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This week From the Top alum Hilda Huang, who perfromed on Show #180 in Berkeley, CA, appeared on Episode 12 of From the Top at Carnegie Hall, and was the highest ranking musician in the Seventh International Würzburg J. S. Bach Competition, updated us on a couple cool opportunities she’s had.

Hilda Huang performs at a From the Top taping on May 29, 2008 at UC Berkeley

Hilda recently appeared in a full-length documentary called “Bach & Friends.”  This isn’t a movie about Johann Sebastian Bach’s life, but rather how he lives on today, through the eyes of all different types of musicians.  The documentary features performances by many talented artists, including Hilda. During the world premiere in May, 2010, Hilda gave a live performance at Symphony Space.  Take a look at the short videos, Part 1 and Part 2, outlining the event (and watch out for Hilda!)  Also, you can read some interesting comments on the premiere here.

“Bach & Friends” will premiere next in San Francisco on Wednesday, July 14, 7 p.m. at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas. More information can be found here.

Hilda’s second recent accomplishment is more virtual – Two weeks ago she visited Big Think, “a global forum connecting people and ideas,” to give a video interview on her love for Bach. She’s the youngest person who’s been interviewed with Big Think so far! The video isn’t posted quite yet, but it will be available here shortly.

Please join us in congratulating Hilda!

From the Top’s Arts Leadership Program is all about young artists using their talent and passion to make a difference in the world.  Every show is new and different, bringing together a diverse group of musicians with a wide range of experiences – that’s what makes it so exciting!  The Arts Leadership Orientation, held the morning after every radio taping, is an opportunity to share and explore those experiences, share From the Tops’s mission of service, and build a community of inspiring arts leaders.

After taping an amazing show at the Gettysburg Festival in Gettysburg, PA, all seven performers and our education team gathered in a beautiful, sun-filled conference room on the Gettysburg College campus to reflect on their experience and explore ways to give back through music.

The performers chose one of the unique outdoor sculptures scattered across the beautiful campus for their group photo.

The Gettysburg Show Performers

The group participated in an exercise called “chalk talk”  (basically a group conversation done in writing) to explore what Arts Leadership means to them, and boiled it down to these key ideas:

Arts Leadership is…

• Sharing the importance of the arts, even when others criticize you
• Sharing your love for what you do
• Bringing your community closer together
• Being a role model

At the end of the session, the group was charged with making a 30 second video that captured their experience on From the Top, they named themselves the “Razzle Dazzle Kings”. Here’s their message below:

“Sharing your love for what you do, is the goal of the Razzle Dazzle Crew.”

And if you like that, stay tuned for the debut of the first-ever From the Top rap, courtesy of the Emerald String Quartet members. Be sure to tune in when their show airs, the week of September 20th.

From the Top’s Arts Leadership Program is all about young artists using their talent and passion to make a difference in the world.  Every show is new and different, bringing together a diverse group of musicians with a wide range of experiences – that’s what makes it so exciting!  The Arts Leadership Orientation, held the morning after every radio taping, is an opportunity to share and explore those experiences, share From the Tops’s mission of service, and build a community of inspiring arts leaders.

After taping an amazing show at the Gettysburg Festival in Gettysburg, PA, all seven performers and our education team gathered in a beautiful, sun-filled conference room on the Gettysburg College campus to reflect on their experience and explore ways to give back through music.

The performers chose one of the unique outdoor sculptures scattered across the beautiful campus for their group photo.

The Gettysburg Show Performers

The group participated in an exercise called “chalk talk”  (basically a group conversation done in writing) to explore what Arts Leadership means to them, and boiled it down to these key ideas:

Arts Leadership is…

• Sharing the importance of the arts, even when others criticize you
• Sharing your love for what you do
• Bringing your community closer together
• Being a role model

At the end of the session, the group was charged with making a 30 second video that captured their experience on From the Top, they named themselves the “Razzle Dazzle Kings”. Here’s their message below:

“Sharing your love for what you do, is the goal of the Razzle Dazzle Crew.”

And if you like that, stay tuned for the debut of the first-ever From the Top rap, courtesy of the Emerald String Quartet members. Be sure to tune in when their show airs, the week of September 20th.

