Reaching Out in Carmel, IN

Posted on April 23, 2012 by fttgreenroom

 

Towards the end of March, we taped a show at The Palladium – a beautiful, acoustically-ideal concert hall that’s part of the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. We had taped a show at the Palladium just last year and the excitement behind our return allowed us to make a number of connections with the community. Two weeks before we even arrived, local bassoonist Tom English (Show #233) was busy promoting our return to Carmel. He traveled to the Prime Life Enrichment Center, where he performed several solo works and spoke about his experience on our show last year.

On the day of the show, a group of sound engineering students from Crowne Point High School drove all the way to Carmel (nearly two hours) to attend our dress rehearsal and get a behind-the-scenes look at a live recording session. After the rehearsal, they met with our sound engineer, Berred Ouellette, who explained the process of taking the show from live concert to radio broadcast. Berred also treated the students to a backstage tour to see and experience our recording equipment.

(more…)

Filed under: Arts Leadership, Behind the Scenes, Education, Road Shows, School | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Check Out a Video of Music Producer Tom Vignieri’s “Haec Dies”!

Posted on April 6, 2012 by fttgreenroom

For many around the world Easter is an important date on the religious calendar. And for music lovers it’s an opportunity to experience some of the most beautiful music ever written. Perhaps above all, the St. John and St. Matthew Passions of Johann Sebastian Bach. Recently our music producer, Tom Vignieri, added a work of his own to the canon. He set the Easter text “Haec dies” or “This is the day” (Psalm 118:24) for chorus, organ & trumpet to help inaugurate a new era for the Boston based Metropolitan Chorale of Brookline. And together with From the Top friend and videographer Eleanor Dowling they produced the following music video. Enjoy, and a very happy Easter and Passover season from all of us at From the Top.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Education Update: Check out our Crews

Posted on July 15, 2009 by fttgreenroom

New York Crew in New Jersey

Brian Ge (left) and Patricio Molina (top) at the Belmont Runyan School

Brian Ge (left) and Patricio Molina (top) at the Belmont Runyan School

We just wrapped up another year in our partnership with Young Audiences New Jersey (YANJ) to bring From the Top alums into Newark schools through a grant from the Prudential Foundation. In addition to implementing a Make Your Own Radio Show program in three schools, we started a new program called “From the Top Times Two”. This new program includes a one-day, two-visit performance and workshop for the schools, with a From the Top alum accompanied by a YANJ teaching artist. From the Top recruited five New York area alums, including Brian Ge, Patricio Molina, Dasha Bukhartseva, Hannah Ji, Julian Langford, and co-led a one-day training session with YANJ staff to prepare the young musicians for their school performances.

This pilot program reached 4 Newark schools this spring and was a huge success among teachers, students and performers alike. (more…)

Filed under: Alums in Action, Arts Leadership, Education, School | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Another Year of Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards

Posted on July 13, 2009 by fttgreenroom
Flutist Douglas DeVries performing at our Aspen live radio taping.

Young Artist Douglas DeVries performing at our Aspen live radio taping.

Our live radio taping in El Paso, TX last month marked the fantastic milestone of more than $1,000,000 in scholarships awarded through our Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award program. To those not familiar with the program, every year the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award is given to twenty-five promising young artists from around the country with financial need. Although they come from diverse backgrounds, the Young Artists share one thing in common: passion for classical music. The select few are each given $10,000 to help with their musical development. In conjunction with the award, they perform on a live taping of From The Top and receive Cultural Leadership training that encourages them to share their talents and knowledge of classical music with their communities.

The following are some quotes from this year’s recipients about receiving the award, their experiences on the radio show, and giving back to their communities:
(more…)

Filed under: Alums in Action, Arts Leadership, scholarship | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

We made the match!

Posted on July 1, 2009 by fttgreenroom
ElPasoGroupHug

JKC Young Artist Award performers in El Paso

We are pleased to report that we have succeeded in reaching our goal for the $25,000 matching challenge grant from our Boston donors Liz and Phill Gross! We thank everyone who helped us secure this wonderful gift, which makes it possible for us to close our fiscal year without a deficit.

Now, on to another season of incredible music!

Filed under: News, Support | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Amazing Matching Gift Response

Posted on June 26, 2009 by fttgreenroom
Stefan Cohen-WGBH6

Chad Hoopes - Courtesy of Stefan Cohen/WGBH

If you subscribe to our e-newsletter, you may have already heard that we recently received news of a $25,000 matching challenge grant from our leadership donors Liz and Phill Gross of Boston, MA. Since we announced this challenge two weeks ago, we have raised 85% of our matching goal. Incredible!

We’d thought we’d send a big internet thank you to everyone who has supported From the Top this fiscal year, especially to those that have stepped up to meet this challenge. It’s people like you that make our program possible.

