Blog

Summer postcards

Several CMW staffers report on their summer adventures…

Carole is embarking on many adventures all over Canada this
summer. She'll be teaching fiddle classes in Brandon, performing in a
chamber festival in Victoria, BC, and touring with her folk trio, Ex
Pirata International Company
, all over Canada's beautiful West Coast.

Jesse: "I am getting my right wing fixed with some minor surgery so I have set the violin aside for a few weeks.
It is a very strange feeling not to be playing the violin, I feel like I have tremendous amounts of time now. In July, I will be coaching up at Apple Hill, and they gave me a narration part for the faculty concert. I think I am going to be a viking
or something that pillages and kills. Other than that, I will be
reading a lot. A summer project is to read the entire Richard Taruskin 6-volume set of the history of music from 9th century Rome to the present day. Have a great summer everybody!"

Jason is excited about "a great mix of teaching, traveling, and starting my new role as the violist in the Boston Public Quartet."

Aaron will be playing as part of the Red River String Quartet, the string quartet-in-residence for the Grand Teton National Park during July. "Each week we'll give roughly 15-20 free 30-minute outreach shows at visitor centers and lodges in the park. These performances will culminate in a main-stage performance as part of the Grand Teton Music Festival's chamber music series." As part of the residency, Aaron will be an honorary ranger for the summer. This position, alas, does not include the hat.

Heath is spending one July week totally "unplugged" on an island in Maine, and making shorter trips to upstate New York and Washington DC.

Sara is "driving across the country with baby, learning the Chacconne, spending time at the Oregon beach and Montana cabin,and slowing down!"

Rachel, along with Jason and Laura, will lead a week-long summer camp for 35 CMW students in pastoral Wickford. Many thanks to Mary Ann O'Halloran for making this beautiful location possible!

RISD Museum concert

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Fellows Quartet performing Beethoven

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Phase III performing Mozart

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Providence String Quartet performing Bartok

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Sebastian and Kim performing Bartok

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PSQ performing Brahms with Kim

More photos by Jori in CMW's Flickr account.

Chalk board photo

This photo is of the chalk board in Sebastian's office. Providing a comprehensive diagram of CMW's major activities, it appears on our new program evaluation website, completed earlier this month. Notice how "relationship building" seems to encircle all aspects of our programming…

Chalkboard

Kirby’s letter


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Hello, my name is Kirby and I have
played the cello at Community MusicWorks for 9 years. I have been on the
Board of Directors for the last 4 years. Now as a high school senior, I
have 2 weeks left. It's a thought that scares me so much. Mostly
because CMW has become my home.

Many of you have heard statistics of how amazing CMW is, but
have you heard the story of how it changed my life? When I first
started, I was a shy 8 year old, but through everyone pushing and
encouraging me, I am now a strong, independent woman who can say I'm
proud of who I've become.

Many things have highlighted my time at CMW: At 15 I joined Phase III and became part of a string quartet with my 3 awesome friends Josh, Luis, and Itza. Together we learned how important it is to work with each other and pull your own weight. We met weekly for an hour rehearsal with our coaches, including Chloe, Jesse, and Jason. We also performed concerts around the city, which included playing at the Mayor's house last summer.

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Being part of Phase III has made me into a more responsible person. It has also helped me find my passion. This happened when I met Jori, CMW's Media Lab Director. These past 2 years I have worked closely with her, learning how to conduct interviews, use iMovie, and make documentary films. Jori has become my teacher, my mentor, my partner, and most importantly, my friend. Next year, at college, I plan to minor in film, and I have even started working on my own projects.

This month I'm graduating and will be attending Smith College in the fall. I cannot say what I will miss the most, but maybe it's the many relationships I've formed. Maybe it's my weekly cello lessons with Adrienne, my afternoon chats with Liz at the office, mentoring Malachy over 2 years, or my sense of belonging to a community bigger than myself.

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What comforts me is that CMW will continue and go on to change lives in the way that it has changed mine. I know CMW will be there tomorrow, next year, and hopefully 20 years from now.

CMW will be there because of the generosity of all of CMW's donors. We need to raise $20,000 by June 30th to balance our budget. Will you help us?

Thank you for all of your support!

-Kirby Vasquez

P.S. If you want to know more about my experience at CMW, you can watch some of my videos on CMW's website.

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To make a donation to CMW, please click here.

View Kirby's original letter here (page 1) and here (page 2).

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