We're very sad to say goodbye to Aaron McFarlane and Carole Bestvater, our two most recent Fellowship Program graduates.

Aaron has accepted a position as Centre Director for Sistema New Brunswick (Canada). In its first year, the Saint John Centre will offer 60 children free after-school music education, 5 days a week, 3 hours per day. About his two years at CMW, Aaron writes:

I appreciate "having had the opportunity to be at CMW for two years. Itʼs pushed me to think hard about my role as a musician, and I feel like my work going forward will bear evidence of that thinking."

"The skills I acquired will become more evident after Iʼve left, I think, but Iʼve gained a lot in terms of conceptualizing what needs to be done for big projects. I feel much more like I can start with an endpoint and plot backwards from my desired outcome, and for someone interested in starting [an organization], that feels powerful."

"I thought relationships would develop between the core staff and the fellows, but I had never really considered the strength of the relationships I developed with the other fellows. It was a thrill being surrounded by such incredible, like-minded people."

"I was touched by the fact that several of my students in their end-of-year self-evaluations listed me not only as their teacher, but also their friend."

In the fall, Carole will begin a Masters program at Memorial University's School of Music in Newfoundland. About her CMW experience, she writes:

"I came here looking for a network of people who would inspire me and help me develop my thoughts and ideas. I came here ready to absorb everything I could, and I think I did just that."

"My conversations with Sebastian during our shadowing sessions were largely influential. I pondered, thought, and read recommended books. For me, the Experiential learning environment is most effective. Being around all the staff members and having space to ask questions, think deeply, and absorb information over the past two years has proven to be a very effective method for me."

"Shadowing Heath was very important in [learning the logistical aspects of CMW]—there were aspects of his job I had never even imagined before, and now I can think clearly about details I could never even fathom. I am thinking specifically along the lines of donor relationships, event coordinating, and the visual presentation of an organization. I have tools that I didn’t have before, and that gives me the confidence to move forward and start developing my ideas into a reality."

—

We all wish Aaron and Carole the very best in their next endeavors, and no one should be surprised to see them turning up in Providence from time to time… we certainly hope they'll be back to visit soon!

Sara and Jesse have joined Sebastian (14), Minna (12) and Heath (11) in CMW's 10-year club. This slide show, screened at the Fellowship Program graduation/year-end party earlier this month, is a nostalgic look back at Sara and Jesse's first decade. Enjoy!

More photos by Jori in CMW's Flickr account.

Tribute to Aaron and Carole, with original lyrics by J. Holstein. Download a copy here.

Reflecting on a season's worth of concert trips…

We're grateful to the following foundations, organizations, and businesses, all of which provided significant and meaningful support to CMW during our current season through grants, in kind donations, and in other ways. Thanks for helping to make what we do possible!

American Composers Forum
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation
Arts and Letters Foundation
The Bridgehaven Foundation
The Carter Family Charitable Trust
The Champlin Foundations
Entelco Foundation
First Unitarian Church
Henry Gonsalves Family Fund at The Rhode Island Foundation
Jephry Floral Studio                      
Mary Dexter Chafee Fund
The Met School
National Endowment for the Arts
The O'Halloran Family Foundation
The Partnership Foundation
Private Education Endowment Foundation
The City of Providence's Community Development Block Grant Program
Providence Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism
Providence Shelter for Colored Children
RJG Foundation
The Rhode Island Foundation
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
Seymour and Sylvia Rothchild Foundation
The Stranahan Foundation
Surdna Foundation
West End Community Center
Wheeler School
William D'Abate Elementary School
Your Heaven®

More photos by Jori in CMW's Flickr account.

Students in Sara's cello class on a recent Saturday morning.

In May, four more college-bound CMW high school seniors were honored by College Visions, the incredible program that "provides low-income and first-generation college-bound youth in Rhode Island with the individualized advising and resources needed to graduate from college." With CV's support, students "apply to college, make informed choices, enroll, and earn college degrees.

Congratulations to Hector Rivera (Community College of Rhode Island), Elvis Rosario (CCRI), Glademil Rosario (CCRI), and Marys Soto (Barry University). Also, congratulations to 2007 CMW alumna Tae Ortiz who is graduating from Guilford College this summer!

Here is an excerpted version of one of Hector's college essays:

Although I grew up with classical music through television, my relationship with the genre evolved through a program called Community MusicWorks. Over time, the violin became my partner in crime. I started playing at the age of 10 and at first I was excited to learn how to play the instrument. I would come home from school everyday elated to practice my violin. However, these feelings changed and as the years passed by, I became older as did the relationship between the violin and me.

As I was entering my teens, my thoughts of classical music being this fascinating genre that set the tone in television faded away. No longer did I embrace each sound. I had given in to peer pressure and listened to the cynical views of others. I also became exhausted with the time I had devoted to playing my violin. It was hard balancing my personal life with my lessons.

