“I imagine these experiences will be invaluable to my future, where I will continue to provide music for those who are willing to accept it.”
Ever since he was young, composer, pianist, and From the Top Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipient Franz Zhao (Show 257) has seen the inspiring effect that music can have on others. He used that inspiration to create his own organization the Youth Music Society of San Francisco. Franz recruited musical friends and colleagues to join him in sharing classical music with audiences who otherwise have limited access to musical performances. The majority of their performances have been at retirement homes, and the residents have been truly grateful for their visits.
Franz shares more about Youth Music Society below…
I am proud of my ability to lead and my overall willingness to help, whether it be organizing concerts for the elderly, or more contained matters, such as volunteering at summer camps. Several years ago, I took these ideas and founded a small, non-profit organization called the Youth Music Society of San Francisco. This organization consists of myself along with a several of my friends and classmates. Our aim is to bring concerts to those who cannot access them by normal means – this typically leads us to senior centers and senior homes, where we play music for the elderly. We typically put on concerts several times a year, usually occurring during our school breaks.
Therefore, there are usually one or two holiday concerts during our winter break, another during spring break, and few more during the summer. We have also organized a few benefit concerts, including one to help support the San Francisco Boys’ Chorus 2011 Russia Tour – the money we raised help pay for choristers’ travel needs.
Ever since I was young, I would periodically play at my grandparents’ senior apartment for their holiday parties, most often during the Lunar New Year celebration. After each performance, I would have many tearful elders come up to thank me. Using this inspiration, I have continued the tradition over the past several years. Playing music for these elders with my organization has deepened and ignited a passion in playing for them. The happiness of these seniors matters most to me, and through these concerts I am able to share my passion and joy with them.
Involving myself with these activities has allowed me to see the world with a brighter perspective. In this sense, playing music at senior centers and senior homes has helped me understand how much our elders appreciate music. I imagine these experiences will be invaluable to my future, where I will continue to provide music for those who are willing to accept it.
While on tour, we have visited some really inspiring music programs in schools across the country. For our taping with the Colorado Symphony this January, we had the opportunity to connect with El Sistema Colorado – a program dedicated to “transform[ing] the lives of children through music.” They are in residence at the Garden Place Academy in Denver, where we brought performer Emily Switzer (a Denver-based violinist!) to meet a group of fourth grade students involved in the program.
Emily shared a variety of repertoire, from a regal Bach to a flashy Paganini. She also wanted to see just how much these students knew about the violin, asking them how different parts of the instrument contribute to the sound. The young musicians were so excited to answer that they were practically leaping out of their seats!
Another memorable moment was Emily’s impromptu performance of “Jingle Bells” – a piece that the students had just performed for their holiday concert. After the performance, their teacher noted how hearing Emily perform that familiar piece with such talent was very inspiring for the students, demonstrating how they could keep improving on one piece of repertoire.
You can watch these highlights and more in the video below – enjoy!
Nicholas King is a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipient who appeared on Show 177 in New Albany, Ohio, and the experience was life-changing. He says, “From the Top and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation showed me the importance of supporting young musicians. Without the scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation I wouldn’t have been able to attend school. The performance on NPR allowed me a great performance opportunity, as well as chance to meet other talented musicians.”
After appearing on the show, Nicholas attended the Glenn Gould School at the renowned Royal Conservatory of Music where he received his performance diploma, along with the title of being the first freshman to ever win their Concerto Competition. Nicholas also received a standing ovation for his concert performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in July of 2010. Now, Nicholas is helping guide young performers along the same musical path with his own non-profit organization, Art of Giving Back.
In their own words, the volunteer artists at Art of Giving Back “share their time and talents to teach and mentor young musicians. We help them to develop their own talents and leadership skills which will last a lifetime.” Nicholas organized the program so that graduate level musicians could help instruct young aspiring performers to advance professionally. The program’s team of professional volunteers guides young artists in applying to professional music programs, setting up performances, and improving their skills.
Art of Giving Back
The program offers free workshops that focus on practicing, performing, and applying to music schools. Nicholas explains that the workshops are “interactive and informative – we share our experiences with the class and answer any questions that they might have.” Art of Giving Back offers master classes to music middle and high schools. Nicholas and his fellow instructors also connect with young musicians through The Young Artist Forum online, where musicians can give and receive feedback to each other.
When we spoke with Nicholas about the future of the organization, he expressed his hope for it’s growth, saying “I would like this to become a world-wide organization. I believe that we offer a much needed service to musicians everywhere. No musician should feel like they’re alone.”