Our fiscal year ends June 30, so there is still time to make a gift to From the Top and help us make our match. We’ll keep you posted on our progress…

Click here to donate now.

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After the Great Flood: Iowa Makes Music

Posted on June 12, 2009 by fttgreenroom

Last June, From the Top Tour Producer David Balsom was preparing to visit Cedar Rapids, Iowa to plan out a yearlong residency program with Orchestra Iowa when he received a frantic email from the symphony’s executive director. “The email said flood waters are coming, we’re evacuating, don’t come.”

“I thought it was most likely the end of the project,” said Balsom, referring to the Iowa Makes Music program piloted by From the Top this year. Over the course of the past nine-months this residency has integrated broadcast tapings of the NPR show with educational outreach programs, curriculum development and peer leadership trainings for teens to generate increased enthusiasm and participation in classical music throughout the state of Iowa.

Yet in June 2008 the likelihood that this ambitious program would get off the ground was grim.
(more…)

Filed under: Articles, Behind the Scenes, Road Shows | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

A Night with the President

Posted on June 4, 2009 by fttgreenroom
Roberto Granados on From the Top

Roberto Granados on From the Top

Last week our TV production partner Don Mischer produced an event for the Democratic National Committee in Los Angeles and invited From the Top to recommend a performer. 10-year-old guitarist Roberto Granados, a LA native, who was featured on our broadcast in Lubbock, TX earlier this year, was available to perform and by all accounts wowed the audience (including President Obama) with his joyful spirit and elegant playing.

His father Erwin reports on their night with the President: (more…)

Filed under: Alumni Updates, Alums in Action | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Young Composer Michael Taylor Visits Texas Elementary School

Posted on June 1, 2009 by fttgreenroom

From the Top encouraged 17-year-old composer and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipient Michael Taylor to plan an arts outreach program after his December appearance on the radio program in Indianapolis, IN. He recently sent us this update following his visit to his local elementary school in Arlington, TX:

Today I went over to Short Elementary for my cultural leadership initiative.  I knew the music director there, and he got together his fourth graders and his sixth graders to come and listen – this actually served as an inspirational performance to recruit fourth graders into his strings class.  My friend, Caleb Simmons, came along and played the guitar.  We really had some fun!  The idea was to delve into all different kinds of styles and perk up the kids’ interest.  We led off with a jazzy improvisation on violin and guitar, and I broke my E string at the end playing the violin too hard!  I then gave the kids a taste of the djembe, Caleb played a solo on guitar, and I played them some Rachmaninov on the piano!  At this point my E string had finally been replaced, so after some Pirates of the Caribbean theme music – very familiar to the kids – I gave them some classical violin, playing the catchy Bach Gavotte and Rondeau and the third movement of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole.  We ended with another improvisation.  All this time I was talking about the music, the composers, and the instruments, and I answered a lot of questions from the students.  They enjoyed it a whole lot, and I think I showed them just how fun/awesome/cool the violin can be!

We encourage everyone to become more involved with arts in their communities. Have a project like Michael’s that you are proud of? Leave a comment and let us know what you’re up to!

Hey Lisa!  Today I went over to Short Elementary for my cultural leadership initiative.  I knew the music director there, and he got together his fourth graders and his sixth graders to come and listen – this actually served as an inspirational performance to recruit fourth graders into his strings class.  My friend, Caleb Simmons, came along and played the guitar.  We really had some fun!  The idea was to delve into all different kinds of styles and perk up the kids’ interest.  We led off with a jazzy improvisation on violin and guitar, and I broke my E string at the end playing the violin too hard!  I then gave the kids a taste of the djembe, Caleb played a solo on guitar, and I played them some Rachmaninov on the piano!  At this point my E string had finally been replaced, so after some Pirates of the Caribbean theme music – very familiar to the kids – I gave them some classical violin, playing the catchy Bach Gavotte and Rondeau and the third movement of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole.  We ended with another improvisation.  All this time I was talking about the music, the composers, and the instruments, and I answered a lot of questions from the students.  They enjoyed it a whole lot, and I think I showed them just how fun/awesome/cool the violin can be!

Michael Taylor

Filed under: Alumni Updates, Alums in Action, Arts Leadership | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Strings Highlights Young Artists

Posted on April 24, 2009 by fttgreenroom
William Harvey leading "Cultures in Harmnoy" as featured in Strings Magazine

William Harvey leading "Cultures in Harmony" as featured in Strings Magazine

This month’s issue of Strings Magazine highlights emerging soloists. The magazine profiles 26-year-old violinist William Harvey who appeared on one of From the Top‘s first episodes. William will return to Boston May 3 to record a new broadcast of our show. His appearance will launch our  10th anniversary celebration, in which we will look back on the past decade of great performances and compelling interviews and see what our alumni are up to now. Stay tuned for this multimedia series to debut in September 2009.

Filed under: Alumni Updates, Alums in Action, Behind the Scenes | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

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