More photos by Jori in CMW's Flickr account.

At the March 26 Fellowship Program seminar, we discussed presenting CMW effectively to the outside world. Specifically, we focused on the presentation of CMW when being clear, direct, and concise are key to success with certain types of funders.

During the first portion of the seminar, I demonstrated how CMW's printed materials are designed strategically to create a strong and positive first impression that is reinforced in all other modes of communication.

As an exercise to gain a window into one aspect of my work presenting CMW, I provided the following scenario:

The Mr. and Mrs. Gotrocks Foundation is accepting applications from organizations that provide after-school arts programming for underserved youth. Programming must integrate active participation in arts education with youth development goals. (Pre-professional training programs are not eligible.)

Applications will be accepted from organizations in all fifty states and, why not, Canada.

Please submit a 150-200 word summary of your mission and brief overview of your organization. You may also submit up to 3 color photographs to support your application.

Applications must be received by March 26, 2010 at 2:50 pm.

This exercise was designed to highlight the challenge of effectively presenting CMW in the written equivalent of an elevator speech. Seminar participants had only twenty minutes to compose their own CMW summaries (based on a group brainstorm of key points) and select three images (also based on a group brainstorm).

Here are several of the resulting summaries:

Community MusicWorks is in its 13th year of offering free music lessons and instruments to over 100 students on the violin, viola, and cello. Our program works with students from the 9 most economically challenged neighborhoods of Providence, RI. In addition to weekly individual lessons, students participate in monthly workshops, small and large ensembles, and concert trips. Community MusicWorks offers many avenues for musical expression, including weekly Fiddle, Improvisation, and Music Technology classes.

At the core of Community MusicWorksʼ mission is a desire to create a cohesive urban community through music education and performance that transforms the lives of children, families, and musicians. We achieve these goals partly through long-term relationships between staff musicians and students and family involvement. Most importantly, our curriculum has a significant emphasis on Teen Leadership and Critical Thinking. These skill sets are reinforced in our weekly teen group discussions where we tie together our work as musicians to relevant social justice issues. We facilitate the students in holding a student-driven Youth Salon event annually.

—

A student at Community MusicWorks begins at age 7 in a mentoring relationship with a professional musician-in-residence in the West End neighborhood of Providence. Violins, violas and cellos are rented for $10, and students participate in comprehensive musical programming including free weekly lessons, concert trips, and musical workshops by guest artists. By the end of a studentʼs time in our organization, he/she has been accepted to college (we have a 100% college acceptance rate), the student has become a mentor to younger students, and a musical leader in the community.

Serving the 9 most economically challenged neighborhoods in the state, our mission is to create a cohesive urban community through music education and performance that transforms lives. As students progress through our programming, regardless of musical talent, they gain collaborative music and leadership skills through chamber music performances in the community, a youth-led social justice themed night called the “Youth Salon”, and by participating in chamber orchestras and improvisation groups. In addition, students at our most advanced leadership level are members of our Board and practice active civic engagement: this month students advocated for the arts on the floor of our stateʼs house of representatives.

—

It is a typical afternoon at Community MusicWorks and Angie, a 10-year-old violin student, is making an exciting new track in our media lab using a midi-synthesizer and a drum pad.  Kirby, a 17-year-old cellist is reviewing her notes for that night’s board meeting. Beck, Frankie and Iris are deeply involved with learning the rhythmic patterns French Folk Song with their cello teacher. The Fellows Quartet is preparing the Philip Glass Quartet no. 5 for a presentation at a local school the next day. 17-year-old violist Josh is packing up his viola before heading to his college mentoring appointment where he will finish the first draft of his college essays.

Community MusicWorks has been providing free instruments, lessons and a variety of mentoring opportunities for youth in Providence’s most economically challenged neighborhoods for 13 years. Based around the permanent residency of the Providence String Quartet, the goal is to create long-term relationships with students and families that are vehicles for transformation for both the students and families but the teachers as well. More than creating future stars of the classical music world, we are helping create future stars in the community.

There are amazing things happening with youth here at Community MusicWorks and your help will further the work of what The New Yorker calls a “revolutionary organization.”

After the exercise, Minna solicited written feedback from seminar participants. This was my favorite comment: "Give Heath more cookies, because he really does important stuff. Iʼm also better equipped at selling CMW now!"

-Heath Marlow, Director of Development

Thanks to special funding this year from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through a grant program of the National Endowment of the Arts called "American Masterpieces," CMW has been fortunate to have the opportunity to present the Fellows Quartet in a variety of settings performing Philip Glass' String Quartet No. 5 between January and March.

In April, the Fellows Quartet will visit two elementary schools, and, possibly inspired by the way that Glass' music first reached children three decades ago when it appeared on Sesame Street, they have been having a fun time preparing to share this incredible minimalist music with young ears through a series of short videos that are available on CMW's YouTube channel. (Maybe too much fun? Enjoy the outtakes.)

(click on image to play video)

[You can read all about Philip Glass and his Fifth Quartet in a lengthy piece that Jesse wrote for the blog last month.]

Bonus footage: check out the Fellows Quartet playing an excerpt of Philip Glass' String Quartet No. 5 at the West End Community Center gym during the free concert last month.

(click on image to play video)

-Heath Marlow, CMW staff

On Sunday, April 18 at 2 pm, Jesse and Heath will join pianist Barbara Speer in a chamber music concert at Providence's Bell Street Chapel. This event is a memorial concert for Lynne Harper, and all proceeds will go to establish the BCLIR Fund for Cultural Events. The program will include the Shostakovich Piano Trio in E Minor, Haydn's Piano Trio in D Major, Hob.XV:16, and the Handel/Halvorsen Passacaglia. General admission is $25 and students may attend for $10. Tickets available at the door.

Heath and Jesse pictured after a chamber music adventure in California in 2006. Read about it here.

More photos by Jori in CMW's Flickr account.

Read Jessie's March 15 letter to CMW  students here.

Photos by Sara

Providence's participation rate is only at 45 percent as of today. Don't miss this opportunity to be counted, as Census information affects the numbers of seats Rhode Island occupies in
the U.S. House of Representatives. Census data is used to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent
diseases, and much more.

It is mandatory for each household to participate in the Census. All information collected
is confidential.

Information in English here. Information in Spanish here.

The Aurea Ensemble will present two free programs titled Reflections on Rilke, first on Monday, April 12 at Brown (Part 1) and then on Sunday, April 18 at RISD (Part 2).

From Aurea's website: If you are interested in the inter-relatedness of the arts, in
philosophy and psychology, in the incredible artistic, cultural and
sociological upheaval and transformation of the early 20th century,
whether you've ever read a word of Rilke or not, we invite you to
immerse yourself in Rilke's work and world, his poetry, letters and
prose, as we simultaneously explore the great impact and resonance
Rilke's work continues to exert into the 21st century.

Music Haven's website received a major overhaul last month. If you haven't already checked out CMW's sister organization–build around the neighborhood residency of the Haven String Quartet–in New Haven, now you've got an excuse.

Click here to read about Rachel's Fiddle & Dance Project in the April issue of RI Monthly magazine.

Next up, Rachel and the Bourbon Boys perform play a benefit concert for the Fiddle & Dance Project on Thursday evening, April 8 at the Village Restaurant in Pawtucket. Find the details on Rachel's blog.