We have had a very exciting week at PS 46! On Wednesday David Smith, the filmmaker who is working on our documentary, came to film the children playing and interview them in pairs. The interviews were very revealing for me in terms of the difference music makes in the lives of these children, and also how aware they are of the benefits of playing a musical instrument. They were all very articulate and generally feeling very proud of themselves. Nico Muhly came up to the school for the second time and witnessed the filming of his piece. He is developing a really nice relationship with the children and it was great to hear their questions afterwards about how he came to composing, and what his inspiration was for the Twitchy Chorale. We are also very busy this week as the Juilliard Music Advancement Program (MAP) auditions are happening next Saturday, May 17th, and twelve of our students are auditioning. Busy, busy

Week April 15-21

Things are in full swing at PS 131Q. I am working intensively with one of my classes for the performance aspect of this project, a class of fifth graders taught by Mr. Craig Ziegler. There are 26 students in all, and they will sing and perform hand percussion instruments in James's piece. Because I teach general music at this school (I work with Merrill Poliak, the performing arts teacher), I thought it would be a fun challenge for the kids to work with instruments they've never played before. In order to introduce them to the intriguing percussion sound world, I invited my ACJW colleague Jamie Deitz to visit my class and give a presentation on the instruments they would be using in Plus Sum.

On April 3rd, both James and Jamie joined my class for an eventful session. Jamie brought in an arsenal of small percussion instruments -- triangles, hand cymbals, a Tibetan rain bowl, hand drums, and more -- and gave a wonderful demonstration as my students watched in rapt attention. Then James proceeded to introduce them to the composition he had written. He talked about its overarching meaning (Plus Sum translates to "I am more," and in this case, "I am more with music") as well as the mathematical implications inherent in the title (the sections of the piece are based on math concepts, like "Addition," "Chaos Theory," "Imaginary Numbers," and so on). During the rest of the period, James, Jamie, Merrill, and I organized the class into three percussion groups representing a specific type of sound: "Outer Space," "Magic," and "Earth." Since then, my students have taken on their new instruments with excitement and focus, and I am amazed by the soundscapes they are creating!

What better way to welcome spring than with a celebration of youth and creativity? I am thrilled to introduce a project that I have co-founded with Claire Bryant and Carol McGonnell: the Children's Music Campaign NYC (CMCNYC). CMCNYC is a multifaceted endeavor that aims to raise awareness of music education in New York City public schools.

What spurred this project in the first place? I think the three of us were united by our shared conviction that a musician can serve as a powerful agent of positive social change. As Fellows of The Academy we have been touched and transformed by our teaching experiences in the classroom, and we felt strongly compelled to find a way to pay tribute to the students, teachers, and schools that have become such a significant part of our lives. From a personal standpoint, I can safely say that my bright-eyed, eager, inquisitive students at the Abigail Adams School (PS 131Q) have infused my days with renewed purpose and joy, making my 90-minute trek to Queens worthwhile!

One month ago, twenty-seven strings students from PS 157X launched into serious work on the new composition, Plus Sum, written especially for them by CMCNYC-commissioned composer James Blachly. After an initial visit in late January by James, the fourth, and fifth-grade violin, viola, cello, and bass students were all abuzz about their upcoming debut concert in May at Carnegie Hall!

Each week, students energetically inquired when "Mr. Blachly" would be finished with their piece, and they were determined to figure out all details concerning the big day of their performance. "How will we get to Carnegie Hall?" "What will we wear?" "What time is the concert?" were some of the questions that flew around Mrs. Shumway's music room.

By the middle of March, James had sent the first draft of the score to his unique and imaginative piece, Plus Sum, which will join the forces of the strings from PS 157X with an array of percussionists from PS 131Q in Queens. Mr. Blachly sent word to the students that Plus Sum means "I am more" in Latin, but that the phrase "Plus Some" also serves as a springboard for musical games via mathematics.

Mrs. Shumway, our inspirational strings teacher at PS 157X, and I began working with the students on the main theme of Plus Sum, which is a fifteen-bar melodic phrase in the key of G minor. We had some catching up to do as the minor mode was a new concept to all of the students. But to our amazement, each instrumental class embraced the emotional and technical aspects of the minor key with ease and confidence.

Despite a shortage of school instruments to be sent home with the children and time restraints of only forty minutes per week per class, the students return remembering everything they learned the week before. The commitment the children have displayed as they learn this piece is so impressive, and their potential keeps growing by leaps and bounds!

Next week, we are set to begin phase two of our preparation, as the "musical maps" (parts/score they will read use) will be distributed to each class, and we will start working on the mathematical games/sections in Plus Sum. Some of these concepts include: addition, subtraction, prime numbers, chaos theory, and a high-energy dance party!