Chamber Music Connections:

A partnership between Chamber Musicians at the University of Maryland School of Music and Mt. Rainer Elementary School

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bazala@wam.umd.edu

Chamber Music Connections, in its second year, is a pilot community outreach project that prepares student ensembles to provide educationally and musically appropriate residencies in the schools. The goal is to develop a higher education training model that can be replicated without major upheaval to existing curriculum, that assists performers in fulfilling their education outreach activities in schools by developing their presentation, management, communication and program development skills, using curriculum-based, age-appropriate, and quality repertoire. Excellence is the focus: excellence in performance, excellence in repertoire, and excellence in education.

The project focuses on presentations by University of Maryland Chamber Musicians for elementary students. Presentations for this age group offer student chamber musicians exposure to elementary curriculums, theories of child development and experiences designing age-appropriate, curriculum-related presentations, all areas that are often not covered in a typical performance degree program.

Three undergraduate ensembles constitute the Chamber Music Connections program. Each student receives a stipend of $1,000 to provide 4-5 community services per year. Funding is being sought to add to an additional undergraduate ensemble to the program. The program began in September 2000, with a two-day Symposium for Chamber Music Students. Mt. Rainier School in Prince Georges County was selected for developing residencies with three ensembles: one woodwind, one string, and one brass.

Mt. Rainer School

Mt. Rainer School serves over 400 students: 75% African American, 13% Hispanic, 2% Asian Pacific. The school has 72% of the student population on the Free and Reduced Meals program (FARMS). The school employs a full-time general music teacher and a part-time instrumental music teacher. The Chamber Music programs are designed to help build and sustain interest in the school instrumental music program.

Program projections include:

• Incorporating classroom teachers in the planning and implementation of programming

• Development of a chamber music resource center

• Communication with other chamber music education outreach programs for information sharing and ongoing program growth and development

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