythm as two “compositional devices” to express the score more effectively. They did a great job of this.

FTT: What do you think the students took away from the event?

Tim: That composing is not a strange thing to do. All of the students went through the process of creating a piece of music.

The game is interesting because it separates composing from performing. They were not writing a piece for a violin, they were writing it for a salad bowl and a plastic cup. For some of them, it will be a cool thing that they did once. For others, they could have been hooked and want to start writing music or playing an instrument.

I wanted them to see that no matter what it is they create, whether it’s a poem, a drawing, or a piece of music, the process of creating that thing is very engaging and feels really good to do.

It was a really great project. I know I got a lot out of it, and I know the students did as well.

Reed Messner, a student at the North Branch School, wrote an article that was published on his teacher’s (Tal Birdsey’s) blog, A Room for Learning. Click here to read Reed’s article on Tim’s visit.

Kara with fellow vocalists at the Ysabel Barnett Elementary School

The program was titled the “Joy of Opera” and included several short selections from well-known works, both solo and ensemble. Opera is especially foreign to this age group, and Kara’s goal was to raise awareness and to expand the children’s understanding of and desire to explore classical music. She shares more:

Kara on "From the Top"

“The younger generation is a very important one, in that they are the future audience, and by influencing them through music presentations, it is setting up for a life where classical music/opera can continue to enrich peoples’ lives.”

Kara’s Program Structure:

• Performance: selections from Rossini’s La Cerentola, Mozart’s Voi Che Sapete (The Marriage of Figaro), and Delibes’ Lakmé Duet (Lakmé)
• Harmony Activity: discussion of major and minor triads
• Instrument Demonstrations: discussion of each instrument’s sound, origin, and purpose.
• Q&A Session

We asked Kara a few questions about the performance and the overall experience:

FTT: Why did you choose this activity?

Kara: I chose this activity because I find that young children do not know what opera is.  By holding a concert, I hope to open their eyes and minds to classical music and possibly a desire to ask questions or learn more on their own.  I hope that by influencing these young children, they will carry music with them forever.

FTT: What were your goals with the project?

Kara: Our objective was to educate young kids who may not otherwise have the opportunity to be exposed to classical music.  It was also a goal of mine to let the kids know that the study of music is something that they can pursue in middle school, high school, and beyond.

FTT: What was the experience like for you? Was there a favorite moment?

Kara: This project was more work than I anticipated, but well worth the effort. Because the word “music” is such a general term, I discovered that there were many ways to approach the kids while introducing them to opera. Overall, it was an extremely rewarding experience.

My favorite part of the presentation was at the end, when the kids asked questions. They had really inquisitive questions, which meant they were thinking about the presentation. I like that I had an effect on their thoughts about music. They were very interested in the different languages and how fairytales can be made into operas. I believe these kids now have a basic understanding and awareness of classical music in their world, which was an extremely important goal of mine for this project.

FTT: What have you learned from your project? Any insights you would like to share with us?

Kara: From this experience, I learned first hand that it is possible for one person to affect many people. I learned that if you talk, someone will listen. For most of these kids, it might have been their first time ever hearing classical music.  However, I truly hope that it’s not their last!

Overall, I learned that I have the drive to put on more presentations because the kids’ reactions were invaluable to me. This experience has already helped my development as a musician in that I have even more of a purpose to share this art form with new and excited faces.

FTT: Any advice for other musicians who want to do similar outreach performance for children?

Kara: Kids want to be entertained and if you’re excited and passionate about what you’re presenting, they will respond.  You have to be flexible when working with children, and not afraid to change your agenda. I was glad to have a larger audience, but had to make some adjustments at the last minute. All in all it really motivated me to do future presentations as my education progresses.

Mr. Perlman and Bella

When I received the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award last year, the first thing that I considered was attending the Perlman Music Program again (PMP). Last summer (2009) I spent 6 1/2 weeks on Shelter Island, New York studying under the direction of Itzhak and Toby Perlman. It was the most amazing staff of instructors. I studied with Heidi Castleman, one of the most incredible viola instructors I have ever studied with. It was the most inspirational and challenging musical experience that I have ever had. It was there, last summer that I made the decision that I wanted to be a professional violist for a lifelong career! I knew that my goal was to make this program a part of my education and development as a musician an annual priority. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation made it possible for me to attend again this summer! It truly was a gift not only to me but to others in the world that I can share with.

