Join From the Top in Celebrating Young Musicians with Disabilities in March 2024!

Throughout the month of March, From the Top is excited to highlight stories and music from young musicians who identify as neurodiverse/disabled. We invite you to share content for From the Top’s Daily Joy series. Please see our detailed instructions below for more information on this opportunity.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS FEB 25th, 2024.

I am very excited to collaborate with From the Top to highlight young musicians who identify as disabled. I hope to promote young artists who lack sufficient representation in classical music, and From the Top is the perfect platform to help achieve this goal.  — Julia LaGrand, Content Advisor & Co-Host/From the Top Alum/ Violinist

  • About Daily Joy

    We launched Daily Joy in March of 2020 as a reminder of music’s power to lift our spirits and make us smile. The series features daily videos of talented young musicians that are shared via email, social media, and our Daily Joy website. Since its inception, the series has over 2 million views.

    Learn more about Daily Joy
  • What to Submit

    To be featured on Daily Joy, you can submit the following:

    -two videos (a video introduction and performance) OR
    -one video (a performance)

    • Introduction Video (no longer than :60):
      • Say your name, instrument, age, and where you live/study music
      • Share the title and composer/arranger
      • If you would like, feel free to briefly speak about your Disability and how it impacts your musical life. You could also speak about why recognizing musicians with disabilities is important to you, or how you think Disability can become a more integrated part of the classical music world.
      • OR Share something about the work you are performing (i.e. why you enjoy performing it, historical information, what an audience might find inspiring/joyful/meaningful, etc.).
      • OR Share something personal about yourself, what draws you to performing, why you chose your instrument, etc.
    • Please note: If you are not interested in recording an introduction video and prefer to share some information about yourself in writing, please do! You are welcome to send in a few sentences about yourself and/or your performance.  

     

    • Performance Video:
      • Videos can be as short as around 90 seconds (i.e. a section of a work) OR longer, i.e. a full movement of a work. You are welcome to submit a new video recording OR a pre-existing recording.

     Fill out the form and submit your files here.

    Please indicate on this form that you are submitting content for From the Top’s Celebration of Musicians with Disabilities.

  • Recording Notes

    Most of our young musicians use very basic recording equipment for their Daily Joy submission (i.e. smartphone / iPhone mic and camera)

    • It is NOT necessary to make a professional recording for this project
    • It is NOT necessary to edit your recording, we will edit together your intro and performance before sharing it.

    Please submit your introduction video and performance video as separate files with no text or video editing effects.

  • Examples

    Example of a video recorded specifically for Daily Joy:

    Example of a performer who submitted an intro and a pre-existing recording:

    Examples of Musicians who submitted for last year’s Musicians with Disabilities Celebration:

    Violist Communicates Through Music

     

    Moving Piano Performance

     

  • How To Submit

     Fill out the form and submit your files here.

    Please indicate on this form that you are submitting content for From the Top’s Celebration of Musicians with Disabilities.

    Please submit by FEBRUARY 25th to be included in our March celebration.