From the Top loves reaching out to the communities we visit on our tour! While we were in Dallas in January, we brought three young musicians to visit a group of teens at the Pleasant Grove Branch Library. Our soloists were Russell Houston (age 18, cello), Aakash Patel (age 19, violin), and Chase Dobson (age 16, composer) – all good friends from Dallas!
They shared some of their favorite pieces with the group, and talked about why they believe classical music is so cool. Russell shared that he loves the diversity of the repertoire and demonstrated this by sharing two very different pieces: the exciting Kodály Sonata for Solo Cello followed by a thoughtful Bach Prelude (from Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major). One teen in the audience went so far as to compare Russell’s Kodály performance to Van Halen!
Aakash gave the group another perspective, talking about the opportunities provided by learning an instrument. When he was first starting out on the violin, for example, he loved having the chance to perform his favorite movie music. He demonstrated this by playing the Star Wars and Godfather themes. Chase spoke from a composer’s perspective, sharing how music has the ability to give you a new “voice.” He talked about what it’s like to write new music and create something all your own, using his composition that we featured on our show (Piano Trio No.1 – “II. Sporting of the Gods) as an example.
Aakash also wanted to let the group know that anyone can do music, speaking about how he got started with nothing more than a $50 violin and YouTube videos for “lessons”. He shared that his From the Top performance with the Dallas Symphony was a “dream come true,” and that a love of music has made him the person he is today.
As you know winter storm Nemo has caused us to cancel From the Top’s Saturday, February 9 live taping event at NEC’s Jordan Hall. Unfortunately, we are unable to reschedule.
We are pleased to offer ticket buyers several options for purchased tickets:
Exchange. We would be happy to exchange your tickets to our next live taping at NEC’s Jordan Hall on Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 2 PM. If you are interested in this option, please email Robin Allen LaPlante at rlaplante@fromthetop.org with the subject line “EXCHANGE” and we will confirm your ticket exchange.
Donate: Please consider turning your ticket purchase into a tax-deductible, charitable gift to help From the Top carry out its mission of celebrating the power of music in the hands of extraordinary young people. If you are interested in this option, please email Robin Allen LaPlante at rlaplante@fromthetop.org with the subject line “DONATE” and we will confirm your donation.
Refund: If you would like your ticket purchase refunded, please email Robin Allen LaPlante at rlaplante@fromthetop.org with the subject line “REFUND” and we will issue you a refund.
In case you are wondering, we were fortunate to be able to move our recording into a studio at WGBH, so you’ll be able to catch this wonderful group of performers on Classical New England, 99.5 FM, on March 17 at 11:00 AM.
We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to see you at a future From the Top taping!
Since playing for rescue workers at Ground Zero following the September 11th attacks, From the Top alum William Harvey has made it his life’s mission to bridge cultures and promote peace through music. As one of the first young musicians to ever appear on From the Top back in 1999, we reconnected with William during our 10th anniversary season in 2009 to learn about the non-profit he founded, Cultures in Harmony. It turns out we caught him at the beginning of an amazing new journey…he revealed to us then that he was going to move to Kabul to be a violin teacher at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. Was he crazy to move to a country that had for much of the past twenty years banned music?
Fast forward three years, William is one of seven Western teachers at the institute, which teaches 150 students, half of whom have grown up on the streets. Significantly, in a country where access to education is difficult for women, there are 35 female music students. In addition to teaching private violin lessons, William is also the conductor of the Afghan Youth Orchestra. This February, he and his colleagues brought 48 Afghan students to the United States for the first time.
William Harvey teaching lessons in Kabul. Credit: Saurabh Das, AP
“It’s the responsibility of a musician to defend the right of human beings everywhere to be musical and to express themselves through music. We’re celebrating a victory: the return of music,” William told The New York Times.
From the Top has inspired the writers on America’s Favorite Quiz Show®, JEOPARDY! On Monday, February 4, JEOPARDY! contestants in the teen tournament were put to the test on their knowledge of all things classical music, under the category entitled “From the Top.” Our logo was even on the game board!
After our taping at the Sarasota Opera House this past December, we brought performers Jennifer Kim (guitar), Kaitlyn Resler (horn), and From the Top alum Abe Feder (cello) to meet a dynamic group of students involved in the Visual & Performing Arts (VPA) program at Booker High School. The presentation featured our performers playing some solo pieces and talking about musical experiences, and gave the VPA audience ample opportunity to share their own ideas and questions with the performers.