From the Top’s Arts Leadership Program is all about young artists using their talent and passion to make a difference in the world.  Every show is new and different, bringing together a diverse group of musicians with a wide range of experiences – that’s what makes it so exciting!  The Arts Leadership Orientation, held the morning after every radio taping, is an opportunity to share and explore those experiences, share From the Tops’s mission of service, and build a community of inspiring arts leaders.

After taping an amazing show at the Gettysburg Festival in Gettysburg, PA, all seven performers and our education team gathered in a beautiful, sun-filled conference room on the Gettysburg College campus to reflect on their experience and explore ways to give back through music.

The performers chose one of the unique outdoor sculptures scattered across the beautiful campus for their group photo.

The Gettysburg Show Performers

The group participated in an exercise called “chalk talk”  (basically a group conversation done in writing) to explore what Arts Leadership means to them, and boiled it down to these key ideas:

Arts Leadership is…

• Sharing the importance of the arts, even when others criticize you
• Sharing your love for what you do
• Bringing your community closer together
• Being a role model

At the end of the session, the group was charged with making a 30 second video that captured their experience on From the Top, they named themselves the “Razzle Dazzle Kings”. Here’s their message below:

“Sharing your love for what you do, is the goal of the Razzle Dazzle Crew.”

And if you like that, stay tuned for the debut of the first-ever From the Top rap, courtesy of the Emerald String Quartet members. Be sure to tune in when their show airs, the week of September 20th.

We just got a neat update from composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (aka DBR).  A few weeks ago we featured a blog he wrote on Musical Diplomacy and Good, Long Hugs.  These days he’s been collaborating with the Boston Pops to work with young musicians in Boston area schools.  Check out this video for an overview of his educational philosophy (and some really cool uses of the violin).

We just got a neat update from composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (aka DBR).  A few weeks ago we featured a blog he wrote on Musical Diplomacy and Good, Long Hugs.  These days he’s been collaborating with the Boston Pops to work with young musicians in Boston area schools.  Check out this video for an overview of his educational philosophy (and some really cool uses of the violin).

We just got a neat update from composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (aka DBR).  A few weeks ago we featured a blog he wrote on Musical Diplomacy and Good, Long Hugs.  These days he’s been collaborating with the Boston Pops to work with young musicians in Boston area schools.  Check out this video for an overview of his educational philosophy (and some really cool uses of the violin).

Hi everyone! We were in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania last week, taping a show at the Majestic Theater, a beautifully restored 1920’s vaudeville house. We kicked off the Gettysburg Festival, an annual celebration of art and culture.

As you might imagine with a production such as ours, sometimes the unexpected happens, and this show marked one of those occasions. A fantastic teen ensemble called the Emerald Quartet was scheduled to perform on the show. Repertoire had been chosen and the script was well on its way when we received the news that one of the quartet members had a passport issue while on vacation in his home country of Venezuela and would be unable to return in time for our taping, which was less than a week away! The producers had to think quickly.

They knew this was an incredibly talented group of young musicians so they decided to bring in the three remaining members and have them play as a piano quartet with host Christopher O’Riley. Violinist Ethan Hoppe and violist Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, and cellist Alexander Hersh quickly learned their parts of the newly assigned piece – the Rondo alla zingarese finale from the Brahms G minor Piano Quartet – and then flew in to Gettysburg to rehearse it with Chris one day before the taping. Talk about a high-pressure situation! These three were obviously up to the task, however, because it came together fantastically.

It was a great show all around, and very diverse in terms of personalities and repertoire. There was 14-year-old pianist Hyung-Do Kim, who beautifully played Liszt’s La Campanella, 16-year-old violinist Elaine Kang, who played Sarasate’s showy Carmen Fantasy, and quirky 13-year-old cellist Kathryn Westerlund, who performed Shostakovich and then discussed her synesthesia (she sees colors when she plays music, and also associates people with colors. She told Chris he was purple, and she saw me as green).

We even featured royalty! Tubist Sodie Finebone, who is a descendent of a Nigerian king, gorgeously played a movement from Concerto for Tuba by Edward Gregson. He discussed his passion for music and his gratitude towards the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program, which has mentored him since he started playing tuba.

