Meet Jack from the New Jersey Youth Symphony! Watch his video and follow all of Our Stories on our blog.
Wharton Institute
Youth Symphony and Montclair State University Orchestra Concert
NJYS Youth Symphony
Montclair State University Symphony Orchestra
Helen H. Cha-Pyo, Conductor
Saturday, October 27 at 8 PM
Tickets $15 Available at www.peakperfs.org or 973-655-5112
Shostakovich: Festive Overture
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5
Corigliano: Phantasmagoria on The Ghosts of Versailles for Orchestra
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
New Jersey Youth Symphony 40th Anniversary Partners with Social Services Agencies – Make a donation of goods at the concert!
Partner: Toni’s Kitchen
Toni’s Kitchen is using the simple backpack to provide healthy food to families in the community. Each backpack contains healthy food and snacks. We invite you to donate one of the following items at the concert: peanut butter, pasta, tuna, pasta sauce, oatmeal, healthy cereal, rice, beans, snack bars, and raisins (no glass please).
Voices of the Silk City: Gran Fondo Riders
Paterson Music Project Blog: Voices of the Silk City by Danielle Lefebvre | October 2018
Cold air and rain-soaked streets set the scene for the Gran Fondo bike race in Morristown, NJ the morning of September 9. Seven riders in support of the Paterson Music Project took on the two-wheeled challenge, riding a distance ranging from 18 to 107 miles. Each rider prepared in their own way, but all walked away with a great sense of accomplishment. Not only did everyone finish the race despite incessant rain and cold temperatures, the team raised over $7,000!
Pam Palumbo, Director of Development for WIPA, recalls that, “the discomfort of being wet and chilled didn’t diminish our team’s enthusiasm” as she successfully completed her 42-mile trek. PMP Program Director, Elizabeth Moulthrop, spent her summer weekends leading up to the event preparing for the physical challenge. According to Liz, the Gran Fondo is known for its elevation gain, so she prepared accordingly doing practice rides in the Adirondacks and western New Jersey. This year there were a few new faces to Team PMP, including PMP Teaching Artist, Bernie Visto. He says, “The start was a memorable one, being it was my first ride with the PMP team.” Almost 3,000 bikers participate annually and gather at a mass start at 7 a.m.
The Gran Fondo challenged our team to rise to the occasion physically, as well as promote a cause we all believe in—the Paterson Music Project. Thanks to the team’s efforts in training, fundraising, and finishing the rainy ride, PMP was able to raise $7,000, surpassing last year’s total amount by three times. Congratulations and thank you to our PMP riders for their dedication and commitment to our cause!
Notes from the Train: A Talk with Naomi Youngstein
Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | October 4, 2018
An interview about the upcoming How to Practice Workshop with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra violinist Naomi Youngstein
Performing Arts School
60 Locust Avenue in Berkeley Heights
Friday, October 12 @ 7:00 PM
FREE and Open to the Public
How long have you been a member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra?
I joined in November of 1987, so nearly 31 years ago.
What are some highlights of your favorite performances (or one favorite performance) with NJSO?
Two performances stand out: Zdenek Macal conducting anything by Dvořák, and Xian Zhang conducting the Pines of Rome—earthshaking!
When and how did you start amassing tips and insights about practicing for students?
My own teacher at Manhattan School of Music, Burton Kaplan, wrote books and gave workshops about practicing. I use some of his ideas, those of my colleagues, and a lot of my own. Over the years, I’ve learned what works for the school age student. The most important thing to know is that each student may need a different selection of techniques.
If you had to give just one tip about practicing to a beginning student, what would it be? And for an advanced student, would that one tip be different?
For the beginner, I’d suggest always starting by imagining the sound that you want to make. Often the beginner is so concerned with being “right” that they don’t always hear what’s coming out of their instrument. For the advanced student, I’d suggest knowing one’s goals for every piece during each practice session. The advanced student is juggling many things at different levels of preparedness, and deciding what you’d like to accomplish is vital.
