Nuts, bolts, and typoes

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.

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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.

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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