REACH Chamber Music Programs
Every year, in addition to performing in full orchestra concerts, NJSO musicians perform in small groups for 15,000 people in community settings through the REACH (Resources for Education and Community Harmony) Program. String quartets, brass quintets, woodwind quintets and even individual musicians travel all over the Garden State to perform in schools, libraries, corporations, senior centers, hospitals and even people’s private homes!
What makes REACH so special? It’s the personal connections that audience members make with the musicians and the music.
For example, curious students at a school assembly volunteered to help Principal Bassoonist Bob Wagner disassemble and reassemble his instrument. Everyone had a laugh at the squawk the tiny bassoon reed made by itself. Piece by piece, the students helped Bob put together the instrument, hearing that squeaky reed transformed into a beautiful bassoon. In the midst of their fun, they also learned that as the “tube” of the instrument gets bigger and longer, the pitch gets lower.
Principal Violist Frank Foerster wrote a REACH program about a young dinosaur confronting and overcoming some life challenges, illustrated with music and activities. During a performance of “The Troll and the Dinosaur” for students with autism at Thurgood Marshall School in Irvington, a sprightly green crocodile gave the group of students a conducting lesson. One brave volunteer then took the baton and had a chance to conduct the musicians. He loved the opportunity and quickly discovered that he could make the musicians go fast or slow depending on how he waved the baton. He put the musicians to the test, speeding up the tempo so much that they couldn’t play that fast anymore! Everyone burst out laughing, enjoying the student’s exuberant moment.
For the 2012 Dodge Poetry Festival, an NJSO string quartet collaborated with poet Patricia Smith. Audience members were moved by the powerful combination of Smith’s poem “Blood Dazzler” and Wynton Marsalis’ string quartet At the Octoroon Balls. The poetry and music were woven together in a passionate remembrance of the destructive force of Hurricane Katrina and a celebration of the rich musical heritage of New Orleans.
No matter the occasion, there is always magical, personal interaction in REACH programs. Musicians and patrons have the chance to talk to each other and enjoy an up-close musical experience in a community setting.
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