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Showing posts with label Carnegie Hall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carnegie Hall. Show all posts

Friday, August 8, 2025

RSU 14 music teachers attend four-day workshop at Carnegie Hall

By Ed Pierce

The distance between Windham and New York City is about 300 miles, but it was a trip worth taking this summer for some local music educators.

Four music teachers from RSU 14 recently attended the
Summer Music Education Workshop at the Weill Music
Institute of Carnegie Hall in New York City. From left
are Simon Roussel, Dr. Richard Nickerson, Mary Reed and 
Morgan Riley. They spent four days in New York City with
educators from around the world exploring the theme of
'Joy in the Music Classroom' through community, 
empowerment, innovation and process.
COURTESY PHOTO   
Four RSU 14 music teachers, Simon Roussel, Dr. Richard Nickerson, Mary Reed and Morgan Riley, joined educators from around the world participating in the Summer Music Educators Workshop at the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall from June 28 to July 1. The theme for the event was “Joy in the Music Classroom” through community, empowerment, innovation, and process.

The four-day workshop was held at Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing and provided music teachers with the opportunity to expand the impact and breadth of their work with young musicians. Sessions for participants explored how can music educators create joyful learning environments that inspire and sustain a lifelong love of music among their students and how can expressions of joy in the classroom empower deeper learning and discovering what joy looks and sounds like in a music classroom.

RSU teachers joined Carnegie Hall faculty members and guest professional musicians in a series of musical and professional training activities while engaging in workshops with student ensembles, visiting faculty and attending Carnegie Hall concerts. The workshop’s purpose is to reinvigorate the individual artistry of teachers, strengthening their teaching practice and fostering connections with peers.

“This was my fourth time attending the Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall and each time I have found it to be inspiring and informative,” said Dr. Richard Nickerson, Windham High School’s Director of Choral Activities. “This year, I wrote a grant which enabled several other RSU 14 music staff members to attend. We spent four days networking and sharing ideas with other music educators from across the world. We also took classes and participated in music making activities with distinguished faculty members. To top it all off, we were in a space that is one of the most historically significant places in American musical history.”

Nickerson said each time he attends the Summer Music Educators Workshop at the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall, he returns feeling energized and excited about starting a new school year.

Morgan Riley, Windham Middle School’s band and orchestra teacher, said that workshop sessions were well-organized and the presenters were all highly qualified music educators and included some Broadway performers.

“The workshop focused on how to improve students and teachers sense of joy in their instrument playing, singing, movement, composing and improvising,” Riley said. “One session was presented by Dr. Janet Kim, conductor of the University of Connecticut Symphonic Wind Ensemble geared toward rehearsal techniques to encourage student's music listening skills, guiding students to detect what needs improvement themselves instead of always being told by the conductor.”

She said that session brought to light the way teachers talk about music with students and how it could be less conductor-centered and more music-centered.

“We were encouraged to ask more questions like ‘What is the music asking for in this section’ and ‘Where are the dynamics leading us?’ All of these things encourage a ‘shift from control to curiosity.’ I learned many things in this session I will use in my rehearsals at Windham Middle School.

Riley said another excellent session she attended was led by Alysia Lee, director of the Sister Cities Girlchoir in Philadelphia, Camden, and Baltimore and it focused on movement and simple dance as a way for students to connect with one another and bring joy to the classroom.

“I attended a session led by Sbongiseni Duma and Tshidi Manye, two performers from the Zulu nation who have been performing as part of "The Lion King" Broadway cast for many years,” Riley said. “We learned a traditional Zulu song and were taught how to sing along in a traditional manner. The call and response type song in many cultures includes one singer demonstrating and the group singing back the exact same musical line. In the Zulu tradition, one singer demonstrates the melody, and all the responses are in harmony. That takes great listening skills, and it didn't take long before we were responding in beautiful harmonies together.”

Another fantastic session featured Brian Drye, an award-winning jazz trombonist, pianist and educator based in New York City. Riley said that his session required everyone to bring a musical instrument, and he took us through the very beginning of teaching improvisation.

