Tag: leadership

We sat down with Brian Kaufman and Michael Reichman, recipients of From the Top’s Margaret Stewart Lindsay Arts Leadership Award, to talk about their upcoming Concert and Discussion on Race and Culture in the Age of Obama, which will be held at Northeastern University’s Fenway Center on Friday, May 14 at 7:30 pm. Admission is […]

In March, From the Top joined forces with Portland Ovations to tape a radio show at Merrill Auditorium (broadcasting this week), but that was just one part of our fabulous experience in Portland, Maine… Sharing the power and excitement of the arts with a broader community, especially students who might not otherwise have access, is […]

This guest post is from Jacob Shack of the Andover Lawrence Strings Program, a recipient of From the Top’s Margaret Stewart Lindsay Arts Leadership Award. “Pedro, what note is a fifth above a G?” “D?” “Right!” “Oh, I get it now. The musical alphabet ends at G!” This exchange characterizes a typical music theory class […]

This guest post is from Brian Kaufman and Michael Reichman, recipients of From the Top’s Margaret Stewart Lindsay Arts Leadership Award. It is the first of a series of updates about their project: Musical Diplomacy. Hi everyone! Brian Kaufman and Michael Reichman here at New England Conservatory in Boston! We are both really interested in […]

Kids teaching other kids—what could be more powerful? That’s exactly what happens every Wednesday afternoon at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, when elementary and middle school students from the Lawrence Family Development and Education Fund Charter School and the Leonard School in Lawrence, MA arrive for free instrumental lessons, taught by Phillips Academy students through […]

We are pleased to announce the first recipients of the Margaret Stewart Lindsay Arts Leadership Awards, a new program that encourages high school and collegiate musicians to give back to their communities through the arts. Through this program, From the Top will provide grants and mentoring for three community projects this year. A shared grant […]

– by Lauren Chipman “Look at her hair!” “I think she’s in a rock band.” “Whoa….” I don’t look like your typical classical musician getting ready to work with a group of 4th grade violinists, but my appearance reflects who I am and what I do for a living. I lead a very eclectic life […]

Today is National Arts Advocacy Day! Our friends at Americans for the Arts have organized hundreds of dedicated arts supporters from across the country to come together in Washington, DC to tell Capitol Hill how important culture is to our communities, how much arts education means to our children, and how much the arts improve […]

Last week, From the Top alums Nathan Chan, 16 (Radio show #207) and Simone Porter, 13, (radio show #165 and From the Top at Carnegie Hall‘s Episode 206) performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of 17-year-old conductor Alexander Prior.  The concert was held at the Barbican in London and raised money for […]

Congratulations to 17-year-old pianist Jingxuan Zhang, who held a solo benefit recital on March 27th to raise money for the Performing Arts Department at his high school in Indiana, which has been hit by recent budget cuts. Around 450 people attended the 50-minute concert, which raised $2,330. Jingxuan, a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist, is […]

15-year-old pianist Sahun “Sam” Hong, who appeared on From the Top last fall, won First Prize in the Lennox International Young Artists Competition on January 9th, playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Sam performed the concerto with the Richardson Symphony Orchestra on March 13th. Sam has also been busy with community outreach concerts. He performed […]

Pianist Patricio Molina, who was featured on From the Top’s TV show and is a recipient of our Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, will perform in a series of concerts to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Chile. A native of Chile, Patricio moved to the United States in 2004 to […]

Following our taping at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara on January 27, we gathered all the performers for our arts leadership workshop and asked them to reflect on the power of music. Here are some of the stories they shared both from their own personal experiences and from history: “When Renee Fleming sang in […]

Like many, 15-year-old Bay-area pianist Rieko Tsuchida was deeply saddened by the disaster in Haiti and inspired to take action. With just three days of planning, she and friend Jonah Hopton, turned their musical talents into a means of raising money for the American Red Cross. We are so proud of her efforts. In her […]

The day after our taping at Stanford University’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium, From the Top had the opportunity to visit the Boys & Girls Club of East Palo Alto for a special family performance. 16-yr-old cellist Nathan Chan, 16-yr-old pianist Jade Huang and 13-yr-old violinist Stephen Waarts , all performers on the show, were joined by local […]

On this week’s broadcast, Atlanta audience member Zhanna Arshanskaya dedicates a piece to Christopher O’Riley, whom she calls “the ambassador of music  for young people.” But it’s Zhanna’s story that we find truly moving. A holocaust survivor, Zhanna endured through her ability to play music. Following the war, she eventually went on to attend the […]

Calling all young composers! London’s Royal Opera House is asking 11-14 year-old composers to write a fanfare to replace the regular school bell that is run to mark the end of an interval. The winning fanfare will be played and recorded by the Royal Opera House orchestra. The deadline is February 12, 2010. So tell […]

In early November, From the Top spent a whirlwind week in Texas with radio tapings and school visits in Waco and Dallas. From the Top alumni and brother and sister team Robbie, 18, violin, and Allie Switala, 16, violin from Grapevine, TX, launched our Texas road shows with a visit to Lakeview Middle School in […]

On November 12, From the Top visited the G.W. Carver Academy in Waco, TX with performers Nathaniel Smith, 15, cello, Mia Orosco, 16, fiddle, and Simon Stipp, guitar. The 50 middle school students were engaged from the moment the musicians walked in to the classroom, pressing them with television theme song requests and questions about […]

In early November, From the Top provided two Atlanta middle schools with an interactive demonstration before taping a From the Top broadcast at Emory University’s Schwartz Center. We brought Hally Davidson, 15, flute, from McDonough, GA and Bryan Anderson, 16, piano, from Stockbridge, GA,  members of the flute and piano duo “Music Two Share”, to […]