We've wrapped up our evaluations and planning meetings… one last group photo (including Suha and Isa Claire) before everyone splits for the summer.

Sara brought her to the CMW office to attend a staff planning meeting this afternoon. Already her third visit to Community MusicWorks. Here's a recent photo.

Several CMW students are graduating from high school and CMW this month: Itza, Erick, Jovanne, Naika, and Fatima (pictured with teachers and parents at the recent picnic). We're so proud of their accomplishments!

with pianist Geoff Burleson, presented by CMW. Read Channing Gray's preview in the Providence Journal here. See a 2007 clip of Matt performing Kashmir here.

Sara and Mike report that Isa Claire arrived on May 13 at 7 pm in a "7-pound sleepy bundle." Congratulations!

We’re grateful to The Steelyard for providing a bit of extra security for the CMW office. Anyone recognize the motif?

A rare appearance by the Czech composer Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904), posing at the Community MusicWorks office with Liz before his presentation with the PSQ at The San Miguel School of Providence on April 24.

Turns out it’s not just the string quartets of the world that are committed to social justice…

From the RadicalMath.org website: We encourage our students to
ask the question: "What are the problems that my community is facing,
and how can I use math to understand and help solve them?"

How cool is that?

1. Elmar Oliveira and Robert Koenig in rehearsal
2. pre-concert reception in Irene Lawrence’s studio
3. Elmar, after his second encore
4. Elmar with Tucker, Andrew, and Karl (the three local violin makers who collaborated to create and donate CMW’s Tenth Year Violin)
5. "Dinner on the Decks"
6. Todd Carranza’s kitchen by 9 pm
7. Thank you Jephry Floral!

On Saturday, Fellows Arlyn, Rachel, and Laura dazzled dozens of young’uns and old’uns alike at RISD Museum’s Free For All Saturday, with a show about animals on the Museum’s day celebrating…

Rachel: the planet Mars, right?
Spontaneous chorus of youth: NO, EARTH!

The performances ranged from a fiddle tune about jumping sheep that had us jumping out of our seats, to a piece about a famous "Swan" played on the cello by Laura, to a Mancini tune (think, composer of the Pink Panther tune) of the Baby Elephant Walk (see video below), to a new arrangement by Arlyn, of Alan Ridout’s "Ferdinand the Bull" piece, originally composed for solo violin. In this theatrical version, Ferdinand, played by Laura, couldn’t get enough of those springtime tulips.

-Sebastian Ruth, Providence String Quartet