Tag: leadership

17-year-old violist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Marcus Rose appeared on Show #222 in Baton Rouge, LA this past October. In February 2011, Marcus was inspired to explore his love for teaching, and reached out to the Claiborne Fundamental Magnet School in his hometown of Shreveport, LA. He gave three 45-minute presentations, titled “Music […]

Last week From the Top headed to Cedar Falls for a radio show taping at the University of Northern Iowa as part of our multi-year Iowa Makes Music residency, in partnership with Orchestra Iowa. In addition to visiting local elementary schools, being interviewed on-air by Iowa Public Radio, and, of course, taping the show, our […]

17-year-old percussionist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Marcelina Suchocka has appeared on two From the Top shows in the past (Show 206 in Texas and Show 220 in Iowa), and was the Grand Prize winner of From the Top and Carnegie Hall’s Big Break YouTube Contest! She and the runners-up of the Big Break […]

Young From the Top alum and pianist Umi Garrett, age 10 (Shows 211 and 217) is putting on a charity concert next week to raise money for the crisis in Japan. Check out her video about the project: Umi’s “Help Japan” concert will be Friday, April 8 at 7:30pm at the Steinway Piano Gallery in […]

16-year-old trumpet player and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Baldvin Oddsson appeared on Show #221 in Boston, Massachusetts last fall. Currently a junior at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, over the holidays Baldvin returned home to Reykjavik, Iceland, where he put on a small concert series as an Arts Leadership project.  He performed in […]

The day after taping Show #228 in Athens, GA, our Education Team traveled with performer and harpist Angelica Hairston to the Clarke Central High School. They met with twenty orchestra students, ranging from 9th to 12th grade, and teacher Eunice Kang in the school’s orchestra room. Angelica is the recipient of From the Top’s Jack […]

The morning before we taped Show #227 in Opelika, AL, From the Top’s Education Team traveled to Opelika High School with performer and guitarist Jiyeon Kim. They visited a classroom of 25 beginner guitar students studying with guitarist and teacher Patrick Bruce. Guitarist Jiyeon Kim currently attends the Cleveland Institute of Music and studies with […]

This week’s V-POW post from Music Producer Tom Vignieri will be slightly different. You’re likely to be blown away, but not for the reasons you’d expect. From the Top alumnus Michael Thurber is one of the most enterprising guys we know. Whether he’s emerging from a practice room with his double bass at Juilliard, recording […]

This past weekend, From the Top traveled to beautiful Athens to tape a radio show at the University of Georgia’s Performing Arts Center. Our four stellar young artists were joined by special guest flutist Sir James Galway, making for an unforgettable performance! The next morning, three of the four young performers joined us for the […]

From the Top taped a radio show this week in Opelika, AL at The Opelika Center for the Performing Arts. With a wide array of talent and a house filled near-capacity, the taping was a huge success! Our five performers joined us bright and early the morning after the show for our Arts Leadership Orientation, […]

This past weekend, From the Top taped a radio show right here in our hometown of Boston, MA at Jordan Hall. With a wide array talent, from guest artist Eran Egozy (clarinetist with Radius Ensemble and co-founder of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc) to a wind sextet made entirely of Walnut Hill students, all of our […]

The day after we taped Show #225 in Yountville, California, the From the Top Education Team visited the beautiful Blue Oak School with performer and clarinetist Perry Choi. The team spent time with 35 third to fifth graders who take music from teacher Kim Markovich. Despite being only 18 years old, Perry runs a non-profit […]

This past weekend From the Top visited sunny Napa to tape a radio show at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville, CA! Our performers joined us the morning after the show for the Arts Leadership Orientation to explore how music can make a difference beyond the concert hall. All seven from the West Coast, the group […]

This just in – From the Top alum and soprano Megan Bell (Show 62, January 2002) recently sang with the touring educational outreach company “Opera for the Young.” Below she shares her arts leadership experience: Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Opera for the Young (OFY) is dedicated solely to performance outreach, which is part of what […]

This new addition to our Arts Leadership map gives musicians of all levels a place to practice and share their music! When violinist and conductor Eli Spindel moved to New York in 2006, he didn’t feel like he was a part of a musical community – so he decided to create his own! In the […]

This new addition to our Arts Leadership map focuses on creative arts advocacy through music history. While teaching a course in American Popular Music, Concordia University professor and classical guitarist Kim Perlak was moved by how inspired her students were by those who made a positive impact in society through music, history, and service. She […]

Last week we shared a fantastic article on preparing for college auditions, written by From the Top alum Ren Martin-Doike. In the article, Ren mentioned a technique from violinist William Harvey, From the Top alum and founder of Cultures in Harmony. When William reappeared on From the Top in 2009 as part of our 10th […]

This recent addition to our Arts Leadership map is inspirational! When Gregg Breinberg  started working at P.S. 22 in 1999, the lack of a music program meant teaching second grade. The next year, Gregg asked the administration to let him start a chorus and become a full-time music teacher. Despite arts budget cuts, the school […]

This is a recently addition to our Arts Leadership map that you don’t want to miss! In early 2008 Ben Werdegar saw a story about Iraqi children needing wheelchairs and knew he had to find a way to help. Two years and $18,500 later, 13-year-old Ben is truly making a difference through his music. “I’m […]

Last week, From the Top taped a show at Lehigh University in the beautiful town of Bethlehem, PA. Our four soloists joined us the following morning at the Arts Leadership orientation, where we explored the way music can make a difference and shared inspiring examples of arts leadership. We were truly fortunate to have one […]