As I was entering high school, the thoughts of others no longer bothered me. Playing music had again become a major part of my life and Community MusicWorks had become a second family to me. To this day I am thankful that my mother would not let me quit playing the violin. I have learned many things through the program. They did not just teach me about music — how to read, perform and the history — but also life lessons and characteristics. They taught me about responsibility, patience, leadership and discipline.

To other classical music is just music that sets the tone in a show or movie, but when I listen to it, it is not just sounds coming from the background. I think of it as something that has set a tone in my life.

Learn more about College Visions here.

Can’t make it to Los Angeles to see Gustavo Dudamel in person? Experience DUDAMEL: Let the Children Play in movie theaters nationwide on Thursday, June 23. Captured in seven different countries, this event provides a glimpse into the world of orchestras, conducting, and the importance of music as a hopeful path to face the educational crisis worldwide.

Inspired by El Sistema, the Venezuelan musical and educational program which immerses children in the world of music, art, teamwork, discipline, creativity and high values, Gustavo Dudamel brings us on a journey through the stories of some of the young lives who have been touched by the joys of music.

The two-hour event will also include Crescendo: Why Music is Life, a 20-minute CNN en Español production that chronicles the importance of music in children’s lives and explores the role of music in society. Well-known Latin singers, musicians and CNN en Español anchors – including Emilio Estefan, Daisy Fuentes, Lady Gaga, Luis Enrique and more – share insights about their enduring relationship with music, from their earliest memories to the impact it continues to have on their lives today.

Theater information here, and a flier to download and post is here.

For students and staff alike, it has been another magical, whirlwind of a year with trips to Washington, memorable musical performances, as well as a prestigious fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation for our founder. As the season comes to a close and we gear up for our final activities, put student instruments in storage for the summer, send students off to various music camps, and plan schedules and events for the upcoming year, I’m pausing to reflect on my experience within this remarkable organization over the past ten years.

As a member of the Providence String Quartet since 2001, I have witnessed extraordinary growth and transformation with our students and families. All of the students that have stayed with us through high school have gone on to attend college, some even choosing to pursue music. Many of our families have volunteered countless hours and boldly taken on Friday afternoon traffic on Manton Avenue to get their kids to All-Play Day because they too believe in this ongoing experiment called Community MusicWorks.

Our mission statement reads, “To create a cohesive urban community through music education and performance that transforms the lives of children, families, and musicians.” It is perhaps easy to overlook the last two words, “…and musicians.” CMW is not only about the transformation that takes place for our young participants and their families, but also about the personal growth that occurs within our own staff and the many friends in our constantly growing—and increasingly international—network of professional musicians.

Leaving the New England Conservatory in 2000, I had worked hard on my violin playing but was unsure if that meant anything. The allure of pursuing a cushy orchestra job was tempting, but when I was approached by Sebastian about joining CMW, I was intrigued because it seemed to encapsulate three ideas that interested me: string quartets, teaching, and social justice.

Providence String Quartet (2001)

After my first year in Providence with a few growing pains (you mean I should keep a planner?), I can honestly say, here in 2011, that being a part of this incredible experiment for ten years has been more musically and spiritually nourishing than I possibly could have imagined. CMW has transformed my life forever.

While there are many, many highlights over the last ten years, I want to share two distinct memories that demonstrate just how musically and spiritually nourishing this past decade has been for me. First, a particularly powerful moment from this past October was performing Jessie Montgomery’s “Anthem” in Washington with my colleagues and a group of our teens, just steps away from the site of the future Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. This moving experience reaffirmed my belief that music can be an aesthetically beautiful and powerful form of activism.

Another highlight for me was the Providence String Quartet’s “Dvořák Walk” in January 2008. We had prepared a program around Antonín Dvořák’s time in America, when he was the director of the National Conservatory of Music. After performing the program in Providence, we traveled to New York City’s Lower East Side to perform at the Third Street Music School Settlement (an institution that dates back to the era when settlement houses were important hubs of local communities). Later that day, we visited Dvořák’s home, the building that contained the now defunct Conservatory, and finally a park that hosts a bronze bust of the Czech composer. This historical excursion was meaningful to me because Dvořák himself was a passionate musical activist; he encouraged minorities to apply to the National Conservatory and waived tuition for those who could not afford to attend. He was also one of the first composers to recognize the power and beauty of the Black spiritual and Native American music. In fact, the two genres greatly influenced the music he composed while living in America.

Many years ago, when I was applying to college, I received a brochure from Oberlin with an image of the Earth on the cover and a question posed above the planet, “Think one person can change the world?” At the bottom was the answer, “So do we.” I remember thinking how idealistic and naïve this seemed to be. While I remain skeptical about my own singular impact on the world, with my amazing colleagues, our wonderful CMW families, and strong supporters like you, I am starting to believe that one organization can change the world. 

During this transition from spring to summer, our work to transform our community continues unabated. So does our need for your financial support.
I hope that you will give as generously as you are able, and I look forward to creating new highlights to share with you next season.

Thank you for supporting Community MusicWorks!

-Jesse Holstein, Senior Resident Musician

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