NJSO receives League of American Orchestras' Getty Grant for NJSO CHAMPS
- 2015–16 season is fourth year of CHAMPS education partnership between NJSO and University Heights Charter School in Newark
- NJSO CHAMPS is a founding member of the El Sistema New Jersey Alliance
NEWARK, NJ (February 18, 2016)—The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is one of only 22 orchestras across the United States whom the League of American Orchestras has selected to receive a 2015–16 Getty Education and Community Investment Grant. The NJSO garnered the grant to further develop NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project); the grant recognizes the NJSO’s dedication to increasing its relevance to its communities.
NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project) is an intensive education program inspired by the Venezuelan social change and music education program El Sistema. Implemented in partnership with University Heights Charter School in Newark, NJSO CHAMPS seeks to harness the power of music to enhance students’ lives. By training students as musicians, the NJSO seeks to develop character traits and skills that may impact students’ future success in school, work and life.
CHAMPS cellist Precious K. says: “I’ve been in CHAMPS [for all four years of the program] and it still gives me new experiences to explore. It makes me feel special to be a part of something as big [as El Sistema]. CHAMPS has changed my life because it makes me more responsible—I have to care for an instrument and dedicate hours to playing it. It’s made me a better person.”
Up to 60 students in grades three through eight receive after-school instruction in violin, viola or cello for up to two hours per day, three days per week. Students enjoy group lessons, large ensemble rehearsals, guest artist masterclasses, coaching by NJSO musicians and interactions with peers in the El Sistema New Jersey Alliance. NJSO CHAMPS also offers a variety of performance opportunities, including concerts with the NJSO and the NJSO Youth Orchestras, in community settings and at school assemblies. The program involves students’ families with informal “family fun days” and complimentary tickets to NJSO performances.
This is the second season in which CHAMPS students are learning and incorporating improvisation into their musical training. Last season, they met and played with violin superstar Sarah Chang, who visited the school as part of her Winter Festival residency sponsored by Bank of America.
Violist Ezekiah K. says: “Being in CHAMPS means new opportunities. You get to play all different types of music, and we get to meet new people and perform with kids [from other El Sistema programs]. We’ve gotten to meet people from the music industry and get introduced to [how you can take music to] higher places of learning.”
Cellist Adedoyin D. says: “It’s a really good privilege to be in CHAMPS. You get to see the hard work you’ve done [pay off] as the years progress. I get to express my emotions through music after school, and I get to help teach other people how to play.”
Recognizing the power of the El Sistema model, the NJSO is a founding member of the El Sistema New Jersey Alliance—a unique partnership connecting El Sistema-inspired music-instruction programs across the Garden State, including NJSO CHAMPS, El Sistema–Trenton, the Paterson Music Project, Sister Cities Girlchoir (Camden), Sonic Expressions (Orange) and Union City Music Project. The aim of the El Sistema New Jersey Alliance is to provide collaborative instruction, performance opportunities and professional development training that empowers participating families to come together in a statewide musical community.
CHAMPS annually joins with students from El Sistema New Jersey Alliance programs for a celebratory Fiddle-and-Fa-La-La-Fest concert. The Alliance has presented free concerts in each program’s local community and piloted a summer camp at the Princeton-Blairstown Center for more than 70 students. Last month, several Alliance programs came together for a performance and screening of Jamie Bernstein’s El Sistema documentary Crescendo: The Power of Music.
Through an evaluation of NJSO CHAMPS, WolfBrown researchers have found that students’ level of engagement in the program was associated with higher levels of persistence, which in turn correlated to higher levels of academic achievement.
“We are grateful to the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation for continuing to support this critical program,” League President and CEO Jesse Rosen says. “Orchestras continue to expand their vital role in civic and community life, with musicians acting as ambassadors, advocates and educators. The League is a catalyst in this work, as we share success stories and ideas with the entire orchestral field, helping orchestras deepen their relationship with their communities and develop diverse audiences.”
