Tuesday, January 27, 2015

CYM Pianists featured in Pre-concert Performance at Heinz Hall- in review!

Gabriel Gotz

Reka Gotz

Joshua Faber

Hafsah Shahzad
Joshua and Juliana Faber

Juliana, Gabriel, Hafsah, Joshua, Reka, and Ms. Sonia!

Congratulations are in order for CYM pianists Reka Gotz, Gabriel Gotz, Hafsah Shahzad, Juliana Faber, and Joshua Faber for representing themselves and our school so beautifully at their pre-concert performance this past Friday, January 23rd before the Gabriela Montero performed Ravel's Piano Concerto in G with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Bravo!

This wonderful concert was a part of CYM's Workshops and Activities program, and several CYM families attended the concert as a field trip. They particularly enjoyed watching and listening to Gabriela Montero's improvisations at the piano- as a nod to Pittsburgh's Fred Rogers, she even performed "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!" 

Check out the little video of our group at Heinz Hall:

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Curriculum Nights in March and April at CYM


Join us in March and April for a meeting with our faculty and staff to learn more about CYM's curriculum, educational philosophy, and goals for our students. Open to current and new families alike!

Appassionata Community Concert with Dr. Sonia Tripathi- in review!


The Appassionata Community Concert on Valentine's Day was a wonderful success! We caught our performers in action below- enjoy!















CYM goes to Fiddlesticks Winter Dreams Concert on February 21

CYM is excited to include the Fiddlesticks Family Winter Dreams concert on Saturday, February 21 at 11:15am as a field trip this school year! 

CYM string students are excited to perform in the pre-concert activities in the upstairs gallery of Heinz Hall. More about the concert and the Pittsburgh Symphony's Fiddlesticks Family Concert series can be found here.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Piano Jazz Masterclass with Brett Williams- in review!

Brett Williams at the piano

WOW! CYM's piano students and families had a special treat on Saturday, March 7th when local Pittsburgh legend, jazz pianist Brett Williams and his comrades- Jevon Rushton, percussion, and  Sam Harris, bass, presented an interactive masterclass at CYM Sewickley.

Trio with Brett Williams, Sam Harris, and Jevon Rushton
 The trio performed Autumn Leaves and Blues for the group, introduced themselves, and spoke about their individual musical beginnings (all classically trained!) Mr. Willimas spoke about the musical tools and techniques you use to make creative statements with your instrument- a "question and answer" approach, creating an arc or peak of interest, and relying on the music literacy knowledge you learn during practice to create a framework for your improvisation. The gentlemen especially focused on the importance of listening to each other and working together to create a new musical experience each time they perform!


Mr. Sam takes the bass for a little run, er, walk
The many fun faces of Mr. Jevon

Bassist Sam Harris and percussionist Jevon Rushton shared some excellent advice on listening, collaboration, and personal style. Both gentlemen were fantastic collaborators themselves and added sophisticated rhythms and flair to every number, not to mention, were a blast to watch!


Mr. Brett and Gabi take turns with their improv riffs

Next, students were invited up to the piano to improvise in a call and response with Mr. Brett. They were FANTASTIC!

Alexandra Spallek played a fantastic boogie!
 The latter half of the workshop allowed students who had prepared standards, blues, or boogie-style pieces to perform their piece with the rhythm section and have Mr. Williams make suggestions and give comments. The audience clapped along!

Fife McCargo adds her own spin to the blues.


The whole group!
The whole group had such a great time learning and performing. What a day!
 

The very next Friday, students who attended the workshop were invited to see Mr. Williams perform with world renowned Pittsburgh bassist Marcus Miller and his band at Manchester Craftsman's Guild. The concert was a blend of blues, funk, latin, and jazz tunes. They brought the house down with Papa Was a Rolling Stone!

Students at the MCG concert

A HUGE thank you to Brett and Lori Williams, Jevon Rushton, and Sam Harris for such an incredible experience. Thank you to Alicia McGinnis and Ms. Sonia for coordinating this wonderful event. We are inspired and thankful for such an unforgettable experience!

CYM Youth Voice Presents: An A Capella Experience- extended deadline February 23!

Ms. Anna Elder leads this exciting new vocal group for the Winter/Spring term at CYM. New to singing? Love listening but want to give it a try? Youth Voices is open to all members of CYM!
Register online here!