Staying Connected

What a year (plus) it’s been! Like everything else, the 4-Way String Project went all-virtual in March 2020, and we only got back to seeing our students in person at Woodford in April 2021.

No one needs to read another e-mail about the challenges of Zoom, so instead, here are some POSITIVE things that came out of our time in cyberspace:

WE REACHED MORE CHILDREN!

For the first time, we were able to give lessons to kids who have either graduated from Woodford, or were from other schools entirely. We were especially glad that some of our kids have now had four years with us, and as always, we’re really proud of their progress and especially this past year, for sticking with it!

WE HAD MORE TIME TO TEACH!

Over the 2020-21 school year, we provided over 350 hours of instruction, including more than 300 private lessons. Much of this took place during the school day, thanks to the flexibility and understanding of Woodford’s amazing orchestra teacher, Ms. Quinn, as well as our new principal, Ms. Wallace, who will also be…

OUR FIRST ADULT STUDENT!

Not only is Ms. Wallace an awesome principal, she walks the walk on the importance of the arts, and will be beginning viola in orchestra class next fall, alongside her students. We can’t think of a better way to emphasize the importance of music for our students, and we’re excited to have her join us! We’ll keep you posted on her progress, and share her thoughts on how learning alto clef is enriching her life.

We’ll have more updates soon, about new members of the group, plans for house concerts, and much more - until then, be well, stay safe, keep practicing, and enjoy the summer!

Alistair, Beth, Kevin and Nat

We're hiring!

As we approach the end of a strange but successful year, we are looking ahead to next season, too, and we’re going to need some help. As we continue our march towards full-time work, we are reluctantly saying goodbye to one of our violinists, Beth, who has decided to help the world in a different but very similar way, by becoming a nurse. As hard as it will be to lose her, we know her patients will be in great and caring hands, and she will be a great asset to whoever is lucky enough to hire her.

So, we need a violinist who want to change the world through string quartets - can you help us find them? The job description is below - PLEASE share it with anyone you can think of, and email us at 4WayQuartet@gmail.com with any suggestions!

Wanted – violinist to join 4-Way, a community-based string quartet, whose members share a deep commitment to social action in their work. Candidates should be equally committed to: performing chamber music at the highest level; teaching; and community engagement. 4-Way is an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to building a culturally diverse ensemble that reflects the populations we serve. Women, LGBTQ, and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Qualifications:

·   A master’s degree in violin performance or chamber music (or a bachelor’s degree and significant professional experience)

·   Significant experience teaching violin, ideally in a community-oriented setting.

·   Passion for and commitment to ongoing, deep engagement with underserved communities, through performance, teaching, and mentoring.

·   Commitment to helping the ensemble grow towards full-time employment, through administrative activities including publicity, operations, curriculum development, and fundraising.

·   Interest in a broad range of repertoire, creating non-traditional programs and engaging audiences (e.g. speaking from the stage).

·   Excellent organizational and communication skills

·   Reliable transportation

·   Successful applicant must pass local, state, and federal background checks, and obtain a Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Security Badge. http://www.cps-k12.org/families-students/student-safety/employee-badges

Duties:

In addition to quartet performances and occasional meetings with community partners, between September and May, members will have the following weekly duties:

• 5 hours quartet rehearsal

• teaching for the 4-Way String Project, the group’s free education program - currently Tuesdays, 4 – 6 P.M., as well as 2-3 hours during the school day.

• semi-monthly business meeting (after rehearsal)

• 5 hours per week administrative duties, as assigned (may include publicity, operations, curriculum development and fundraising)

Compensation:

• $11,000 minimum annual stipend, paid monthly September - June (further compensation for additional performance and teaching opportunities may develop.

To Apply:

Please send the following to 4WayQuartet@gmail.com no later than April 30, 2021.

• Cover letter

• Resume with at least three professional references

• Link to video (preferred) or audio recordings of at least two recent representative chamber music and/or solo performances

Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis, and the position may be filled before the application deadline. Applicants may be asked to fill out a short questionnaire, and finalists will be auditioned/interviewed in early May. Position will begin on or shortly after August 15, 2021. Dates of employment are 8/15/21 - 6/15/22.