We had a great discussion on issue of stage fright, talking about ways that we as performers can learn to cope with our nerves. Abe, as the principal cellist with the Sarasota Orchestra, had a ton of fabulous ideas. Check out the video below to see some highlights from our conversation:
Because these presentations took place…right after the holidays, I wanted to bring some happiness to these kids who have been through so much hardship. Furthermore, I wanted to introduce them to music that they normally would not be so exposed to.”
Percussionist and Jack Kent Cooke Young ArtistEric Segerstrom (Show 237) wanted to connect with children from his hometown who hadn’t had the same musical opportunities that he had growing up, so he reached out to the Parsons Child & Family Center: a residential facility for families and children coping with domestic hardship. Working with three separate groups of kids at the center, Eric performed a combination of classical and hip-hop works on marimba, and then helped the kids build their own instruments using paper plates and plastic cups. At the end of the event was a full-group performance using the newly made instruments. The experience provided Eric with a whole new perspective on the ways he can share classical music with younger audiences.
We asked Eric to share more with us about his visit to the Parsons Center…
FTT: How did these presentations differ from your previous work with kids?
Eric: Before this, whenever I worked with kids, they were privileged and fortunate New York City kids who wanted to learn a little more about composition. Yet talking about classical music with kids who have no background in it, while also trying to make it fun and exciting, is a lot harder than it sounds. For the first time, I really felt like I had to step up to show these kids what I knew and how music can be new and fun.
FTT:What were some of the challenges you encountered?
Eric: The most challenging moment for me was the first presentation: I had almost no idea what to expect going into it. I had been prepped a little beforehand by one of the Directors of Therapeutic Recreation, who suggested just working with the kids and going with the things they wanted to do. However, this is really tough advice to follow when you aren’t getting any visible feedback from your audience! Before I knew it, I had gone through all of the pieces I had prepared with 45 minutes left in the presentation! I was a little embarrassed, and felt badly that I hadn’t done what I had hoped to do. I went home and came up with a few more ideas for the next presentation, including combining their interest in hip-hop with classical music. I felt much more prepared the next day.
FTT:What were some memorable moments?
Eric: The most memorable moments were definitely those in which I realized that I had left some sort of impact on the kids. On my last day at the Parsons Center, there was a particularly rambunctious kid who spent much of his time with me running around the room and flailing his newly made shaker in the air. When everyone had left and I was packing up, one of the Directors told me that she had never seen that kid so happy for so long.
Another memorable moment was my second day: this was the smallest group I played for with only three or four kids. However, they were so genuinely interested in the marimba and the music I was playing that their questions filled up a majority of the presentation!
FTT:What did you take away from this experience?
Eric:I think my time at the Parson’s Center showed that music can help people, even if it’s in a small way. The kids that I worked with all seemed pretty happy when they left, and I think it piqued an interest in some, or at least a curiosity, to the idea of classical music and the marimba. This is why I strongly believe that funding for the arts cannot be cut out of school or federal budgets…the impact of a creative and emotional outlet can be vastly underestimated, especially when it comes to kids.
FTT:What do you think it means to be an arts leader?
Eric: To me, being an arts leader is about giving back and passing on what you know. As a college student, I’m in a rather unique position: I have knowledge that I can pass on to kids, peers, or even adults about music and composition, yet I am young enough that my peers and younger kids can relate to me more so than they would to an adult. I got to this point because of other people who took the time to teach me and pass on what they knew. I believe that being an arts leader is really about using what you know to benefit others, whether it is by teaching, performing, writing, or speaking.
Check out this video created by the Parsons Child & Family Center with highlights from Eric’s visit:
The day after From the Top’s taping at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis, CA, we traveled to Davis High School to meet with students involved in the school’s orchestra program. Performers Annie Wu (flute), Kristina Zlatareva (violin), JiSun Jung (cello), and JiaYing Dong (piano) joined us for the event. In addition to playing some of their favorite pieces of music, our performers also shared some of their own musical experiences and gave helpful advice for staying motivated.
and founded a small, non-profit organization called the Youth Music Society of San Francisco. This organization consists of myself along with a several of my friends and classmates. Our aim is to bring concerts to those who cannot access them by normal means – this typically leads us to senior centers and senior homes, where we play music for the elderly. We typically put on concerts several times a year, usually occurring during our school breaks.
most often during the Lunar New Year celebration. After each performance, I would have many tearful elders come up to thank me. Using this inspiration, I have continued the tradition over the past several years. Playing music for these elders with my organization has deepened and ignited a passion in playing for them. The happiness of these seniors matters most to me, and through these concerts I am able to share my passion and joy with them.
