| del sol education | |
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Del Sol conducts educational outreach activities, including concerts and programs in schools; residencies; coaching and string quartet master classes for young musicians, amateurs and professionals; and lecture-demonstrations.
QuartetFest Del Sol's QuartetFest is a nationally regarded model for - coaching of young string players in chamber music performance. In 2008 QuartetFest expanded from a weekend workshop to a program of four half-days. During these sessions four string quartets of students, ranging in age from 8 to 18, receive intensive coaching by the Del Sol musicians in an encouraging and energized environment. The student quartets perform both masterworks from the quartet literature and accessible modern works. Interactive presentations by guest coaches also expose the students to techniques from other musical traditions, such as jazz, tango, and flamenco. Teaching, Coaching Activities and Residencies Each member of Del Sol has extensive private teaching and coaching experience and maintains a private string studio. The Quartet members have served on various music faculties, such as the Eastman School of Music, San Francisco State University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and San Francisco's School of the Arts, a public high school. In 2007 the Quartet held a week-long lecture and performance residency at Northeastern University in Boston and also participated in a composers' symposium at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. During the summer of 2006 Del Sol served as artist-in-residence, first at the Walden School in New Hampshire, and later at the Lake Tahoe Music Festival Academy in California. In 2004 and 2005 the Quartet was engaged as mentor faculty to coach and perform at the Hot Springs Music Festival in Arkansas. Del Sol coaches periodically at California State University, Hayward, in sessions sponsored by the Chamber Musicians of Northern California, and also has held weekend coaching sessions and master classes at California State University, Fresno, both for pre-professional, collegiate students and for adult amateurs. Lecture/Demonstrations Del Sol regularly invites its audiences to pre-concert lectures, explaining and illuminating the music being performed, often joined by the featured composers. The Quartet's Home Season concert series always include additional, free outreach events at local schools or other public venues. The Quartet also has given lectures/performances by invitation from presenters, such as the San Francisco Symphony Adventures in Music series, San Francisco Libraries, Fremont Symphony Family Concert series, Music at Kohl Mansion, Young Audiences of the Bay Area, American Composers Forum, and San Francisco Performances, the City's largest independent concert presenter. Programs for Public Schools Del Sol has been active in youth outreach since 1995, performing more than 300 concerts for over 30,000 students at local schools. With an emphasis on pieces by living composers, the Quartet brings the vitality of music today into the classroom. In Fall 2008 the Quartet collaborated with a local composer and music educator in a program to involve traditionally under-served middle and high school students in the creative process of music composition. The Quartet has had a long affiliation with Music at Kohl Mansion, performing shows annually at dozens of public elementary schools in San Mateo County. In addition, members of the Quartet visit classrooms for an in-depth introduction to the chamber music genre and instruments. The Quartet also has performed in Kohl Mansion's prestigious Family Concert series, and "Strings Magazine" has published a full-length article about Del Sol's outreach programs. Sample School Programs* Music of the Pacific Rim Del Sol's newest school program draws upon the music of its successful Pacific Rim project. The 3rd-5th graders are introduced to puppets Emu and Crow, who lead them on a vivid musical journey following the Pacific Rim. Crossing oceans and continents together, they make stops in China, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. Throughout the journey, the puppet guides use music to illustrate aspects of the cultures and traditions of this varied region. At the climax of this interactive presentation, everyone contributes to an aural volcanic eruption! Peace Through Music This presentation challenges students to listen critically to musical examples while learning about ways to lead more peaceful lives. Students are introduced to new ways of compromising with peers; shown how conflict, political protest, peace and celebration are portrayed in music; and exposed to composers who blend the music of different cultures. Artful Communication Communication is a give and take using commonly understood rules and tools. One of these is patterns. Through listening to live music performed by the Quartet, students focus on why and how we write music and on elements of musical language and patterning. Pieces by youthful composers--Mozart, Arriaga, Antheil, and Cmiel--represent four different centuries, nationalities, and styles of music. Students learn how easy it is to start creating and expressing oneself through music. The Del Sol Express Featuring musical maps and a colorful scrap book of sights and sounds from Latin America, this fast-paced program takes the young listener to Mexico, Peru and Argentina, returning via Cuba and the Caribbean. The audience travels along, too, with a phrase-book and map. Math, History, Geography, Literature and Art come to life in Del Sol's interactive, musical show that captures the imagination of each child. * These 45-minute programs were developed with Music at Kohl Mansion. All programs come with a Guide that can be used as a source for classroom projects, both before and after concerts. All areas of the curriculum are embraced, with games, puzzles and activities that encourage a cross-disciplinary approach to learning. |
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