Now for your video enjoyment, I want to show you the audition tape the Emerald Quartet sent in. Here they are, complete with their fourth member, violinist Kenneth Jones-Madrid, playing the piece they were intending to play on our show – the fifth movement from String Quartet No. 4 by Béla Bartók. Enjoy! And don’t forget to tune in when our Gettysburg show airs the week of September 20th.



Hi everyone! We were in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania last week, taping a show at the Majestic Theater, a beautifully restored 1920’s vaudeville house. We kicked off the Gettysburg Festival, an annual celebration of art and culture.

As you might imagine with a production such as ours, sometimes the unexpected happens, and this show marked one of those occasions. A fantastic teen ensemble called the Emerald Quartet was scheduled to perform on the show. Repertoire had been chosen and the script was well on its way when we received the news that one of the quartet members had a passport issue while on vacation in his home country of Venezuela and would be unable to return in time for our taping, which was less than a week away! The producers had to think quickly.

They knew this was an incredibly talented group of young musicians so they decided to bring in the three remaining members and have them play as a piano quartet with host Christopher O’Riley. Violinist Ethan Hoppe and violist Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, and cellist Alexander Hersh quickly learned their parts of the newly assigned piece – the Rondo alla zingarese finale from the Brahms G minor Piano Quartet – and then flew in to Gettysburg to rehearse it with Chris one day before the taping. Talk about a high-pressure situation! These three were obviously up to the task, however, because it came together fantastically.

It was a great show all around, and very diverse in terms of personalities and repertoire. There was 14-year-old pianist Hyung-Do Kim, who beautifully played Liszt’s La Campanella, 16-year-old violinist Elaine Kang, who played Sarasate’s showy Carmen Fantasy, and quirky 13-year-old cellist Kathryn Westerlund, who performed Shostakovich and then discussed her synesthesia (she sees colors when she plays music, and also associates people with colors. She told Chris he was purple, and she saw me as green).

We even featured royalty! Tubist Sodie Finebone, who is a descendent of a Nigerian king, gorgeously played a movement from Concerto for Tuba by Edward Gregson. He discussed his passion for music and his gratitude towards the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program, which has mentored him since he started playing tuba.

Now for your video enjoyment, I want to show you the audition tape the Emerald Quartet sent in. Here they are, complete with their fourth member, violinist Kenneth Jones-Madrid, playing the piece they were intending to play on our show – the fifth movement from String Quartet No. 4 by Béla Bartók. Enjoy! And don’t forget to tune in when our Gettysburg show airs the week of September 20th.



This week’s show is a rebroadcast from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but we hadn’t posted a listening guide when it first aired.  Keep reading to learn what each of the musicians think and feel about the pieces they perform.

Rhys Lloyd Talbot

Rhys Lloyd Talbot, 18, bass voice
“Honor and Arms” from Samson by Handel

When I sing this song, I try to get the song’s message of boasting and scorn for a weaker opponent across to the audience. The song’s about a giant who’s mocking Samson and saying there’s no glory in defeating someone smaller. Hands down, this is the most difficult piece in my repertoire. Consequently, I think it’s the most fun to listen to, and the most impressive song I have. It’s also a great song to sing in the shower.

Solly Burton, 17, mandolin
Czardas by Vittorio Monti

When I play this song, I feel like I am in another country in another era of time. Some songs are fun to play and listen to no matter how old.

Katherine Siochi

Katherine Siochi, 15, harp
Impromptu-Caprice by Gabriel Pierné

Impromptu Caprice by Gabriel Pierné is one of the most well-known show pieces in the harp repertoire. This piece opens with a candenza-like section, bringing to mind what the title would suggest, an improvisation in an extemporized style. My favorite part of this piece is the dramatic ending. The crescendo of arpeggios and glissandi lead to an exciting climax followed by the final four chords.

Susie Koh, 14, Aurelia Quartet, violin
III. Allegro non troppo from Quartet No. 3 in F major, Op. 73 by Dmitri Shostakovich

I really like this piece, and I think that it is a great piece for my group. It is fierce, fiery, and strong. My group is pretty wild, so we like to headbang to this piece. And that is sort of the character of the piece, too.