A typical day at PMP would start off with breakfast, some aerobics class to pump us up for practicing, then practice time from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, of course with 10 minute breaks at each hour. After lunch, we usually have chamber rehearsals and coaching with the head chamber instructor Merry Peckham. If time allows then it’s always nice to go relax on the beach or go swimming! Sometimes I took my sketchbook to draw the beautiful outlook on the beach. At 5:00, we all go to chorus where we have a wide variety of music to sing, from Mozart’s Requiem to Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. I never imagined myself being able to sing such amazing works of music, chorus is so much fun! After chorus, we have dinner. And let me tell you, there will never be a camp that has better food than PMP! For example, we have a special Korean Barbeque every year. It’s my favorite dinner! After dinner, we have orchestra in which Mr. Perlman, or “Mr. P” as we all call him, conducts us. We do orchestra for about 2 hours and by 10:00 P.M. it’s the “little’s” curfew time. When it comes to the weekends, we have many outreach opportunities such as going to perform at Vineyards and High schools and so many cool places.

But one of the most special things at PMP is the friendships that are formed. It’s so refreshing in a sense to be able to connect with other young people that are the same age as you. And it’s not awkward to have musical conversations or talk about what pieces you are working on. It’s so inspiring to be around them. I encourage you to go online to www.perlmanmusicprogram.org to read more about the program and the faculty and how to attend. PMP is such an amazing place. There will never be enough words to express my love for PMP.

Here at From the Top it’s wonderful to hear how young artists’ lives have been positively influenced by the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. We look forward to many exciting things from Bella in the future!

Yurie performing on "From the Top" in Waco, TX

She shared a wide range of music, portraying dances from many different cultures and time periods, and allowed plenty of time for the students’ insightful questions and comments. Her goal was to share with the students how music can tell a story and how they can enjoy listening even more when they explore those stories and use their imagination. Yurie shares more about the event:

“There’s nothing more pleasing for children to see than a musician with a grin a mile wide. It shows them that they’re in for something fun and interesting rather than boring and bland.”

See below to watch video recordings from Yurie’s program.

We asked Yurie a few questions about her project:

FTT: What was the experience like for you?

Yurie: The whole project, from start to finish, was a fun one. I definitely felt good after every applause, and felt even better when children asked curious questions and asked for hugs after the concert.

FTT: What was it like working with children that age? Were there any favorite moments?

Yurie: I had two different kinds of audiences in the two elementary schools. In one of them, my audience ranged from grades 4-6. In the other, my audience ranged from grades 2-4.

I really appreciated my young, but very well behaved, audience, and was often very amused by the questions they asked in the end. Perhaps one of best questions was: “How did you start playing the violin?” When I answered that my mother was actually the one who made all the decisions and that I hated being forced to play the violin, they gasped in disbelief; I was very amused.

Another memorable experience came after I played a Brahms Hungarian Dance and explained the Czardas. A girl raised her hand and exclaimed that she went to Hungarian school and knew the Czardas dance. Then, this girl actually stood up and demonstrated the Czardas for the entire audience. I had personally never seen the Czardas before, so this was a very interesting moment for me.

FTT: What did you learn from this experience?

Yurie: I love to work with children. They ask the most interesting questions, and they are very honest (they tell you when they don’t like something, but also really cheer when they really love something).

FTT: Do you think this type of experience can help your development as a musician? How?

Yurie: I discovered that it is perfectly okay to change your image while on stage depending on who you are performing for. In fact, doing so will make you connect with your audience better, and vice versa. This way, I feel that they can enjoy a performance better than when they see a distant figure on stage whom they’d never dream of talking to.

FTT: What advice would you give other musicians interested in doing a similar project?

Yurie: I would recommend keeping organized, opting for an interactive project, knowing your audience beforehand (so you can alter your project plans as needed to interact better), and putting a smile on your face. There’s nothing more pleasing for children to see than a musician with a grin a mile wide. It shows them that they’re in for something fun and interesting rather than boring and bland.

Yurie shared an excerpt from the script she wrote for the program:

“First up is the zapateado. The Zapateado is a dance of Mexican origin. As some of you might have noticed, the zapateado dance borrows its name from from “zapatos”: spanish for “shoes”. Why shoes? Because the dance itself is based upon percussive steps created by tapping your feet on the ground- it’s similar to tap dancing. You will hear this “shoe tapping” throughout the piece, but especially in the beginning, where I have [Demonstrate here]. Now, I hope you will imagine a dancer tapping his or her shoes while I play the Zapateado by Pablo Sarasate.”