“Many classically trained musicians like me are used to having to play exactly what's on the page and that improvisation is intimidating,” she said. “Brian showed us a step-by-step low-stress approach that had us all playing improvised solos with ease by the end of the session.”

According to Riley, all of the RSU 14 music educators took something positive away from attending the workshop.

“Every good teacher knows that they are never finished learning,” she said. “I was thrilled to learn a great amount and my students will have a better learning experience because I went to the Summer Music Educators Workshop. I hope to attend next year and beyond.” <

Friday, March 25, 2016

Windham Chamber Singers to perform at top venues in New York City - By Elizabeth Richards

The Spring tour for the Windham Chamber Singers is always a big deal, but this year, it’s even bigger. On April 14th, the group leaves for five days and two concerts in New York City. And these concerts aren’t just anywhere – one is at Carnegie Hall and the other at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
 
The Chamber Singers are part of a 5-day residency program joining with other choirs from across Maine to form the Maine Festival Chorus. The trip culminates in a concert at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, April 17th


Windham Chamber Singers Director Dr. Richard Nickerson said he was invited to conduct this program a few years ago. The high fees involved means coordinating with other choirs to make it happen. He approached Rob Westerburg, the choral director at York High School, and together they created the program.  

Since the group would already be in New York City, Nickerson sent an audition tape to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to participate in their guest choir concert series. Their concert was approved, and on Friday, April 15th, the Chamber Singers will perform a full hour of sacred acapella music.

This tour is different than most years, Nickerson said. “Typically we would go into different communities. We’d be somewhere different every night. This year, we’re going to New York City, we’re being dropped off and we’re staying in midtown Manhattan the whole time.” 

Staying in a city like Manhattan is extremely expensive, and more fundraising has been required this year than most. “This year, for the first time, we’ve actually reached out asking for help,” said Nickerson. “The response has been overwhelming. That may not be the case if we did that every year,” he said, adding that next year the tour will not require any fundraising beyond the usual concerts.

“I think we live in a community that’s very supportive and the chamber singers have a really good reputation. When we go out into the community and ask for help, I think a lot of people are very willing to give us help,” said chamber singers president Jacqueline Gleason-Boure.

One of the fundraising events is the Windham Chamber Singers Music with a Mission concert, which will be held this Saturday, March 26th at the North Windham Union Church. This concert will preview their NYC tour, including several serious pieces from their St. Patrick’s concert. The evening will also include a silent auction and raffle to raise funds. 

“It’s not typical for us, but I think it’s really going to be an exciting night,” Nickerson said. “This concert offers the perfect chance to perform for our community as a kick-off before the tour.”  

 The minimum fundraising target for this tour was $10,000 and Nickerson said they are within $1,000 of hitting that goal. Going above their target means even more great experiences for the students, such as attending a show while in the city. Seeing a show won’t depend on the extra spending money a student may or may not have. “We’ve approached this as an all or nothing thing,” Nickerson said. “If we go see a show, the entire choir is going to go.”  

Gleason-Boure said that is one of the reasons she feels fortunate to be a part of the group. “Dr. Nick has an amazing way of really making us feel like we’re an ensemble. It’s not as though if we have more money we’ll be able to do more, but if we work hard enough we’ll be able to do more. It feels really great to know that we really value each other,” she said.

http://allmedstaffingofnewengland.com/Preparing for the tour has taught the students a good lesson in hard work, Gleason-Boure added. Secretary Jaydie Allen agreed. “Every day we come in and we work really hard to find fundraisers and get sponsorships. It’s really rewarding to keep looking at the board and watch the thermometer get closer and closer to the top. We have a picture in our mind that we’re working for it. That’s the rewarding aspect.”
While the hard work for this tour isn’t quite done yet, the choir is also already looking forward to next Fall, planning a concert in conjunction with local musician Sean Slaughter and an 11-piece band to do an entire night of Queen. 

Tickets for the MWAM concert will be sold at the door, and are $12 for adults and $10 for students, children and seniors. Tickets are also available in advance on-line at www.mwamconcerts.com . The box office opens at 6 p.m.