Laura Park, 15, Aurelia Quartet, violin

The funny thing about this piece is that it requires so much preparation: reminding Susie to put in her earplug, rearranging stands to accommodate fast page turns, and tucking our hair behind our ears. Of course we still have to keep in mind intonation, ensemble, and articulation among many other things, but it feels as if each one of us has that crazy, dark side in us that comes out when we play the Shostakovich together.

Arianna Smith, 15, viola

This piece requires a unique level of energy. Whenever we play we have so much fun. We were able to perform this piece in a concert with Rachel Barton Pine, and in the beginning of the first violin solo, Susie’s E-string came off of the bridge, and she had to play most of it on the A-string!

Allan Steele, 15, cello

This movement is intensely loud, dynamic, and violent. Written directly after World War II, it is fully described by the Borodin’s Quartet’s subtitle for the movement: “Forces of war unleashed.” It’s enormous fun to play, but it is so intense that nearly every time we play the movement, although only four minutes long, we’re out of breath and exhausted.

Aurelia Quartet

The sky’s the limit when it comes to the Andover-Lawrence Strings Program of the Philips Academy. They just had their final student performance of the 2009/2010 school year, wrapping up yet another successful season for the 14-year old educational program. We last reported on their progress back in April following a collaborative performance with their program and FTT alumni. Having recently been awarded From the Top’s Margaret Stewart Lindsey Arts Leadership Award, they are already making plans for the 2010/2011 school year.

Through the From the Top grant, they plan to purchase new materials to broaden their music theory curriculum and will be adding an adult mentor to help train student teachers for the program. These changes would not have been possible were it not for student coordinator Jacob Shack’s decision to apply for the grant, which you can read about here. Jacob graduated from the Academy this past May and plans to attend Harvard in the fall. As such, the program will now be under the guidance of new student coordinator and upcoming senior Madeleine Tucker. We asked Maddie to introduce herself on our blog and share her thoughts about the program:

Hi! This is Madeleine (Maddie) Tucker, and I am a rising senior at Phillips Academy, Andover. Next year, I will be taking over Jacob’s position as coordinator of the Andover-Lawrence String Program. As a cellist myself, the group of young cello students in the ALS program is very special to me. Although the group consists of a mere number of approximately eight students, over 25 career possibilities are represented. They range from singer to artist to comic writer to rapper, clown, dancer, and even includes a potential professional video gamer. This combination of so many different types of people working together might seem unlikely; I certainly thought it was, until we began having occasional group cello classes. Imagine a classical music lesson with eight diametrically opposing viewpoints…One week, for example, previous From the Top cellist Bobby Chen and I tuned down the G and C strings of their cellos and taught them the beginning of the third movement of Kodaly’s Cello Sonata. The kids only achieved learning the first few measures, but the experience was exciting all the same.

Maddie with cello student Paoli and FTT alum, Bobby Chen

Though it is sad that the year is over, the good news is that nearly all of the students will return next year. I will miss them over the summer, but the teachers and students truly deserve a break; both have been working hard!

Just last week, Andover-Lawrence Strings had its final concert of the year. Gathered together in the large Chapel, parents, siblings, friends, and teachers listened as each student walked up onto the stage to perform one or more(!) pieces on their chosen instrument. By the end of the concert, we had applauded four versions of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, six arrangements of “Marry Had a Little Lamb”, two “Heart and Soul” piano duets, one Harry Potter theme song entitled “Lumos”, and a variety of other songs. It was a great way to end the year.

The 2010/2011 Andover-Lawrence Strings Program season promises to be filled with optimism and dedication. They have truly set the mold for establishing arts leadership within student communities. For more information on the Philips Academy and its success with the Andover-Lawrence Strings Program, visit their website. We will continue to follow their program and will report back on their progress in the fall.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to the Andover-Lawrence Strings Program of the Philips Academy. They just had their final student performance of the 2009/2010 school year, wrapping up yet another successful season for the 14-year old educational program. We last reported on their progress back in April following a collaborative performance with their program and FTT alumni. Having recently been awarded From the Top’s Margaret Stewart Lindsey Arts Leadership Award, they are already making plans for the 2010/2011 school year.