Sean with the Students of Hilo Union Elementary

After appearing on From the Top, 16 year-old slack-key guitarist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Sean Robbins of Pahoa, HI organized a series of interactive performances at the Hilo Union Elementary School. He gave three 45-minute performances for fourth graders at the school, with about twenty students per group. Sean hoped to inspire these children to take a greater interest in music by demonstrating a variety of styles, and sharing the fun and valuable experiences he has had as a musician.

He shares more:

“I would like to communicate that there are younger people playing Hawaiian music and you can take it somewhere and make a career out of it.”

We asked Sean to tell us more about his project:

FTT: How did you come up with your project idea?

Sean: I chose this activity because I like to work with kids. I know that at this age they are easily inspired.

FTT: What was the experience like for you? Was there a favorite moment?

Sean: This was an extremely rewarding project and I am very glad that I did it. My goal was to inspire the kids to play music, and to show them that it is a viable career.

Afterwards one of the classes decided that they wanted to shake my hand, so I had to shake 20 hands that turned into 60 since they all wanted to go again and again. After the hand shaking, we said goodbye and went to the other two classes, who were just as excited.

FTT: What do you think the audience took away from the event?

Sean: The kids were very interested in what I had to say and they sat quietly for the whole 45 minutes until I asked if they had any questions. I was also very impressed with their questions.

FTT: What did you learn from this experience? Do you think this type of experience can help your development as a musician?

Sean: This experience definitely helped my development as a musician. You have to be able to think quickly to answer any questions that the kids may ask and improvise on what pieces you are going to play to accommodate the audience. I also learned a lot about organizing an arts leadership project, and I found out that I really enjoy interacting with kids.

FTT: What advice would you give other musicians interested in doing a similar project?

Sean: I’d recommend a project like this to anyone who enjoys being around kids and wants to perpetuate music at a young age. If I were to give them advice it would be to start organizing your project right away so that you aren’t rushed towards the end, and to practice speaking in front of an audience. Most of all to be ready for any questions the kids might ask.

I was quite surprised to see that almost half the kids in the class played some sort of instrument. When I told them I started playing music when I was two years older than them, they were very optimistic in terms of becoming musicians. I hope that the kids left with some inspiration to continue playing (or to start).

Several students wrote letters to Sean thanking him for his visit. Two of those letters are included below:

Bella with Fellow Performers at the El Dorado Retirement Center

We love when From the Top performers take Arts Leadership to the next level – 14 year-old violist Isabella Markham, a Jack Kent Cook Young Artist, has done just that by organizing a small concert series for a retirement center with the help of her brother and seven friends.  She titled the performance “Bella Palooza” and it took place on March 7, 2010 at the El Dorado; an independent retirement home located in Richardson, TX. The program included works for cello, violin, viola, and piano. Bella chose this project to provide seniors a fun break from their daily routine. Through the performance, Bella hoped to show that musicians her age still care for elderly people, and that music is a universal form of communication. A talented artist as well as a musician, Bella also created beautiful, hand-drawn flyers to promote the event.

Bella's Concert Program Art

Bella on "From the Top"

“I strongly believe that our culture tends to forget about the elderly and aging. A lot of these people are lonely and they don’t get enough love. Everyone needs someone to look forward to, and I think music makes a person’s heart happy.”

-Bella Markham

The El Dorado Dining Hall

We asked Bella a few questions about the performance and the overall experience:

Bella with pianist Evan Ritter

From the Top: How did you come up with your project idea?

Bella: I chose this activity because I wanted the old folks to have something exciting and new to look forward to in their daily schedule. It seems that they are forgotten sometimes, so I wanted to share the gift of music with them.

From the Top: What was the experience like for you? Did you have a favorite moment?

Bella: The experience was so inspiring and enriching! I would definitely love to do something like this again. Although it was a little bit stressful in having the complete responsibility to coordinate the entire event, it was all worth it in the end.

My favorite moment was after the performance. I went around to each table to talk to the old folks and asked them what they thought about the performance. Their faces beamed with joy and they even wanted me to come back and perform again! I loved seeing them so happy.

From the Top: What do you think the audience took away from the event?

Bella: I think the audience took away the joy and love for music. They truly enjoyed seeing us young performers perform for them. I would never be able to describe how happy they were, they were so overwhelmed with joy.

From the Top: What did you learn from this experience?

Bella: I learned that no matter who you are or what you do, music can connect and communicate to anyone! In my opinion, music truly is a wonder to the universe.

From the Top: Do you think this type of experience can help your development as a musician? How?

Bella: Definitely, yes. This is an extremely humbling experience and reminds me all the time of how fortunate and blessed I am. I think this is why I gravitate towards this particular group of people. I know that my presence and sharing of music genuinely touches their hearts as well as mine. Also, I know that I’m making a difference.

From the Top: What advice would you give other musicians interested in doing a similar project?

Bella: Definitely choose a softer selection of pieces to perform. The old folks seem to enjoy the softer pieces a lot. Also, prepare to talk and introduce yourself to them, this seems to make the performance more intimate and enjoyable. It’s also good to go around and talk with them after the performance; they love to talk with you about what a joy it was to have you perform.

Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Program

From the Top’s radio broadcast this week, taped at the El Paso Summer Music Festival this past June, celebrates our partnership with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and more than $1 million in scholarships awarded. The radio episode features five new Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipients and offers updates from past Young Artists about where this scholarship has taken them.

From the Top’s partnership with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has been one of the most transformative in our organization’s short history. Since 2005, we have awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to 100 exceptional young musicians (and counting), who despite financial barriers, strive to attain excellence in music and other areas of their lives.

In addition to providing young artists with an opportunity to perform on From the Top’s national broadcasts, the  up to $10,000 award helps to offset the often-prohibitively expensive costs of studying classical music at a high level. Award recipients may use their award for instrument purchases and summer music camps and fees.

Learn more about the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and download our brochure.

Jing Zhang

Sixteen-year-old pianist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipient Jingxuan Zhang feels strongly about advocating for elementary music education. Jing is featured on From the Top’s broadcast from El Paso this week and recently wrote a letter to his governor in Indiana to address his feelings about the importance of arts education.

“I want to show [the governor] that music is a great part of our lives and that it demands  focus and determination that builds character…. I want [him] to know that music is a very powerful way to communicate to others.”

Jing shares his letter to Governor Mitchell Daniels of Indianapolis August 23, 2009…

Dear Governor Daniels,

I’m Jingxuan Zhang, and I am a 16-year-old pianist from Westfield, IN. I’m writing to ask for your support of elementary school music education and programs. This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to perform on the NPR radio show From the Top, which is dedicated to celebrating outstanding young musicians from across the nation.

I went to El Paso, TX, for the recording session and a special three days. Two events stood out as especially significant: one was the actual performance, and the other was the leadership workshop for performers after the show. The workshop was a true learning experience, during which I realized that music possessed the power to influence others. As an arts advocate, I decided to “exert my power” by asking you to increase funding for elementary school music education.

I know this idea seems absurd considering the economic recession we are suffering from; however, this idea came to me when I was working with the other young musicians who were on the show with me. We all talked about how we were all great students and how studying music gave us the necessary focus to accomplish great things both in school and in the arts.

From that, I realized what they said was true. I personally practice piano for six hours a day during weekdays and holidays and three hours during the week. Without extreme dedication, perseverance, and ambition, we would not be what we are today.

Of course, people say you need to be talented to achieve high standards in music, but I think music is not there to “find” talent in people. I think it is there to teach us a valuable lesson on the basic characteristics we need to succeed in life.

Having said that, I think it is extremely important to expose young children to a myriad of musical instruments when they are young to pique their interest in music. My parents introduced me to the piano when I was five, so I think elementary schools can act as a guiding force for children who do not have a musical background.

Now, most elementary schools have only a keyboard or two from which the music instructor teaches. But with increased funding, we can explore new dimensions by buying mini violins, flutes, or drums for the children to learn from. This new environment will allow these children to ferment a love for music when they are young.

Research has shown a positive correlation between kids who study music and their performance in school, and I think encouraging elementary school students to take up an instrument would be a wonderful opportunity to engage them into a world full of creativity and endless magic.

Thank you for reading this letter, and I hope you will support the increase of music education funding.

Sincerely,

Jingxuan Zhang