About 4-Way:

Founded in 2015, 4-Way has quickly established itself as one of the area’s leading chamber ensembles. Offering thematic, unusual programs including traditional and modern works, they perform regularly in community settings and private homes, as well as traditional concert spaces, including the Taft Museum, the Mercantile Library, and the Weston Art Gallery. They have also appeared at Otterbein University and Wilmington College. The group is currently in discussion with The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center about performing Steve Reich’s “Different Trains” at the Cincinnati Museum Center in the 2021-22 season.

 4-Way is in residence at Woodford Paideia Elementary School, as part of Cincinnati Public Schools’ Vision 2020 initiative. Woodford also is the home of the 4-Way String Project, the group’s free education program.

The group is moving towards becoming a full-time ensemble, and towards 501(c)3 non-profit status – currently, the Kennedy Heights Arts Center serves as the quartet’s fiscal agent, helping the group raise tax-deductible contributions from over 150 individual supporters, as well as grants from ArtsWave, 5/3 Bank, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, PNC Charitable Trusts, and the Ohio String Teachers Association.

The 25th time's the charm - A lesson in persistence from Shaylin

Some of you may recall a previous blog entry about one of our cello students, Shaylin. When I first met her, she was in 4th grade, and was already student body president - a sign of things to come, for sure! Shaylin graduated from Woodford last spring, and is now a 7th grader at Cincinnati’s prestigious Walnut Hills High School. She continues her weekly cello lessons, and I look forward to seeing her every week - not only because she’s working hard at being the best cellist she can be, but because she teaches me what inner strength and determination are.

In her lesson last week, I asked Shaylin to make a recording of the piece she was learning. One of the few bright spots of the pandemic is seeing how powerful a tool this is for our students, and we will definitely stick with it. When Shaylin sent her recording, it was clear that she’d made great progress. In her lesson yesterday, I told her how impressive her improvement was, and she said, “It took me 25 times to make that!” If you want to understand why this program exists, it’s so our students can have experiences like that - where they see what persistence and determination will get them.

After a very challenging year, I’ve never been more ready for Thanksgiving, and among the many things I’m grateful for is the chance to be a part of 4-Way and the String Project. Many thanks to my colleagues, who I really miss playing with right now, our supporters, who make it all possible, and most of all, our students. And these days, that feels like an even more valuable lesson than usual!

From all of us - stay safe, keep moving forward, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

"Distance" Learning

Like everything else these days, the String Project has been through some big changes. After Woodford Paideia closed in March, we moved our lessons online. Though it’s not the same as working side by side, we’ve managed very well, and many of the kids are doing better than ever in their lessons, with more time to practice, and less competition for their time and attention. My cello students send me recordings during the week in between lessons, and like all musicians, they have learned a lot from that experience! Just hearing yourself play on a recording can be quite a surprise, and is a great opportunity to raise your game. I have been amazed at how much progress some of the kids have made by recording themselves, and I think we ought to continue this even after we get back to “normal” lessons.

Not everything is the same - we all miss gathering for snack and the Name Game, and playing chamber music - but we are maintaining the most important part of the String Project - CONNECTION. It has never been more important to stay connected to each other, and our kids are reminding us every week why we started this program in the first place. Whenever we can get back to Woodford, we will - until then, we will keep on with ”Distance” learning.

Also like everyone else, we’ve taken a big financial hit - a grant program we rely on every year was canceled, along with several fundraising concerts. We know how hard a time this is for everyone, but if you are fortunate enough to be able to help us keep this program going, please do! We’ve never needed your support more.

Thank you,

Alistair, Beth, Kevin and Nat

Wait, is that a BASS?

Meet our newest teacher, Ms. Zoe Harvey, and her student, 4th grader Jada!