Through the From the Top grant, they plan to purchase new materials to broaden their music theory curriculum and will be adding an adult mentor to help train student teachers for the program. These changes would not have been possible were it not for student coordinator Jacob Shack’s decision to apply for the grant, which you can read about here. Jacob graduated from the Academy this past May and plans to attend Harvard in the fall. As such, the program will now be under the guidance of new student coordinator and upcoming senior Madeleine Tucker. We asked Maddie to introduce herself on our blog and share her thoughts about the program:

Hi! This is Madeleine (Maddie) Tucker, and I am a rising senior at Phillips Academy, Andover. Next year, I will be taking over Jacob’s position as coordinator of the Andover-Lawrence String Program. As a cellist myself, the group of young cello students in the ALS program is very special to me. Although the group consists of a mere number of approximately eight students, over 25 career possibilities are represented. They range from singer to artist to comic writer to rapper, clown, dancer, and even includes a potential professional video gamer. This combination of so many different types of people working together might seem unlikely; I certainly thought it was, until we began having occasional group cello classes. Imagine a classical music lesson with eight diametrically opposing viewpoints…One week, for example, previous From the Top cellist Bobby Chen and I tuned down the G and C strings of their cellos and taught them the beginning of the third movement of Kodaly’s Cello Sonata. The kids only achieved learning the first few measures, but the experience was exciting all the same.

Maddie with cello student Paoli and FTT alum, Bobby Chen

Though it is sad that the year is over, the good news is that nearly all of the students will return next year. I will miss them over the summer, but the teachers and students truly deserve a break; both have been working hard!

Just last week, Andover-Lawrence Strings had its final concert of the year. Gathered together in the large Chapel, parents, siblings, friends, and teachers listened as each student walked up onto the stage to perform one or more(!) pieces on their chosen instrument. By the end of the concert, we had applauded four versions of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, six arrangements of “Marry Had a Little Lamb”, two “Heart and Soul” piano duets, one Harry Potter theme song entitled “Lumos”, and a variety of other songs. It was a great way to end the year.

The 2010/2011 Andover-Lawrence Strings Program season promises to be filled with optimism and dedication. They have truly set the mold for establishing arts leadership within student communities. For more information on the Philips Academy and its success with the Andover-Lawrence Strings Program, visit their website. We will continue to follow their program and will report back on their progress in the fall.

If you’ve listened to this week’s show, you probably heard Christopher O’Riley talking to oboist Bryanne Presley about the pranks she likes to pull on her dad, Wade, who is also her school band director.  Well we’ve got a treat for you – great pictures of past pranks and video of Dad getting back at her on stage.

The work of 20 high school band students on the Presley house

TPing the band room

TPing the band room: the suspects

The band students moved Dad's chair to the middle school on his birthday

The obligatory explanation note for the middle school

And here’s how Dad got back at Bryanne:

At 17 years old, Caroline Goulding has already accomplished a lot.  You may recall her performances from three of our radio shows, one of our TV episodes, and a variety of mentions on this blog (not to mention that she’s already got a CD out!)  On July 1, 2010, Caroline will appear with the Cleveland Orchestra as part of the annual free Star-Spangled Spectacular concert, presented by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.  The Cleveland Orchestra wrote a wonderful story about Caroline, which you can read here.

If you’re interested in following Caroline’s musical career, check out her Instant Encore page.  Here you can see her upcoming concerts, read her blogs, and more!

Caroline Goulding on From the Top with the Cincinnati Pops in Oct 2008

Here in the From the Top office, we’re still on a high from the incredible taping Tuesday night at Symphony Hall, where we teamed up with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops! What an exciting show this was. From start to finish, it featured one phenomenal performance after another. Four of the young musicians who joined us were alums, and it was amazing to see how much they’d grown as performers.

Keith Lockhart, Conductor of the Boston Pops

The show opened with nine-year-old pianist Umi Garrett. This tiny girl, clad in a party dress and bows, is nothing short of a musical dynamo. She played Mozart flawlessly and then had a very funny bit where she showed off a trick – playing “Heart and Soul” while backwards and upside down – and Keith Lockhart jumped in to harmonize!

