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Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | August 2018
Some of you know me as a faculty member at the Performing Arts School, one of a dying breed who live in the City and make the reverse commute by train to Berkeley Heights—and occasionally New Providence and Paterson—a post I have happily rendered since we were the Suburban Community Music Center in days of yore. Truth be told I have not perhaps always enjoyed commuting but let’s gloss over NJTransit (remember last summer when we were all taking ferries to and from Hoboken and stuff? Thanks, Amtrak!) as this blog isn’t about the pros and cons of public transportation. I’ll try to keep complaints about delays and spontaneously cancelled trains to a minimum.
As a member of Wharton’s administrative staff, I get a rare glimpse at the inner workings of an organization that has grown exponentially in a relatively short period of time…from adding a musical theater department to embracing the New Jersey Youth Symphony in 2012 and founding the Paterson Music Project in 2013. We’ve seen name changes, new logos, re-branding, and welcoming new artistic and administrative staff to The Family.
And speaking of family, I’m using my first Notes from the Train to introduce a new—but in some ways not new—member of the New Jersey Youth Symphony family. Last spring, NJYS hired Tim Hatcher as Assistant Manager of Orchestras to support the ever-growing youth orchestra and ensemble program in New Providence. Hatcher…hmm…those of you familiar with NJYS might recognize the name. Tim is the younger son of Miki Hatcher, conductor of Primo and Concertino Strings. Miki can be found every Thursday at 570 Central Avenue instructing some of the program’s youngest musicians in the art of orchestral playing. But back to Tim—a little background in his own words:
“I went to Hofstra University where I majored in Public Relations and minored in Fine Arts (Photography). I play cello and I sing. Fun fact: I am an alumnus of NJYS—after one year in kindergarten in 2000, I was in YS for 4 years in high school from 2008-2012. Before joining the NJYS team in June, I was working as Site Coordinator for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. I jumped right in with the audition season at NJYS and it’s been a fun ride so far!”
Tim can be found at NJYS Mondays through Fridays and when asked what style and genre he sings, Tim responded, “Anything with a good jam to sing in the car!”
Favorite food: Hickory smoked dry rub ribs
What he’s listening to right now: Pray for the Wicked by Panic! At the Disco, and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme by Simon and Garfunkel
When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.