One of the most important lessons we try to teach our students is persistence - playing a string instrument, like most things in life worth doing, requires a lot of it. Recently, we were reminded of the importance of persistence in another way, by Woodford’s intrepid and determined strings teacher, Carolyn Quinn. Early in the fall, Ms. Quinn had urged us to take Jada (above right) in the after school program. I explained that we didn’t have a teacher for her, and couldn’t give her what she needed. A couple weeks later, she brought it up again, and after some discussion, we discovered that Woodford has a bass teacher after all - Ms. Zoe Harvey! Ms. Zoe works at Woodford as a specialist with hearing-impaired children, but she has played bass since she was an orchestra student at Walnut Hills High School (studying with John Caliguri, one of our other teachers), and was delighted to join us. We’re really glad she’s able to pitch in, and help remind our kids how music can always be a part of your life. A big thank you to Ms. Quinn, for modeling persistence for all of us, and to Jada, for her persistence in lugging her bass around!

Please support the work that Ms. Zoe and all our teachers are doing by making a donation to the 4-Way String Project - thank you!

We're BAA-ACK!

The 4-Way String Project is off and running! Our students are hard at work, excited about playing their instruments, learning from new teachers…

and of course, the most important thing, snack!

We are very excited to have John Caliguri back again with us this year, working with the chamber groups and leading a large ensemble with all our students. He brought a friend, too - his student teacher, CCM cellist, Peter Chan. Peter brought a 5 string violin, which our students thought was, and I quote, “lit”. Here’s a little bit of their work…

We have lots more exciting news coming soon - stay tuned! And in the meantime, please consider a donation to help support the program - we appreciate it!

Help Wanted!

As we approach the end of a successful year, we are looking ahead to next season, too, and we’re going to need some help. As we continue our march towards full-time work, we are reluctantly saying goodbye to our two violinists, Sujean Kim and Jack Bogard, both of whom have given so much to the group.

Jack, off to Indiana University for graduate school in the fall, expanded 4-Way’s musical horizons, especially with his background as a championship Irish fiddler - much of our programming this year has reflected his folk background, and we’ll really miss his great playing and musical curiosity! (His puns, not so much.) IU is lucky to have him.

Sujean has been with 4-Way from the beginning, and has been the anchor of the group in so many ways - she is a formidable violinist, an exceptional chamber musician, a devoted teacher, an unfailingly supportive colleague, and most important, a dear friend. She will be missed, but we’ll try to keep the spirit and energy she brought to the group as we move forward.

So, we need two violinists who want to change the world through string quartets - can you help us find them? The job description is below - PLEASE share it with anyone you can think of, and email us at 4WayQuartet@gmail.com with any suggestions!

Wanted – 2 violinists to join 4-Way, a community-based string quartet, whose members share a deep commitment to community engagement and social action in their work. Candidates should be equally committed to performing chamber music at the highest level, teaching, and community engagement.

 Qualifications:

            A master’s degree in violin performance or chamber music (or a bachelor’s degree and significant professional experience)

·           Significant experience teaching violin, ideally in a community-oriented setting.

·           Passion for ongoing, deep engagement with underserved communities through performance and instrumental instruction

·           Commitment to helping the ensemble grow towards full-time employment, through administrative activities including publicity, operations, strategic planning, and fundraising.

·           Interest in a broad range of repertoire, creating non-traditional programs and engaging audiences (e.g. speaking from the stage).

·           Excellent organizational and communication skills

·           Reliable transportation

·           Successful applicant must pass local, state, and federal background check, and obtain a Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Security Badge. http://www.cps-k12.org/families-students/student-safety/employee-badges

·          

Duties:

In addition to quartet performances and occasional meetings with community partners, between September and May, members will have the following weekly duties:

·       teaching for the 4-Way String Project, the group’s free education program - Tuesdays, 4 – 6 P.M. (additional teaching 12:30 - 3 P.M. on Tuesdays  available for further stipend - see below)

·       3-5 hours per week quartet rehearsal

·       semi-monthly business meeting (after rehearsal)

·       5 hours per week administrative duties

Compensation:

• $8,000 minimum annual stipend

• additional $3,000 stipend for 1 violinist teaching 12:30 - 3 on Tuesdays

• further compensation for additional performance and teaching opportunities may develop

To Apply:

Please send the following to 4WayQuartet@gmail.com no later than April 30, 2019.