Next up was another alum, pianist Ronald Joseph, who was on our TV show when he was 17. Ronald grew up in New Orleans, but was displaced by Hurricane Katrina and studied for a year at the Juilliard School. You can see his story here. Now a sophomore at Bard College, he and Christopher O’Riley collaborated on a two-piano piece by composer Danny Elfman, joined by the Pops.

Third up was 16-year-old Michael Bridge, who played the Russian bayan. You’ve never heard of a Russian bayan, you say? No worries. Maestro Lochart took one look at it and said, “Hey, that’s not an accordion! What is that?” Michael loved that! To explain, the bayan looks a lot like the accordion except that it has buttons instead of keys as well as a broader right hand range. Michael played Vittorio Monti’s Czardas, backed by the Boston Pops, and it was a showstopper!

Next up was one of my favorite alums – 17-year-old cellist Gabe Cabezas, who was first on our show with his quartet when he was 12, and then performed as a soloist on both our radio and TV shows. We brought him back once again for this special taping to play with the Pops. Always a great performer and an old pro at all things From the Top, I think he outdid himself this time playing Shostakovich.

Next up was 17-year-old Michelle Lee, who is not only an excellent violinist, but also an accomplished tap dancer. She played Kreisler’s Tambourin Chinois backed by the Pops. In the middle of the piece, she handed her violin to Chris, did a tap dancing routine, and then grabbed her violin back to finish the piece with a flourish. The audience loved it!

The show closed with 17-year-old composer Jeremiah Klarman. When he was originally on our show at the age of 13, we introduced him as From the Top’s biggest fan. It meant so much to him to be on the show back then, and I was greatly looking forward to his return. The Boston Pops performed Jeremiah’s Symphony No.1 in C minor, and I was completely blown away! I could tell Jeremiah was too, and I was thrilled for him.

I’ve created a little flip cam montage of our music rehearsal the night before the show. The Pops weren’t there, but you can see Keith working with the kids. He was so great with them! Believe me when I say that this show was a special treat, and one not to miss when it airs the week of September 6.

Here in the From the Top office, we’re still on a high from the incredible taping Tuesday night at Symphony Hall, where we teamed up with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops! What an exciting show this was. From start to finish, it featured one phenomenal performance after another. Four of the young musicians who joined us were alums, and it was amazing to see how much they’d grown as performers.

Keith Lockhart, Conductor of the Boston Pops

The show opened with nine-year-old pianist Umi Garrett. This tiny girl, clad in a party dress and bows, is nothing short of a musical dynamo. She played Mozart flawlessly and then had a very funny bit where she showed off a trick – playing “Heart and Soul” while backwards and upside down – and Keith Lockhart jumped in to harmonize!

Next up was another alum, pianist Ronald Joseph, who was on our TV show when he was 17. Ronald grew up in New Orleans, but was displaced by Hurricane Katrina and studied for a year at the Juilliard School. You can see his story here. Now a sophomore at Bard College, he and Christopher O’Riley collaborated on a two-piano piece by composer Danny Elfman, joined by the Pops.

Third up was 16-year-old Michael Bridge, who played the Russian bayan. You’ve never heard of a Russian bayan, you say? No worries. Maestro Lochart took one look at it and said, “Hey, that’s not an accordion! What is that?” Michael loved that! To explain, the bayan looks a lot like the accordion except that it has buttons instead of keys as well as a broader right hand range. Michael played Vittorio Monti’s Czardas, backed by the Boston Pops, and it was a showstopper!

Next up was one of my favorite alums – 17-year-old cellist Gabe Cabezas, who was first on our show with his quartet when he was 12, and then performed as a soloist on both our radio and TV shows. We brought him back once again for this special taping to play with the Pops. Always a great performer and an old pro at all things From the Top, I think he outdid himself this time playing Shostakovich.

