Maybe a day trip to the Lincoln Center in NYC on May 20 would help flush your mind for a moment. Get rid of all those concerns about Hillary, Obama, TPP, and Climate Change and just make you feel good. It might not be too late (May 15) to get 4 free tickets to see some kids make music.
Music in Bloom
Our students’ months of devoted work in the classroom are proudly celebrated in Music in Bloom, our series of community performances throughout New York City.
At mid-points in our programs, when students have learned several pieces from our established core repertoire, students engage in community outreach by performing at a local senior home, hospital, or neighborhood event.
During the months of May and June, students showcase their new skills in solo, duet, and group performance for audiences of school, family, and community members.
These concerts represent concrete goals for young people to work toward and achieve; they also provide positive arts experiences for thousands of parents and community members to enjoy with their children.
CityMusic
On Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 7pm, our Midori & Friends students will be showcased in CityMusic, at the Appel Room in Jazz at Lincoln Center. This event celebrates the heart and soul of Midori & Friends—our students—and expresses our commitment to presenting them in a prestigious New York City venue, whether they are just beginning their music studies or have advanced proficiency.
CityMusic brings together students, teachers, and administrators from our partner schools across the boroughs in a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. The show will feature 6-8 student ensembles—including a guitar group, a band, a string trio or quartet, and select soloists—playing in styles ranging from classical to jazz, from bossa nova to the blues. A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of our annual Byron Gustafson Award to a student who has shown a high level of motivation, true passion for music, and a caring spirit for other classmates.
But wait there's more ! If you miss this one, there's more stuff coming.
Long-term, school-based programs provide children with opportunities to play instruments, sing, discover music traditions from cultures around the world, and express themselves creatively. Every program integrates New York State standards for music education, as well as the benchmarks and goals of the New York City Department of Education's Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts.
12 Notes
“I feel great that I get to learn music every day. I will always keep it in my heart and remember Midori & Friends. Even if I grow old, I will remember that I learned the music that I know now." - Jeryan, Grade 5, P.S. 4, Washington Heights
A guitar student in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, plays a Bach melody for the first time. Middle school jazz band members in Woodside, Queens, jam with a Grammy Award-winning blues ensemble—while in an auditorium in Harlem, 20 third-graders rehearse salsa, pop, and country variations of a traditional folk song on violin. These are but a few snapshots of the musical learning experiences that our 12 Notes program brings to New York City’s young people.
Throughout the school year, our 12 Notes students are learning how to hold instruments for the first time . . . play new pieces . . . harmonize . . . listen in an ensemble . . . read music . . . and express themselves artistically.
12 Notes programs engage Grade 3-12 students in sequential, standards-based instruction on guitar, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, flute, violin, cello, percussion, or voice, scheduled twice-weekly over 20 to 24 weeks. Led by teaching artists who are actively performing professional musicians, our residencies are developed to provide students with a solid foundation of musicianship and technique, while nurturing listening skills, imagination, and emotional expression. By the program’s end, students have tangible accomplishments to share with their family and school community.
The Signature Series
Imagine a school auditorium in East Harlem, where 275 elementary school children sit in the worn wooden chairs, waiting for their special assembly to begin. A string quartet appears on stage, and as the musicians tune their instruments, the room quiets. Then, the group begins to play the lyrical Allegro movement of a Mozart String Quartet. Across the auditorium, students’ eyes widen as the rich timbres of live string playing swell all around them; they sit with rapt attention as the musicians take them on an animated journey through the moods and emotions expressed within this Mozart masterpiece.
The Midori & Friends Signature Concert & Workshop Series expands the horizons of thousands of students each year with concerts and workshops that open doors to new musical worlds.
We offer two different Signature learning experiences the Signature Concert Series and the Signature Workshop & Performance Series.
Signature Concert Series
Students’ appreciation of music comes alive as they attend the exceptional performances in our Signature Series. Developed with kids listening experience in mind, the concert programs present memorable repertoire in an age-appropriate and highly interactive format, performed by masterful artists on the Midori & Friends roster. Over the course of the series, students are exposed to a wide variety of music styles, instruments, and playing techniques, and are introduced to the special musical “signatures” of legendary composers.
A sample Signature Concert Series might first immerse students in the rich harmonies of a string quartet, then the infectious rhythms of a blues combo, next the astonishing vocals of a gospel choir, followed by the regal blend of a brass quintet, and finally the café dazzling syncopation of an African drumming group.
Signature Workshop & Performance Series
In addition to attending the concert series throughout the year, students themselves can appear on stage through our Signature Workshop & Performance Series.
In this unique program, acclaimed artists and ensembles lead classrooms of 30 children at a time in hands-on music-making in a featured genre, such as classical, jazz, musical theater, gospel, or the blues. Students learn about instruments, the music's history and cultural context, repertoire, and playing techniques. Gathering weekly over the course of the program, they enjoy the rare opportunity of working closely with these role models of artistic excellence. At a culminating concert, students experience the special thrill of performing alongside the professional artists, to present what they have learned for a family and school community audience.
Each customized Signature program:
Presents exceptional concerts that give students access to classical music and other timeless genres.
Leads in-depth workshops where artists engage students in hands-on music making experiences.
Spotlights students in performances alongside professional artists.
Trains students to listen actively to diverse styles of music.
Instills lifelong music appreciation in children while they are nurtured as the concert-goers of tomorrow.
Visiting Artist Series
To provide students with additional role models of artistic excellence and professionalism—as well as insights into the stages of a performing career—our Visiting Artist Series brings both internationally renowned and emerging artists into our instrument instruction classrooms. In the intimate setting of the classroom, students enjoy riveting performances by these artists and benefit from their coaching on playing posture, embouchure, tone production, phrasing, and more.Through our partnerships with Young Concerts Artists and the D’Addario Music Foundation, we have had the opportunity to connect our students with such impressive artists as clarinetist Narek Arutyunian, violinist Bella Hristova, and classical guitarists Robert Belenic, Vladimir Gorbach, and Oman Kaminsky.
Additionally, we are grateful to the legendary artists—including Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo O’Farrill and, of course, our own Midori—for lending their time and talents to wow and inspire our students.
My kids turned me on to this so the least I can do is pass it along.
“I believe music brings us together. Teaching music to children can, and will, have a beneficial impact on our future as a global society.” – Midori
At the young age of 19, Midori wanted to be a force of change. She saw music being stripped away from New York City public schools due to decreased budgets, and she knew that something had to be done. She knew the joys that music could bring to a young person’s life, and she resolved that we, the New York City community, could not let our students miss out on these immeasurable benefits.
Midori began to perform concerts in the schools, dazzling students with her exquisite technique and fascinating them with stories about her favorite pieces, her instrument, and her career. Students, teachers, and principals alike sat on the edge of their seats, mesmerized by the talents of this celebrated artist. These moments of musical enrichment were the start of our organization.
Now 21 years later, with a track record of transforming the lives of over 200,000 students in underserved public schools, Midori & Friends is a premier provider and trusted leader in music education throughout New York City.