BeeLee shared some great details of their experience with us:

There is no way for me to tell how amazing Professor Inge Rosar was. She was knowledgeable, humorous, humble, energetic, and so passionate about teaching and playing Bach’s music. The class went from around 9:45am to 7 or 8pm at night! The best thing (at least for Victoria) was only 2 students showed up for the class. Victoria got almost 4 hours of private coaching for each day. When the other student played, Professor Rosar gave Victoria the music and asked her to find the structure. She taught them how to listen to the “parameters” of the compositions. She explained clearly which teachings were based on historical findings and which were from her own experiences. Even though I don’t know much about music, I enjoyed every minute in the class. Professor Rosar told us about her life philosophy and I truly believe that a great musician comes with a great heart.

Victoria, fellow student, and Professor Rosar

Victoria learned so much in these 4 days that now she knows how to analyze not only Bach’s music, but also Classical and Romantic music. She played for her teacher in Las Vegas on January 3, and her teacher was so impressed that she herself decided to plan a trip to Germany to take masterclass from Professor Rosar in March.

Victoria and BeeLee in Saarbrücken, Germany

BeeLee wrapped up her email to us with a very sweet thank you to note to From the Top and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation:

Many people that we know thought that going to Germany for a 4 days class sounded really crazy. I was once one of these people before Victoria’s teacher “lectured” me about the difference of learning from a master. I think [From the Top and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation] truly understand the great impact of these classes on young musicians and gave us so much encouragement on our decision. Thank you again. Without the scholarship and your kind support on making all the reservations for us, I would never thought of making this trip is possible (I know it sounds like a commercial speech, but that’s how I really feel).

We thank BeeLee for her nice feedback and look forward to following Victoria’s musical career!

You can see more pictures of Victoria and BeeLee’s trip to Germany on Facebook.

“For me, it was such a great experience. Most of the kids had never heard advanced guitar music. It felt really good to be able to play for them and see that they were genuinely interested at such a young age.”

Read more about John’s performance on our Arts Leadership Map!

John on Show 232 in College Park, Maryland

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.”

This February, Marcelina led a hands-on percussion workshop for students of the Stowe Fine Arts & Performing Arts Academy in Humboldt Park, Chicago.

“I (wanted) to let the children know that whatever they choose to do, they should strive to be the best at it. It doesn’t have to be music, but they should love what they do and strive to be better and better at it every day. I also (wanted) to teach the children about percussion instruments…and about the orchestra.” – Marcelina

Read more about Marcelina’s workshop on our Arts Leadership Map!

Marcelina on Show 220 in Davenport, Iowa

If you go, be sure to stop by the From the Top station at KidZone before the concert to say hello to a couple more of our fabulous alums!

Good luck, Anna!

Anna on From the Top in November, 2009

‘Tis the Season…Audition Season that is!
Here are a few things that helped me prepare.
By Ren Martin-Doike

You’ve been practicing for what seems like your whole life, and in a few months, you will give one of the most crucial performances of your career so far… your college audition. How is preparing for college auditions any different from, say, getting ready for a competition?

Ren Performs on From the Top in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2008

Auditions are actually the same thing as competitions. The only difference is that when you “win,” instead of getting a medal, money or concert opportunities, you get the chance to snag the best prize of all – a good education.

Since you’re planning to study music beyond high school, I have a feeling that you are already an experienced player, not looking for another article telling you to practice 8 hours a day or how you shouldn’t wear blue jeans for your audition. Of course, the standard rules do always apply – listen to your teacher, plan ahead and practice mindfully. But you already know these things, so I’m going to give you my experience-tested tips, from the wise to the wacky.

First and foremost – it’s all in your head. No matter how well you prepare, if you psych yourself out at the last minute, you may not play your best. Conversely, if you don’t believe in yourself from the start, you will limit yourself from playing as well as you can. I’ve always been fascinated with psychology and neurology, so as you read this article you will also find “mind-hacks” you can use to more deeply tap into your potential.

Set concrete goals and hold yourself accountable for them. I write my goals on Post-it notes and stick them in a place that I look at while I practice. These goals range from short term (practice 6-7 days this week) to long term (get into Curtis.) However, a goal is just a wish if you don’t put any action behind it. Like you, I absolutely hate practicing, but to hold myself accountable, I log my daily practice time on my calendar. This way, I can easily track my progress and see where I need to improve. See Mind-Hack #1 at the bottom of this post for more tips.

Ren Performs at an Airport

Listening to recordings is not just for Suzuki students! Though it is also important to study your part, or even a score, there are hundreds of things you could only learn from listening to a variety of different recordings. Allow me to emphasize the word different in that sentence – your musical flexibility is crucial in the audition room. In some auditions, like the one I did at Curtis, you may have to perform with a pianist you have never played with before; this is why it is extremely important that you be comfortable playing your repertoire at different tempos and even in differing styles. Playing along with recordings is extremely helpful. I learned pieces inside and out by putting on my headphones and playing along with some my favorite recordings. See Mind-Hack #2 at the bottom of this post for more tips.

