Outreach

Parker String Quartet At NMS
BY LAURIE BORST

On Monday, October 23, Newtown Middle School orchestra members, under the direction of Keith Hedin, got the opportunity to sit down with the members of the Parker String Quartet. The quartet appeared at the Edmond Town Hall the previous day as part of the Newtown Friends of Music series.
The quartet performed String Quartet in G Major, K. 387 by Mozart, Quartet No. 1 "Metamorphosis Nocturnes" by Ligeti, and Quartet in A Minor, Opus 41, No. 1 by Schumann. These three pieces were the basis of the outreach program that took place on Monday.
The students attended the Sunday concert and were prepared to discuss them with the quartet. The focus was on character and theme. The quartet would play a piece or a section of a movement and ask the students for comments.
An excerpt from Mozart elicited descriptions of "soft" or "a secret" from the young people. A second excerpt was described as "fiercer," "stronger," and "more accented." This was exactly what the professionals had wanted the students to notice.
During selections from Schumann, the quartet introduced different bowing techniques, asking the students to note how the sound was affected. Students described down strokes as crisper, more forceful, more dramatic than up strokes.
At the end of the 90-minute session, a question and answer period was held. Students were curious about how many hours a day the group practiced together.
Daniel Chong, first violin, replied, "We practice together three or four hours a day, and at least a couple hours solo."

The students wanted to know where they were from and how they got together. Jessica Bodner, viola, and Karen Kim, second violin, are from the Midwest. Daniel Chong is from Los Angeles. Kee-Hyun Kim, cello, hails from Korea. They met in Boston while attending conservatories there. All four began playing an instrument before the age of 6.
"They were really good. They showed us there are lots of different ways to play a string instrument," said Anna Martino when asked about this experience.
Paige Olson added, "I went to the concert last night. Having them tutor me here is really cool. I hope the next string quartet [that performs] can come in here, too."

THE NEWTOWN BEE, FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2004

Cavani String Quartet Proves Music's 'Classic' Appeal

by LARYSSA LYTWYN

During their recent visit to Reed Intermediate School's fifth grade orchestra, the fun-loving women of the Cavani String Quartet proved that classical music could be as contemporary as it is timeless.
Violinist Annie Fullard, along with violist Kirsten Docter, cellist Merry Peckham, and violinist Mari Sato, quickly built a hip, interactive rapport with students.
Emphasizing the importance of communication and listening skills, Ms Fullard noted that string quartets "don't have conductors."
"We have to be aware [musically] of where each other is at all times," she explained.
Smiling at the fifth grade "musicians," she continued, "You all have been great listeners, a great audience!"
The quartet, which recently performed Newtown Friends of Music's last show of the season at Edmond Town Hall, teaches music at the Cleveland Music Institute in Cleveland, Ohio.
Founded in 1984, the Cavani Quartet was named after 19th century violinmaker Vincenzo Cavani.
"In addition to teaching at the collegiate level, we have brought our workshops to students of all ages, from 2-year old preschoolers to high school musicians," said Ms Docter, who has performed with the quartet for the past ten years.
The Reed visit was part of Newtown Friends of Music's ongoing outreach program, in which students have the opportunity to visit and musically collaborate with professional musicians.
"I'm really excited to see the Cavani String Quartet, but a little nervous, too," admitted fifth grader Jamie Whelan, who began playing violin in fourth grade during the 2002-03 school year.
The 2003-04 fourth grade orchestra program, cut during last year's education budget shortfall, was not reinstated in the schools' 2004-05 proposed budget.
Like Jamie, many of the other fifth grade orchestra members had begun playing their instruments in fourth grade; several, including Jacob Eventoff, plan to continue playing.
"This will be the first time the students will be playing with professional musicians," noted orchestra teacher Jill Marak proudly. "It's a great opportunity for them!"
"I love playing the violin," said Jacob. "I'm really excited to work with the Cavani String Quartet! It should be fun!"
Orchestra teacher Mardi Smith said she enjoyed attending the quartet's Edmond Town Hall performance.
Watching the members interact with the students, she noted, "They were very interactive with the audience members during the [Edmond Town Hall] show, too."
After opening with Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" and demonstrating the pentatonic scale, Ms Fullard asked the students to identify the various pitches each musician played by raising a hand.
Donning coordinated baseball caps, the quartet played pieces by Beethoven and Haydn; as the melody was transferred from viola to violins and cello, the students, nodding and smiling, raised their hands.
Prompting students along, Ms Fullard at one point playfully raised her leg as students raised their hands.
"You guys were great!" she cried after the quartet had finished.
Ms Docter discussed the tranformative nature of music and the significance of music education, including the link between listening to Mozart and increasing mental acuity.
Ms Sato described the different parts of the instrument; from its curved body to is "belly" (underside) to its "ribs" (sides).
She also discussed the different kinds of woods used to make different parts of string instruments, including ebony, mahogany, and, in the case of some bows, fiberglass.
"The bow's fibers are often made of horsehair, too," Ms Sato said.
As the quartet launched into another piece by Beethoven, fifth grade orchestra member Kathryn Scott said she was enjoying the visit immensely.
"They're really good, great to listen to!" she exclaimed. "Ms Fullard is really funny, too."
After performing several pieces, the orchestra had the opportunity to perform for the quartet, opening themselves to constructive criticism and a professional evaluation.
For more information on the Cavani String Quartet, visit www.Cavani.org.

Pacifica String Quartet

February 23, 2004

“Masumi Per Rostad speaks to the orchestra students. "This guy’s heart was on his sleeve. You’re playing a piece about his home country. It’s just great music. Every time you play a piece, you have to feel like it’s the best piece you’ve ever played. You have to back it up,” he said.

The Outreach Program consists of four distinct parts