Neighborhood Strings is now midway through its second year and, to our delight, already feels like an institution at Woodland Academy in Worcester’s Main South community. In part, what is exciting is what has already become routine for these 20 kids: they treat their violins, violas and cellos like cherished beings (mostly!), they have one-on-one or group lessons with professional musicians, they play together in an ensemble, they have mentored practice time with college students from Clark and Holy Cross. The enthusiasm bounces off the walls in our practice kiva after school.
New this winter was the inaugural “Music on Main” concert, the first of a new free series in our neighborhood. While the Worcester Chamber Music Society gives many concerts all over the city, we wanted a different kind of event that would give us a more intimate chance to play in our community and also showcase our students. The first one, which took place at the Straight Up Café, had a great vibe – despite being nestled in the midst of multiple snow days, causing parking pandemonium. Peter and I played Kodaly, Bartok and Bach, our students played ensemble music, and the audience was a nice mix of proud parents, WCMS regulars, and community members.
One of our hopes and challenges is to keep our kids excited about staying part of our music-making world as they enter middle and high school. What feels magical for six, eight and ten-year olds can be a tougher sell for thirteen-year-olds. CMW’s Phase II program is such a beautiful model for a way to make music social, to engage kids in substantive discussions and keep them motivated. We started the “NS Club” as a way to give our older students a chance to go deeper, both in learning about issues of music and social justice and in their own playing. Beginning this year, our twelve-and-up bunch (about a third of our students) stay after ensemble on Fridays and walk together down Main Street to the Straight Up Community Center, our partner organization. There, we typically might watch a documentary about issues of artistry and justice, have a discussion, and play more chamber music. They also have a great time together and typically throw snowballs or quiz each other about Harry Potter the whole way – fun to see such great friendships forming. A couple of motivated local high-schoolers join us to add a great perspective to our mix.
The kids have several nice opportunities coming up soon: they will open the show at our annual Family Concert at Mechanics Hall, which is “Peter and the Wolf” this year and typically attracts 600+ local kids and families. They also have appearances upcoming at Worcester’s EcoTarium and the Worcester Art Museum. Each performance is nerve-wracking and exciting for kids who have played only a year or even less; for me, it’s fun to be on that journey with them. As one young violist wrote on his end-of-year evaluation, “When I first started playing it I thought it was the hardest it could get, but no. Now it’s a little more challenging, but I still like playing it.” Glad to hear it!