Next up was 17-year-old Michelle Lee, who is not only an excellent violinist, but also an accomplished tap dancer. She played Kreisler’s Tambourin Chinois backed by the Pops. In the middle of the piece, she handed her violin to Chris, did a tap dancing routine, and then grabbed her violin back to finish the piece with a flourish. The audience loved it!

The show closed with 17-year-old composer Jeremiah Klarman. When he was originally on our show at the age of 13, we introduced him as From the Top’s biggest fan. It meant so much to him to be on the show back then, and I was greatly looking forward to his return. The Boston Pops performed Jeremiah’s Symphony No.1 in C minor, and I was completely blown away! I could tell Jeremiah was too, and I was thrilled for him.

I’ve created a little flip cam montage of our music rehearsal the night before the show. The Pops weren’t there, but you can see Keith working with the kids. He was so great with them! Believe me when I say that this show was a special treat, and one not to miss when it airs the week of September 6.

Here in the From the Top office, we’re still on a high from the incredible taping Tuesday night at Symphony Hall, where we teamed up with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops! What an exciting show this was. From start to finish, it featured one phenomenal performance after another. Four of the young musicians who joined us were alums, and it was amazing to see how much they’d grown as performers.

Keith Lockhart, Conductor of the Boston Pops

The show opened with nine-year-old pianist Umi Garrett. This tiny girl, clad in a party dress and bows, is nothing short of a musical dynamo. She played Mozart flawlessly and then had a very funny bit where she showed off a trick – playing “Heart and Soul” while backwards and upside down – and Keith Lockhart jumped in to harmonize!

Next up was another alum, pianist Ronald Joseph, who was on our TV show when he was 17. Ronald grew up in New Orleans, but was displaced by Hurricane Katrina and studied for a year at the Juilliard School. You can see his story here. Now a sophomore at Bard College, he and Christopher O’Riley collaborated on a two-piano piece by composer Danny Elfman, joined by the Pops.

Third up was 16-year-old Michael Bridge, who played the Russian bayan. You’ve never heard of a Russian bayan, you say? No worries. Maestro Lochart took one look at it and said, “Hey, that’s not an accordion! What is that?” Michael loved that! To explain, the bayan looks a lot like the accordion except that it has buttons instead of keys as well as a broader right hand range. Michael played Vittorio Monti’s Czardas, backed by the Boston Pops, and it was a showstopper!

Next up was one of my favorite alums – 17-year-old cellist Gabe Cabezas, who was first on our show with his quartet when he was 12, and then performed as a soloist on both our radio and TV shows. We brought him back once again for this special taping to play with the Pops. Always a great performer and an old pro at all things From the Top, I think he outdid himself this time playing Shostakovich.

Next up was 17-year-old Michelle Lee, who is not only an excellent violinist, but also an accomplished tap dancer. She played Kreisler’s Tambourin Chinois backed by the Pops. In the middle of the piece, she handed her violin to Chris, did a tap dancing routine, and then grabbed her violin back to finish the piece with a flourish. The audience loved it!

The show closed with 17-year-old composer Jeremiah Klarman. When he was originally on our show at the age of 13, we introduced him as From the Top’s biggest fan. It meant so much to him to be on the show back then, and I was greatly looking forward to his return. The Boston Pops performed Jeremiah’s Symphony No.1 in C minor, and I was completely blown away! I could tell Jeremiah was too, and I was thrilled for him.

I’ve created a little flip cam montage of our music rehearsal the night before the show. The Pops weren’t there, but you can see Keith working with the kids. He was so great with them! Believe me when I say that this show was a special treat, and one not to miss when it airs the week of September 6.

Earlier this week, we introduced you to a pair of young musicians who were successful in raising more than $5,000 for Alzheimer’s research. Today we’re going to give you the scoop on the other projects Iowa musicians are working on through From the Top’s Arts Leadership program.

Hayley Graham

Meet Hayley – a high school clarinetist from Cedar Rapids who is intent on helping middle-school musicians.  As she puts it, “middle school is a difficult time for many students to get excited about music…I hope to re-enforce the foundations that these students are learning, and give them individual attention in hopes of noticing every detail of their playing.” She’s got some great pictures and video up on the Iowa Makes Music blog.

