We warmly welcome Ariana Falk to Providence! A native of Portland, Oregon, Ariana studied with the same cello teacher as Sara while she was in high school. After attending Yale College for her undergraduate degree, she continued on to earn a Masters and Artist Diploma at Yale's School of Music. From New Haven, she headed north to study with Michael Reynolds of the Muir String Quartet at Boston University where she completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree. [Editor: A marathon enthusiast, it is likely that Ariana ran the 150 miles from New Haven to Boston, although this is unconfirmed.]

Are there things in particular that you are looking forward to about this position? "I can already see that the sharing of ideas that takes place among all the staff and teachers is going to be a wonderful resource as I develop as a teacher. Things like sharing lesson goals, scale plans, and studio development ideas are all of great interest to me. And of course I look forward to the opportunity to connect in so many meaningful ways with the students and families. It’s not all about what the Fellowship can give me for the future; it’s also about the relationships that will form now, and all that facilitated by the warm and welcoming community that CMW has fostered."

We enthusiastically welcome Robin Gilbert to CMW! Robin grew up in Providence, attended Classical High School, and studied viola at the New England Conservatory and the State University of New York at Purchase. He is well known to those who have been around CMW for a while, as both he and his younger sister Gracie studied violin locally with Lois Finkel, and they would appear as special guests at CMW Performances Parties from time to time (circa 2001).

What drew Robin to CMW? "The CMW fellowship was particularly appealing to me because of the diverse challenges the position entails (teaching, performing, administrative duties), as well as the opportunity to learn from experienced teachers and leaders and incorporate their ideas and methods into my own. Growing up in Providence, I have been exposed from an early age to the good that CMW provides to the community, as well as the music world. The cost of playing an instrument effectively excludes families that don't make x amount of dollars from having such an opportunity. I know firsthand the joys and benefits that come with learning an instrument, and no one should be deprived of that because of financial standing. It's very exciting to share something as valuable as playing music with those who may not have started otherwise."

What we lacked in numbers, we made up for in enthusiasm!

More photos by Jori in CMW's Flickr account.

Comments captured during the first day of our all-staff planning retreat:

Added opportunities for kids to play music and socialize together
Semester-long Media Lab classes
Alignment of programming, establishing more lines of connection between programs and students
Three streams of artistic programming (PSQ, Fellows Quartet, CMW Players)
Laura and two Brown University PhD students helping with Media Lab
Passion for experimental programming and experimental music
New schedule will maximize people's creative impulses
Students develop new skill sets so that they can "hang" in any musical situation that they encounter
Freedom to more around within a stable environment

Coming soon!

-Heath Marlow, CMW staff

This is a deeply soulful Klezmer song that Rolfe (my teacher and mentor), Ryan Zawel (great trombone player / educator / human being), and I played during a chance Klezmer jam late one night in Ithaca during my sabbatical. The jam was so inspired that Ryan insisted we come back to perform it during his summer Klezmer concert on the Cornell summer concert series. With a great deal of spontaneity, Rolfe and I jumped in at the last minute and played the concert. Here's the video. You can see that other musicians begin to trickle onto stage and join us throughout the 9-minute experience. Enjoy!

-Sebastian Ruth, PSQ

On Wednesday, September 8th, Ex Pirata International Company will conduct a workshop teaching traditional styles of French dance, followed by a dance to practice newly learned forms at Le Foyer in Pawtucket.

Ex Pirata International Company came to be in the middle of winter in Brandon, Liz Massi and I were university students when Lucas Thebaut came on an exchange from France with his University choir. We played together for countless hours and hosted dance workshops within Luca’s stay.

The dynamic trio reunited for a tour of France in summer 2008. The Trio recently completed a short 2010 tour, up and down the West Coast, hitting Portland, Seattle, Victoria, and other cities in the Pacific Northwest. The trio really feels in its element leading large masses around the dance floor. I'm bringing the group to visit my stomping grounds, and I want to share the knowledge and energy that I have picked up from our adventures abroad.

So no matter what level dancer you may be, please come learn something new, as Ex Pirata brings a little taste of France to Rhode Island. We hope to delight you with their unique blend of French and Canadian tunes, and with energetic performances that will keep your feet dancing! Hope to see you all there!

For more information about Ex Pirata International Company, please visit our website. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will be available, $15 for adult, and $10 for students and seniors. This is a workshop/dance for all ages and experience levels. For directions, please visit the Le Foyer website.

-Carole Bestvater, Fellow

More photos by Jori in CMW's Flickr account.