• Cover letter

• Resume with at least three professional references

Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis, and the position may be filled before the application deadline. Applicants may be asked to fill out a short questionnaire, and finalists will have an audition/interview in late April or early May. Position will begin on or before August 15, 2019.

About 4-Way:

Founded in 2015, 4-Way has quickly established itself as one of the area’s leading chamber ensembles. They perform regularly in community settings and private homes, as well as traditional concert spaces, including the Taft Museum, the Mercantile Library, and the Weston Art Gallery. They have also appeared at Otterbein University and Wilmington College.

4-Way is in residence at Woodford Paideia Elementary School, as part of Cincinnati Public Schools’ Vision 2020 initiative. Woodford also is the home of the 4-Way String Project, the group’s free education program.

The group is moving towards becoming a full-time ensemble, and towards 501(c)3 non-profit status – currently, the Kennedy Heights Arts Center serves as the quartet’s fiscal agent, helping the group raise tax-deductible contributions from over 100 individual supporters, as well as grants from ArtsWave, 5/3 Bank, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, PNC Charitable Trusts, and the Ohio String Teachers Association.

Ready for Primetime!

Recently, our students had their annual performance at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, as part of the Woodford Paideia Student Art Show. You can see lots of pictures and video on our Facebook page, but there’s one we’re especially proud to show you here. This group features two 4th graders and a 5th grader, all of whom are new to our program this year. Aleyah, Joy, and Brian show us how well they’ve learned to play together, and all that that entails - collaborating, listening, leading and following. We are so proud of them!

To help us continue the work we’re doing with these wonderful kids, please click the link below to make a donation! Thank you for your support - we couldn’t do it without you!

Each One Teach One

One of the joys of the 4-Way String Project is bringing people of different ages and backgrounds together through music. This year, for the first time, we have two volunteers to help us, and each one offers our kids guidance in their own unique, important way.

Meet Madison (left), a 7th grader who was in the program its first two years, and now comes back each Tuesday to help mentor her former Woodford classmates. Madi now attends Clark Montessori, one of Cincinnati’s premier high schools, but one which unfortunately doesn’t yet have a strings program. By volunteering with us, she gets to keep studying violin, shows her younger peers the value of commitment to their work, and stay connected with friends. And you can see the effect she has – Shaylin is so excited to have her back!

Mr. Choi (left) and Aleyah

Edmund Choi is a lifelong violinist, playing in several local orchestras while holding down a day job, as a professor of molecular genetics (!) at the University of Cincinnati. I met Ed on my street (he’s my neighbor) after hearing him practicing in his sunroom. He’s quickly become a favorite of our students, and they look forward to working with him each week. As someone who learned to play the violin in San Francisco public schools, and has never stopped, he also shows our students how much joy a lifetime of music making can bring, the rewards of sticking with it, and that musicians can be very good at other things, too! I hope we can have him explain what he does at UC, and how playing the violin helped him get where he is.

Both Ed and Madi are wonderful additions to our teaching staff, and we’re very grateful for their willingness to help, and remind our kids that they can continue a life filled with music once they leave us.

Till next time,

Nat

As Giving Tuesday approaches, please consider donating to the 4-Way String Project - we are always grateful for your support!

It Brings You Joy, Part 2

You may remember last year’s post, about my student Shaylin’s comment that the cello “brings you joy” - well, here’s proof. Meet Joy!

As you can see, Joy is excited about playing the cello - well, to be honest, she’s excited about a lot of things! Joy is not only an instrumentalist, but a singer as well. On Tuesdays, after a full day at Woodford that begins at 9:30, she comes to our program, and when it ends at 6, she goes to choir rehearsal at her church up the street. Now that’s dedication! Her excitement and enthusiasm are contagious, and she truly lives up to her name! Joy and our other students are busy working on their solos and ensemble pieces, along with lots of other musical and team-building activities. We’ll be posting more photos and videos in the weeks to come - stay tuned!

We rely on your support to provide the program free of charge to Joy and her classmates. Please consider a donation if you’re able to - thank you!