Harin Lee

Harin & Darin Lee – these siblings share a love for music but have two very different projects for revitalizing music in their communities.  Harin decided to spend time at the Emerson Point nursing home to conduct and accompany a chorus and chimes group. He wants “to connect with the tenants through both music and by spending time with them.”  Check out his blog for a couple of nice group pictures.

Darin Lee

Darin has been investigating El Sistema, the revolutionary music education program in Venezuela, and is comparing it to the music ed program in her hometown of  Iowa City/Coralville. She hopes that researching and spreading the word about El Sistema will inspire people to strive for the best in music education.

Kelsey Qu

Kelsey’s number 1 reason for participating in Iowa Makes Music’s Arts Leadership Program is to spread the sound of music to her community.  Her project involves performing her Chinese repertoire on the cello for three different retirement communities, because as she says “one person can make a big difference.”  Read her blog for some memorable quotes and story snippets of the people whose lives she’s impacted.

There’s tons of great information, pictures, and videos from all the Iowa Makes Music kids on their blog, so give it a look!

Earlier this week, we introduced you to a pair of young musicians who were successful in raising more than $5,000 for Alzheimer’s research. Today we’re going to give you the scoop on the other projects Iowa musicians are working on through From the Top’s Arts Leadership program.

Hayley Graham

Meet Hayley – a high school clarinetist from Cedar Rapids who is intent on helping middle-school musicians.  As she puts it, “middle school is a difficult time for many students to get excited about music…I hope to re-enforce the foundations that these students are learning, and give them individual attention in hopes of noticing every detail of their playing.” She’s got some great pictures and video up on the Iowa Makes Music blog.

Harin Lee

Harin & Darin Lee – these siblings share a love for music but have two very different projects for revitalizing music in their communities.  Harin decided to spend time at the Emerson Point nursing home to conduct and accompany a chorus and chimes group. He wants “to connect with the tenants through both music and by spending time with them.”  Check out his blog for a couple of nice group pictures.

Darin Lee

Darin has been investigating El Sistema, the revolutionary music education program in Venezuela, and is comparing it to the music ed program in her hometown of  Iowa City/Coralville. She hopes that researching and spreading the word about El Sistema will inspire people to strive for the best in music education.

Kelsey Qu

Kelsey’s number 1 reason for participating in Iowa Makes Music’s Arts Leadership Program is to spread the sound of music to her community.  Her project involves performing her Chinese repertoire on the cello for three different retirement communities, because as she says “one person can make a big difference.”  Read her blog for some memorable quotes and story snippets of the people whose lives she’s impacted.

There’s tons of great information, pictures, and videos from all the Iowa Makes Music kids on their blog, so give it a look!

Pianist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Nicholas King appeared on From the Top in May 2008 in New Albany, Ohio, where he performed the opening movement of Beethoven’s “Waldstein” Sonata.  If you don’t know the story of how Nick got started on the piano, listen to his From the Top appearance. Nick emailed us last week with some updates on his life now.

Nicholas King on From the Top, Spring 2008

Since my performance on From the Top, I’ve been pursuing my Bachelor of Music Degree at the Royal Conservatory of Music – Glenn Gould School with a scholarship under the guidance of Marc Durand. I am now entering my 3rd year of studies. Upon my first year at the school, I was the winner of the Tom Thompson Concerto Competition, a school wide competition.

This past year I performed the winning Poulenc 2 piano concerto in the brand new Koerner Hall under the fantastic Johannes Debus (conductor of the Canadian Opera Company) with my classmate Lucas Porter (we won with a 2 piano concerto). It is my understanding that we were the first freshmen ever to win this award. I’ve participated in master classes with Leon Fleischer, Louis Lortie, and John Perry.

I recently won the Jury’s Choice Prize at the American Paderewski Piano Competition – and will be participating in a week-long master class (which culminates with a concert) in Bydgoszcz, Poland with an orchestra this August. I will also be performing the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini with the Southeast Symphony Orchestra in the Walt Disney Concert Hall this summer – July 18. I paid for my first year of schooling with the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Scholarship – and my second year was paid for with the funds gathered by a concert that I hosted. I will be giving another tuition fund-raising concert later this summer.