CHAMPS teaching artist Theresa Kemp says: “It [is] really amazing to see the kids face challenges and work through them as a team. [It’s] about finding a different part of yourself and connecting with other musicians. We’re trying to express to them that when you’re a musician, you’re a part of a community that is so much bigger than yourself, than your school, than New Jersey … We study the same repertoire, and it brings us together. It may sound cliché, but music really is the universal language.”
2015–16 GETTY EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT GRANTS
Orchestras receiving Getty Education and Community Investment Grants recipients for 2015–16 are:
- Allentown Symphony Orchestra, for El Sistema Lehigh Valley
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, for OrchKids
- El Paso Symphony Orchestra, for Tocando
- Empire State Youth Orchestras for CHIME: Creating Harmony Invigorating Music Education
- Grand Rapids Symphony, for Music for Health
- Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, for Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
- Juneau Symphony for Juneau, Alaska Music Matters (JAMM)
- Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, for Kalamazoo Kids in Tune
- Kidznotes
- Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, for KSO Music & Wellness
- Los Angeles Philharmonic, for Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA)
- Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, for Soul Strings
- New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, for NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project)
- New West Symphony for Harmony Project of Ventura County
- Orchestra of St. Luke's, for Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s (YOSL)
- Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra for RSO/SPHERE Partnership
- San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory, for Community Opus Project
- Seattle Symphony, for Lullaby Project
- Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras, for SYSO in the Schools
- The Phoenix Symphony, for The B-Sharp Music Wellness, a W.O.N.D.E.R. Project: Alzheimer’s Expansion Initiative
- Waterbury Symphony Orchestra for Bravo Waterbury!
- Yakima Symphony Orchestra for Yakima Music en Acción (YAMA)
A total of $425,000 was awarded for this year’s grants, the fourth year of the $2 million re-granting program made possible by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. The orchestras, encompassing a full range of budget sizes, are receiving individual grants ranging from $15,000 to $27,500 for a variety of community-based programs taking place during the 2015–16 season. A prerequisite for qualifying orchestras was the existence of partnerships with local community or social service organizations.
An independent advisory panel of experts narrowed the initial 115 applicants to 32 semifinalists; all programs were then judged on a number of criteria, including innovation and relevance to community needs, strength of partnerships, extent and quality of professional development and strength of evaluation activities, among other assessment categories.
NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Named “a vital, artistically significant musical organization” by The Wall Street Journal, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra’s superb musicians.
Under the bold leadership of Music Director Jacques Lacombe, the NJSO presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events. Embracing its legacy as a statewide orchestra, the NJSO is the resident orchestra of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and regularly performs at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and bergenPAC in Englewood. Partnerships with New Jersey arts organizations, universities and civic organizations remain a key element of the Orchestra’s statewide identity.
In addition to its lauded artistic programming, the NJSO presents a suite of education and community engagement programs that promote meaningful, lifelong engagement with live music. Programs include school-time Concerts for Young People performances, NJSO Youth Orchestras family of student ensembles and El Sistema-inspired NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project. The NJSO’s REACH (Resources for Education and Community Harmony) chamber music program annually brings original programs—designed and performed by NJSO musicians—to a variety of settings, reaching more than 22,000 people in nearly all of New Jersey’s 21 counties.
For more information about the NJSO, visit www.njsymphony.org or email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra’s website.
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s programs are made possible in part by The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, along with many other foundations, corporations and individual donors.
THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS
The League of American Orchestras leads, supports and champions America’s orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its diverse membership of approximately 800 orchestras across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned symphonies to community orchestras, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles. The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy and leadership advancement for managers, musicians, volunteers and boards. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony magazine, website and other publications inform music lovers around the world about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org to learn more.
PRESS CONTACT
National & NYC Press Representative:
Dan Dutcher, Dan Dutcher Public Relations | 917.566.8413 | dan@dandutcherpr.com
Regional Press Representative:
Victoria McCabe, NJSO Communications and External Affairs | 973.735.1715 | vmccabe@njsymphony.org
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