Music becomes a community affair
he Eastman School of Music marks the 10th anniversary of its Music For All program with more than 100 performances throughout the greater Rochester area, featuring student chamber music ensembles and select faculty. The program is designed to take classical music out of the concert hall and into the community, including sites at schools, nursing homes, libraries, college campuses, and local bookstores.
Nearly 50 performances will take place Tuesday, March 22, on "Music for All Day" when Eastman chamber groups present interactive programs at elementary, middle, and high schools around Rochester. This will be followed by nearly 50 more free performances for two weeks, March 26 to April 10, at a variety of concert sites around Rochester. To mark the program's 10th anniversary, several of the performances will be open to the public, including a March 26 performance by Bernadel Trio at Borders Books and Music at 2 p.m. and a March 29 concert by the Cape Cod Experiment at St. John Fisher College that begins at 12:30 p.m. For a complete list of concerts open to the public, visit www.rochester.edu/Eastman/news/?id=233#concerts.
Pianist Elinor Freer, assistant professor of chamber music who has coordinated the program since 2003, says it has evolved into the most extensive and comprehensive conservatory outreach in the country.
"Eastman is currently the only conservatory that requires chamber music students to participate in community performances as part of their curriculum," she explains. "Other music schools and conservatories around the United States see 'Music For All' as a model for both training their students to play for new audiences and for giving them opportunities to practice their skills by performing in the community."
Eastman students participating receive significant training before presenting their performance. This training begins each year with a seminar in January during which a young professional chamber music group demonstrates for Eastman students the skills necessary to connect with audiences of all ages. In February, the student groups spend time preparing their own school and community presentations under the guidance of Eastman faculty members, before finally taking their show "on the road" in the spring.
"Music for All is designed to help build audiences, while helping our young artists realize that there is more to a great performance than just mastering the music," adds Freer. "It definitely is a win-win for all involved and a program well worth celebrating."
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