What do your own practice sessions consist of?
I always play scales, often etudes and exercises, and usually whatever upcoming pieces we’re performing with the NJSO. This week I reviewed all the harder sections of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony which we perform at the end of this week.
How do you suggest students structure or divide their practice time (ie scales, etudes, repertoire)?
Each student has different needs. Try to get to everything in each session, but each student’s teacher can help the student set priorities. Those priorities can change from week to week.
How important is the use of a metronome in practice?
CRUCIAL!! How do you know if you’re improving if you don’t measure it? You can’t know if you’re controlling a skill or a passage unless you use the metronome. Always write down what metronome marking you’ve achieved. Who could remember such a number from day to day?
For students playing pitched instruments, how do you suggest they work on intonation?
Listening to chords, tonality, matching pitches, always use whole phrases. Out of tune notes always occur in a context, so simply playing higher or lower doesn’t help. Knowing if one is sharp or flat, and how much, is super important.
Favorite food: Definitely pasta
What are you listening to these days: I walk two miles every day and listen to podcasts all the time—my favorite subjects are food, travel, politics, and shows about NYC.
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.
Our Stories: Katie
Meet Katie from the Performing Arts School! Watch her video and follow all of Our Stories on our blog.
Notes from the Train: Beethoven 9
Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | October 2, 2018
An interview about performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra with New Jersey Youth Symphony Manager of Orchestras Stacy Beltran
NJYS Manager of Orchestras Stacy Beltran will perform with Newark Voices, a project-based community choir supported by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, for the NJSO 2018-19 season opening. Formed to engage talented singers and experienced choral musicians from the Greater Newark community, Newark Voices will partner with the Montclair State University Chorale to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral” led by Xian Zhang for two NJPAC performances—Friday, October 5 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 7 at 3 pm. On Sunday, audience members can join the choir in singing a portion of the Beethoven in the lobby prior to the concert for ChoralYou.
For tickets and more information, click here.
How long have you been working at NJYS? What do you like most about the job?
This is my sixth season with NJYS. Witnessing the incredible growth of our young and talented musicians is the most fulfilling part of my job.
Tell us about your voice background.
I have been singer all my life. I would sing in church and in school where I would sneak away to the choir room to hang out with other choir members during lunch. I owe my singing to the amazing choir teachers that taught me all through school: Dan Anderson, Fairview Elementary; Jack Bender, Bloomfield High School; and Dr. John Floreen, Rutgers University. Although I was not a music major in college, being in choir afforded me wonderful opportunities, including traveling on tour to Wales and Italy.
Have you sung Beethoven’s Ninth before? If so, where and when?
Actually, this is the first time I will sing this piece. The piece has tested all of my musical talents, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity.
How long did it take to learn the music and your part?
I had to audition for the community choir (Newark Voices) back in May, so I’ve been practicing for about four months now.
How many different vocal parts are there in B9? I think you said that you were singing Alto 2?
Yes, I sing Alto 2—always have! All 8 parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass) are represented in this piece. In one of the sections, you will hear a four-part men’s chorus, and they are amazing! Our very own Terrence Thornhill from the Paterson Music Project, an MSU alumnus, will also be singing!
Was the audition scary? What did you have to do at your audition for Newark Voices?
Ah! Yes, very scary. I have not auditioned for something since college, but it felt good to get back into audition prep mode. The audition consisted of five excerpts from Beethoven’s Ninth for accuracy of notes, rhythm, and German diction, and also a sight-reading example.
Where else do you sing on a regular basis? Do you have a band or ensemble?
Choral music is great, but I also love singing jazz. I serve as social media and PR volunteer for the Rutgers-Newark undergraduate jazz ensemble, Mosaic Jazz, under the direction of Radam Schwartz, and I perform with the other alumni on occasion.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Please come see the performances! The NJSO and MSU choir do this piece great justice and I promise you will love it. If you happen to see me on Sunday at ChoralYou in the NJPAC lobby, say hi!
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.