There is absolutely no substitute for performance practice. I view practicing and performing as opposite skills. In the practice room, we try to find our mistakes and work on them; while on the stage, we should ignore mistakes and just flow with the music. When you perform, your mind and body behave in an entirely different way. You will only become comfortable with this unfamiliar feeling if you experience it regularly. Performing can also help you to isolate which parts to practice. I have found that most of the things I mess up in performance never go wrong in the practice room, and vice versa.

A friend of mine who went to Juilliard with International Violin Competition of Indianapolis Gold Medalist, Augustin Hadelich, told me how Augustin would play for “anything that stayed still long enough” in preparation for the competition he eventually won. That was a revelation to me. If it got Augustin to the IVCI gold medal, where could it take you?

Getting practice in performance is easier said than played, however. Cultures in Harmony founder William Harvey said when he reappeared on From the Top in 2009 “…at some point you need to make your own [performance] opportunities.” This made a huge impact on me. I increased my performance practice from once or twice a month to once or twice a week by performing in some pretty unconventional situations.

Ren Performs Over Skype

Instead of waiting for my teacher to set up a performance for me, I began playing for kids at a local elementary school in the cafeteria…during their lunch! I also harnessed the power of the Internet and played, over Skype or iChat, for any friends willing to let to me “perform” for them. Even if I was in my pajamas playing with headphones on, I still got the same adrenalin rush as I did in front of the audition committee. See Mind-Hack #3 at the bottom of this post for more tips.

In the end, our aim is to feel secure and confident while playing in our audition, so we can forget everything and just make beautiful music. I hope that these ideas will help and encourage you in your personal audition journey. Remember: think positively, practice mindfully, perform often and most importantly, have a blast in the process. Good luck!

Mind-Hack #1: Write and display your very specific goals in past tense. In other words, instead of writing, “practice three hours a day”, try writing “I practiced three hours a day the week of February 21 – 27.” Doesn’t writing such a statement in past tense seem like lying? Well, yes, it sort of is. But, experience has taught me that Psychologist Claude Steele’s Theory of Affirmation is one of the most powerful mind techniques you can use. When we say or think certain things about ourselves, positive or negative, we actually program our brains to make sure that what we say comes true.

Mind-Hack #2: Recent Northwestern University Neurological research has finally proven that we actually CAN learn by listening in our sleep! This means that either listening to your audition repertoire before you sleep, or like I did, as an iPod alarm an hour before I woke up, can actually be a key to consciously, unconsciously and even subconsciously knowing your music. (Plus, it’s as a great way to “practice” while you sleep.)

Mind-Hack #3: Harness your power of positive thinking! I know this is totally clichéd, but hear me out. I missed my flight to Philadelphia for my Curtis audition. Naturally the first thing anyone would do is panic. But I chose not to. Instead of freaking out that I was leaving more than six hours later than I had planned to, I made my long wait at the airport into a great performance opportunity. I was not trapped at an airport; I suddenly had a gate full of potential audience members! By the time I boarded the plane, I had developed many good relationships with my fellow passengers and I also discovered a new community of support. Because of my perspective, I turned my missed flight into an audition edge, and I arrived at Curtis ready to have a great audition. Similarly, you too can turn your own adverse situations into audition advantages.
Ren Martin-Doike attends the Curtis Institute of Music and studies the viola with Misha Amory and Michael Tree. Ren is the Alma and Edward Lakin Annual fellow and, like all Curtis students, is a recipient of a full merit-based tuition scholarship.  Prior to entering Curtis, Ren studied with Mimi Zweig in the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Pre-College String Academy.

Selected by popular vote, our Grand Prize Winner is 17-year-old percussionist Marcelina Suchocka from Chicago, Illinois.

Ms. Suchocka is a student at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and is also a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Percussion Scholarship Program. She was selected from a pool of hundreds of classical musicians who submitted videos to the Big Break contest between October 18 and November 18.  All classical musicians, the contestants ranged in age from 8-18 and participated on a variety of solo instruments including piano, bassoon, harp, voice, violin, cello, bass, marimba, and recorder. On November 29, Ms. Suchocka and 14 other finalists were selected by From the Top and Carnegie Hall to be part of a public vote between November 29 and December 14.  Her winning performance of an excerpt from Anders Koppel’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra can be viewed below or at YouTube.com/BigBreak.

As Big Break’s grand-prize winner, Ms. Suchocka will appear on a national radio broadcast this spring of NPR’s From the Top, hosted by Christopher O’Riley. The episode will be taped on Sunday, April 10 before a studio audience at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, the multiplatform, acoustically superb performance venue of Classical 105.9 FM WQXR, New York City’s sole dedicated classical music station. The previous day, on Saturday, April 9, she will perform at a Carnegie Hall Family Concert in Zankel Hall, produced in partnership with From the Top and hosted by Mr. O’Riley.

As we were so impressed by the high performance level of all the Big Break finalists, three runners-up have also been selected to appear on the From The Top national broadcast and Carnegie Hall Family Concert.

The three runners-up are (in alphabetical order):

16-year-old pianist Gideon Broshy (New York, NY);

Gideon Broshy

16-year-old cellist Brannon Cho (Short Hills, NJ)

Brannon Cho

14-year-old harpist Helen Gerhold (Lansdale, PA).  

The special episode of From The Top’s weekly series, featuring Big Break’s Grand Prize Winner and runners-up, will air on participating NPR stations later in the spring.

Congratulations to all!

Clifton performs on From the Top

Next Monday Clifton will join the Berklee College of Music’s Reverance Gospel Ensemble and renowned gospel organist Dennis Montgomery, III for a special concert. Mr. Montgomery has given Clifton the opportunity to provide an organ solo – one that he’s been doing himself for the past ten years!

Details:

December 13th, 8:15pm
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02115-2602

“The Power of the Anointed”
Gospel music featuring the college’s Reverence Gospel Ensemble, OverJoyed, Women of Virtue, and Men of Valor.

Tickets: $10

Hyung-Do at the Waterford Towers retirement center

Their most recent performance took place on July 16, 2010. The program was as follows:

Solo Piano

• Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op.27, no. 1
• Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in D-flat major, Op.27, no. 2
• Claude Debussy: Images, Book I
• Maurice Ravel: Alborada del Gracioso from Miroirs

Violin and Piano

• Henryk Wieniawski Polonaise Brilliante No.1 in D-Major, Op.4
• Maria Theresia Paradis: Siciliene
• Max Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G-minor, Op.26

We asked Hyung-Do to share more about his experience at the retirement center:

FTT: Why did you choose this place to perform?

Hyung-Do: We performed at the retirement center because we found it could be something that the people there would very much enjoy. We both have a lot of experience talking and interacting with senior citizens, and we love to share our music with them.

FTT: What was the experience like for you?

Hyung-Do: The experience was great – I always love playing at senior centers because they really like when young people can display their talents so well. My favorite moment was after the performance when my sister and I both talked to the senior citizens, and they praised us for our skills on piano and violin.

Hyung-Do and his Sister

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

Hyung-Do: The audience was really thrilled about us coming back to perform there, and so many people were really moved. At the end, my sister and I played “My Way” by Frank Sinatra as an encore for them to reminisce about their past. Some had tears in their eyes, and they told us to come back again.

FTT: What did you learn from this experience?

Hyung-Do: From this experience, I learned that there are still many people in the world who are fond of classical music. The world now is mostly immersed in other music such as pop, hip-hop, rap, etc. I realized that spreading my talent to the world could better the classical music world, which seems so small compared to other music genres.

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

Hyung-Do: This type of experience can help my development as a musician because, to be a musician, you need to do more than just play the music. You have to interact with the audience, and that is what my sister and I did after our performance.

Hyung-Do is currently planning another project – he hopes to perform for a class of students at the Lindbergh Elementary School in Palisades Park, NJ. We will follow the story on our blog, so stay tuned!

(courtesy of desertsymphony.org)

9 year-old pianist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Umi Garrett (who appeared on last week’s From the Top broadcast with the Boston Pops) joined the Desert Symphony on their Children’s Music Discovery Series to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto no.23 in A Major. The concert was held on April 16, 2010 at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, CA for an audience of more than 1,000 children! Both Umi and the Desert Symphony hoped to expose Coachella Valley school children to the beauty and joy of classical music. She wanted her young audience to see that classical music is for every age, and that someone just like them can perform with an orchestra if they work hard and believe in themselves. Umi shares more about the experience:

“Maybe some kids had never been to a concert before and they learned the concert hall was really big. Or some kids who thought that classical music was really boring before discovered that classic music is actually really COOL. I think the kids really liked that a kid their age was a part of the concert.”

We asked Umi to share more about her performance with the Desert Symphony:

(courtesy of desertsymphony.org)

FTT: What was the concert like for you? Did you have a favorite moment?

Umi: The experience was very fun. I was very happy that the kids were excited about the performance. Some may never have heard a piano concerto or knew what a piano concerto was. Some may have gone home and said to their parents that they want to learn how to play one of the instruments, or maybe some already knew how to play an instrument and they went home knowing if they practice harder they will be able to play with the symphony someday too. I had two favorite moments in this concert. One was before the concert while I was backstage. The door to the stage was a little open so I peeked out to see the audience. The kids noticed me and waved at me, and I waved back. My other favorite moment was after the concert when all the kids clapped and cheered for me. It seemed that they enjoyed the concert.

FTT: What did you learn from the concert?

Umi: I had never performed in front of that many kids before. But now I know that kids are really excited to hear music, especially performed by a kid their age. I learned I can influence and help children with good music.

FTT: Why do you think these types of performances are important?

Umi: Music is a “present” for the audience, like a birthday card. If you give someone a birthday card they will like it. So if I perform music, they will like it too, just like a birthday card.

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

Umi: If you want to perform for small kids like me, we like exciting music. We like moving music and we like fast tempos. Kids also like time for questions so they get to ask some questions to the performer.

Several students wrote thank you letters to Umi and the Desert Symphony, several of which are shown below: