Welcome Back to Music!

 

A Message from our President...

 

 

 

Welcome to the new CYM school year! 

 

The faculty and I are excited to begin the musical year with returning and new families. The beginning of the school year brings the pleasures of seeing and hearing how returning students have matured and grown and the fun of introducing a child to music, whether in a Toddlers class or as a beginning instrumentalist. We at CYM want to make sure that every child's musical journey is a process that is unique and satisfying. I look forward to hearing singing in the classrooms, and performances on the stage!  

 

Leah Givelber, CYM President

 

Welcome Back to Music!

Happy September to all students, families and friends of the Center for Young Musicians! We are very excited to be starting a new school year of fun, friends and musicianship.

 

Just a few highlights:

 

We are pleased to welcome three new faculty members to CYM: Simmi Tripathi (piano), Ryan Ash (cello) and Danny Rectenwald (guitar). Help them feel welcome by saying hi and introducing yourselves! Think you know your own teacher pretty well? Check out the TakeNote blog for Who's Who at the Center for Young Musicians- short biographies on all CYM faculty and staff, where you are sure to find some surprises.

 

Department group classes

 

Department group classes start this month! Please see the CYM calendar for dates for each instrument group. This is a great opportunity to hear and play with students of different abilities and styles, and to get to know your classmates a little better. Classes are Saturdays in Wexford at 9 a.m. and open to all private lesson students.

Exciting performance opportunities are shaping up for the new school year! If you plan to perform in the Ensemble Recital on Nov. 3, please let your teacher know as soon as possible!

Administrators’ Corner

 

For Wexford families, Route 19 construction project continues so please plan for extra time when coming to class. Hang in there! Travel should be smooth and easy when finished!

In Wexford, please remember to back into your parking space. This is very important for safety with children around. Please refer to the parking diagram on the bulletin board in the waiting area.

Please return your Contact Preferences and Media Release form, if you haven’t done so.

 

Getting back to work!

 

Trading in the lazy days of summer for school work (and instrument practice!) can be a little rough even for the biggest of bookworms. Check out these tips on getting back into the school groove, and remember to fit your music studies into the routine!

 

 

Who's Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Autumn Kunselman

Autumn Kunselman

Who’s Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Autumn Kunselman

A new school year will mean new faces at the Center for Young Musicians! We are excited to announce that new teachers for piano, cello and guitar will be joining the CYM family, bringing unique experiences and solid training in music education. And as always, we happily look forward to greeting new students and their families.

To help everyone get to know each other a little better, we’ll be posting short bios on all the CYM teachers and staff.  Read on to learn more about Autumn Kunselman, CYM Director of Student Affairs.

Autumn Kunselman, originally from Punxsutawney, PA, began singing in church at the age of 4. She received her Bachelor of Music with vocal concentration and elective studies in business from Clarion University of Pennsylvania under the guidance of Dr. William Adams and Ms. Judith Robb Jenkins. While at Clarion, Autumn honed her business expertise serving two terms as President of the Music Marketing Association and earning an internship working with indie911.com in Hollywood, CA.

Autumn has had the privilege of performing with Mr. Lou Schreiber, Paul Thompson, Deb Weible, and in workshop with Maynard Ferguson and Marvin Hamlisch. She currently performs in the Pittsburgh area and studies jazz vocals with Ms. Maureen Budway. In her professional endeavors, Autumn enjoys serving on the board of Community Outreach and Education for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and is a member of Americans for the Arts, the Emerging Arts Leader network of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, and advocates for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. Autumn currently lives in Regent Square and has been serving administratively at the Center for Young Musicians since May of 2008.

As Director of Student Affairs, Ms. Autumn wakes up in the middle of the night thinking of ways to support CYM students and families in their music education. From welcoming the youngest students, to encouraging older ones making steady progress, to arranging for experienced graduates opportunities to perform at the highest levels, CYM’s community of students and families never cease to surprise and inspire her! Ms. Autumn also is the creative force behind CYM’s communications and marketing efforts. 

Q&A with CYM:

CYM:  When/where/how do you listen to music for fun?

Ms. Autumn: I feel I get my best ideas with a pot of over-the-stove popcorn, a glass of vino in hand and Miles Davis on the turntable. During which time I may or may not be sorting laundry.

CYM: Favorite childhood book?

Ms. Autumn: The BFG by Roald Dahl. Actually, any book by Roald Dahl for that matter. (Especially the ones with absurdly wonderful Quentin Blake illustrations). I get sucked into his imaginary world like a moth to a tractor beam.

 

CYM: Most memorable music performance?

Ms. Autumn: One of my favorite performances to experience was Andrew Bird one-man show at the Carnegie Library in Braddock. His musical interpretations include such a unique presentation- a combination of singing, playing the violin and theremin, and whistling! (If you watched the Muppet movie, Andrew lends his whistling virtuoso to Walter in the final scene!)

CYM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Ms. Autumn: I share my birthday with Shamu and Johnny Appleseed.

CYM: What has music given you?

Ms. Autumn: Music has provided me the shortest distance between friends and a peek into the small window of the soul of every performer. In it, we share the freedom to express the very best of ourselves.  

Who's Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Sonia Tripathi

Sonia Tripathi

Who’s Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Sonia Tripathi

A new school year will mean new faces at the Center for Young Musicians! We are excited to announce that new teachers for piano, cello and guitar will be joining the CYM family, bringing unique experiences and solid training in music education. And as always, we happily look forward to greeting new students and their families.

To help everyone get to know each other a little better, we’ll be posting short bios on all the CYM teachers and staff.  Please give it up for CYM Piano Teacher Sonia Tripathi (can’t you hear the applause)!

Pianist Sonia Tripathi, originally from Houston, TX, received both her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in piano performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, under the guidance of Dr. Douglas Humpherys.  In 2011, she completed her Doctor of Music degree in piano performance at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she studied with Dr. Charles Asche. 

In her solo career, Sonia has had the privilege of playing in lessons and masterclasses for John Perry, Abbey Simon, Nelita True, Robert Roux, Andre Watts, Robert Shannon, Peter Takacs, and Veda Kaplinksy, among others.  In a collaborative setting, Sonia has been coached by Jean Barr, Yuval Yaron, Lynn Harrell, Oleh Krysa, the Ying Quartet, and the Peabody Trio.

Sonia has been teaching piano at CYM since September of 2009.  She currently resides in Churchill Valley, in Pittsburgh, PA.

Ms. Sonia teaches Classical, Legends and Literacy group classes in addition to her private piano students.

 

Q & A with CYM:

CYM: What is your favorite piece of music to play? 

Ms. Sonia: Fantasy in B Minor, by Alexander Scriabin.

CYM: When, where and how do you listen to music for fun?

Ms. Sonia: (Radio stations) 3WS or WQED while driving, Edith Piaf or Mississippi John Hurt while cooking/eating, and the Tito Puente station on Pandora (Internet Radio) while hanging out with friends in the backyard!

CYM:What is your favorite childhood book?

Ms. Sonia: 2 favorites! “James and the Giant Peach”, and “Where the Sidewalk Ends”.

CYM: What is the most memorable music performance that you’ve seen/heard?

Ms. Sonia: Again, 2 favorites, both in NYC! Pianist Pierre Laurent Aimard playing pieces by Elliott Carter and Charles Ives at Zankel Hall on my birthday in 2004, and cellist Pieter Wispelwey playing all 6 Bach cello suites at Alice Tully Hall in 2003.

CYM: What is your favorite treat to eat?

Ms. Sonia: Tex-Mex style nachos.

Who's Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Leah Givelber

Leah Givelber

Who’s Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Leah Givelber

A new school year will mean new faces at the Center for Young Musicians! We are excited to announce that new teachers for piano, cello and guitar will be joining the CYM family, bringing unique experiences and solid training in music education. And as always, we happily look forward to greeting new students and their families.

To help everyone get to know each other a little better, we’ll be posting short bios on all the CYM teachers and staff. If you don’t know her already, you should know Leah Givelber, CYM President.

Leah Givelber began studying the violin at age five. She earned degrees in violin performance at New England Conservatory and the Eastman School of Music. Her teachers include Masuko Ushioda, Charles Castleman, and Julia Bushkova.

 

In Boston, she performed with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Leah plays with many groups in the Pittsburgh area including the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet Orchestras, the Academy Chamber Orchestra and the McKeesport Symphony, where she is concert master.

 

A dedicated and accomplished Suzuki teacher, Leah has taught violin at the Center for Young Musicians from 2000 to the present, served as chair of the violin department from 2003-2006, and has been President of the school since 2009. During her time at the Center for Young Musicians, Leah has prepared students to perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony, at the White House, on the Saturday Light Brigade radio show, and collaborated with local composers and the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society. She lives in Squirell Hill with her husband Burkhardt Reiter, and their daughter, Josephine.

 

As CYM President, Ms. Leah oversees the behind-the-scenes magic that keeps CYM’s three locations humming  – everything from student scheduling and school policies to plumbing projects. After many years of guiding students toward music literacy and ensemble performance in group classes, Ms. Leah is “slowing down” a bit and only teaching private violin lessons this year. (By “slowing down” we mean growing her family by two in November!)

Q&A with CYM:

CYM: Do you play other instruments other than the instrument you teach/study?

Ms. Leah: Piano.

 

CYM: When and where do you listen to music for fun?

Ms. Leah: I like to listen to all sorts of music, but tend to listen to classical music the most.  I like music from all periods, Baroque through contemporary.  I also like more popular music, mostly acoustic singers or bands, especially those that sing in harmony. 

CYM: What is your favorite childhood book?

Ms. Leah: This is not an early childhood book, but in late elementary and middle school I loved The Once and Future King by TH White.  That book is the story of King Arthur and Camelot and I read that book more times than I can count. 

 

CYM: Where do you live and do you have any pets?

Ms. Leah: I live in Pittsburgh, and have 3 cats.  The cats are named after composers – Bela for Bela Bartok, Leonard for Leonard Bernstein, and Francois for Francois Couperin.  

Who's Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Stella Bonilla

Stella Bonilla and her son, Andreas

A new school year will mean new faces at the Center for Young Musicians! We are excited to announce that new teachers for piano, cello and guitar will be joining the CYM family, bringing unique experiences and solid training in music education. And as always, we happily look forward to greeting new students and their families.

To help everyone get to know each other a little better, we’ll be posting short bios on all the CYM teachers and staff.  Stella Bonilla is beginning her second school year at CYM as a Violin Teacher.

Stella Bonilla, a native of Bulgaria, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the Bulgarian State Academy of Music, a Master of Music in Conducting and a Doctorate of Musical Arts, both from Louisiana State University. 

While living in Louisiana, she taught private violin lessons and performed with the Baton Rouge and Acadiana Symphonies. She also held the post of leading conductor of the Acadiana Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Slidell Community Orchestra.

In 2001, Mrs. Bonilla and her family moved to Akron, Ohio, where she established a new violin studio and joined the Akron Symphony and Classic Touch Strings Orchestra.  She also taught at the Wayne Center for the Arts in Wooster.  In 2009, Mrs. Bonilla was appointed a strings teacher and orchestra director at the Spring Garden Waldorf School in Akron, Ohio. 

Mrs. Bonilla joined the faculty of CYM in October, 2011.  In addition to private violin instruction, she teaches Literacy and Classical group classes and Chamber Music.

 

Q & A with CYM:

CYM: What is your favorite piece of music to play and/or favorite composer?

Ms. Stella: I love playing and listening to the music of J. S. Bach.

CYM: Do you play other instruments other than the instrument you teach/study?

Ms. Stella: Piano

CYM: What is the most memorable music performance that you have seen/heard?

Ms. Stella: La Traviata with the Met Opera in New York.

CYM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Ms. Stella: I adore opera.

CYM: What has music given you?
Ms. Stella: Passion, joy, connection with the past.

CYM: What is your favorite treat to eat?
Ms. Stella:  Morena, a Bulgarian treat made of layers of thin waffles with hazelnuts in between.

Who's Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Ingrid Beute

Ingrid Beute

A new school year will mean new faces at the Center for Young Musicians! We are excited to announce that new teachers for piano, cello and guitar will be joining the CYM family, bringing unique experiences and solid training in music education. And as always, we happily look forward to greeting new students and their families.

To help everyone get to know each other a little better, we’ll be posting short bios on all the CYM teachers and staff.  Next in line is piano teacher Ingrid Beute, who joined CYM as a faculty member in 2011.

South African born Ingrid Beute started her concert career at the age of 5, when she had her debut with the South African National Symphony Orchestra. By the age of 18 Ingrid totaled over 30 concerto performances with major orchestras in RSA, among which included a performance under the baton of world renowned Swiss conductor, Mathias Bamert. She studied piano with Pauline Nossel from an early age until the completion of the Graduate Artist Diploma at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. She later completed the Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music.

Ingrid won first prize in the National South African Broadcasting Ensemble Competition, the Port Elizabeth Young Musicians Competition and the National ATKV Prelude Competition. On an international level, she won the prize for best South African pianist in the 1990 UNISA international Piano Competition and during the same year won overall Third place at the Marsala International Piano Competition in Italy. She moved on to performing as chamber pianist and soloist in Portugal, Italy, South Africa, Bophuthatswana and later on, the US.

Most recently, Ingrid performed as celesta and keyboard player for the Butler Symphony Orchestra. She was invited to conduct a master class and guest artist performance for Westminster College, PA, and also performed as concerto soloist with the Westminster Symphony Orchestra in New Wilmington.

Ingrid has also enjoyed a career in education. Among her positions include Fine Arts Coordinator and teacher at Colegio Internacional de Carabobo in Venezuela, piano instructor, chamber coach and artist in residence at the Luzerne summer Music Festival, New York, and instrumental music teacher at Redhill School, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ingrid currently performs as a freelance pianist in the Greater Pittsburgh area. She resides in Slippery Rock with her husband Manuel Valera, who works as Assistant Professor in Physics at the University of Slippery Rock, and their son Oliver. 

This school year, Ms. Ingrid will teach piano, Chamber Music and Literacy classes, as well as accompanying CYM performers on the piano.

 

Q & A with CYM:

CYM: What is your favorite piece of music to play and/or favorite composer?

Ms. Ingrid: Robert Schumann - Davidsbundlertanze

The Davidsbundlertanze has so many different stories to tell, and the strong contrasts in the characters; Eusebius, Florestan and Rara is wonderful to play. Never a dull moment or a predictable phrase!

 

CYM: Do you play other instruments other than the instrument you teach/study?

Ms. Ingrid: I played the violin for 7 years, the clarinet for 15 years, others I play currently are alto, tenor, soprano and sopranino recorder, piano and organ for the Trinity Lutheran Church in Butler.

CYM: When and where do you listen to music for fun?

Ms. Ingrid: In the car, and I spend a lot of time in the car! Every trip has a different mood, from Bossa Nova, through Jazz, Classic Rock and of course Classical Music. My most memorable and daunting trip for that matter, was driving through a hazardous snowstorm 2 years ago at 3 miles per hour on a dark small side road in Butler county, listening to Tavener's Protecting Veil at top volume! It was a soundtrack to the moment!

 

CYM: If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be (and what would

you eat)?

Ms. Ingrid: Nelson Mandela OF COURSE!, and it would be a spicy lemon-grass ginger chicken Thai curry and a glass of South African chardonnay.

 

CYM: What are your favorite childhood books? 

Ms. Ingrid: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry, and also the Enid Blyton series: The Famous Five and The Secret Seven.

Who's Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Danny Rectenwald

Danny Rectenwald

To help everyone get to know each other a little better, we’ll be posting short bios on all the CYM teachers and staff.  Danny Rectenwald is a great new addition to our guitar faculty beginning this Fall 2012.

Danny Rectenwald holds a Master of Music degree in Classical guitar performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Bachelors from Duquesne University. Danny has won numerous awards for his musicianship, most recently at East Carolina University's Guitar Competition and in the Music Academy of North Carolina International Guitar Competition.

In addition to distinguishing himself as a student, Danny earned local acclaim while residing in Pittsburgh. He was featured on WQED FM Pittsburgh in an interview by Ted Sohier where performed live a solo arrangement of Piazzola’sChiquilin de Bachin for Pittsburgh's radio audience.
Danny performs regularly as a solo classical guitarist playing music spanning from Baroque to Modern, including pieces he has personally composed. Danny also plays mandolin for a local Irish rock band called The Bearded Irishmen who have been featured on Pittsburgh stations WDVE, WXDX, and WYEP.

Q & A with CYM: 

CYM: Favorite piece of music to play and/or favorite composer?


Mr. Danny: I recently discovered the music of Dilermando Reis, a Brazilian composer in the 20th Century. I go through different phases of favorite pieces but for now it would have to be Uma Valsa e Dois Amores.

CYM: Do you play other instruments other than the instrument you teach/study?

Mr. Danny: I play mandolin in an Irish band called The Bearded Irishmen.

CYM: When/where/how do you listen to music for fun? 

Mr. Danny:  I listen to music in my car all the time since I drive a lot. I use pandora a lot also stuff on my iphone.

CYM: If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be (and what would you eat?)?

Mr. Danny: Probably with Joseph Campbell. He's an author that wrote a lot about religion, myth, and the human experience. I would say we would have Thai food. 

CYM: Favorite childhood book?

Mr. Danny: Hmmm, I think I remember liking Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss

Who's Who at the Center for Young Musicians: Ryan Ash

A new school year will mean fresh faces at the Center for Young Musicians! We are excited to announce that new teachers for piano, cello and guitar will be joining the CYM family, bringing unique experiences and solid training in music education. And as always, we happily look forward to greeting new students and their families.

To help everyone get to know each other a little better, we’ll be posting short bios on all the CYM teachers and staff.  Ryan Ash is our brand new faculty cellist and pianist beginning this Fall 2012.

Ryan Ash, cellist, began his musical studies on the piano at the age of six. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying cello  Brandon Vamos (of the Grammy-winning Pacifica Quartet) and piano with Dr. Yu-Chi Tai, and his Master of Music degree at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University with Dr. Tanya Carey, former president of the SAA and with whom he continues long-term teacher training every summer. Ryan has also taken teacher training with Dr. Louis Bergonzi and Dr. Karen Hendricks (cello), Caroline Fraser (piano),  and Melanie Ron (early childhood music).   He has performed in masterclasses for Steven Doane, Richard Aaron, David Halen, Amit Peled, John Sharp, Wendy Warner, the Arianna, Biava, and Shanghai String Quartets, and has spent summers studying at the Meadowmount School, Innsbrook Institute, Madeline Island Music Camp, Britt Festival, and the Astona International Festival in Leysin, Switzerland.

Before relocating to Pittsburgh, Ryan performed frequently as a member of the Sinfonia da Camera, the Champaign-Urbana, Eastern Illinois, and Decatur Symphony Orchestras, and the Lyria Piano Trio. His performance of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Trio for Two Cellos and Piano was also featured on Chicago’s classical radio station 98.7 WFMT. Ryan has since performed recitals of solo and chamber music on the Holy Trinity Concert Series in Robinson Township, Music on the Edge, and appeared with Ripieno Pittsburgh as well as the McKeesport, Butler County and Ohio Valley symphonies. He currently serves as cello faculty at the Center for Young Musicians and as cellist of the Peccatte Trio.

Q & A with CYM:

CYM:  Do you play any other instruments other than the instrument you teach?
Mr. Ryan: My first instrument was the piano.  I also play the recorder as a hobby.  Playing recorder in every clef seriously helped my reading, by the way.   

CYM: When did you start music lessons?
Mr. Ryan: I honestly have no idea when I started playing piano.  I switched to cello at age 9.  

CYM: Can you describe your teaching style (as if you are speaking to a student/parent)?  
Mr. Ryan: I've been traveling a lot this summer, and I can really feel my speaking accent taking on the qualities of Midwesterners, Hoosiers, Chicagoans and even Minnesotans.  My teaching feels the same way too: I've been exposed to many different styles of teaching in my career, and certainly different ways of bringing Dr. Suzuki's method to life.  At the present moment, there are two things at the rock bottom of my teaching: we must all feel well, and we must all learn.  Some characteristics of my teaching/goals for my studio include experiencing playing music easily from the inside, learning new skills with old pieces, lots of useful games, manual assistance, non-verbal lessons, sight-reading from a pulse, performing, and personal joy from music.  

When I reflect on my experience as a teacher, I see that I want to raise the ability of those people around me.  I have noticed that I coach not just in terms of instrumental proficiency, but also in terms of creative thinking and generosity of spirit.  I believe everyone is an artist, and everyone learns and grows through contact with one another.  With these beliefs at the core of my teaching, I search for an honest connection with my students and provide them with tools to discover their relationship to music.

CYM: What do you think are the hardest problems students face, and what is your approach to solving them?
Mr. Ryan: Well, in a perfect world, students wouldn't have problems, ever!  As I see it at this moment, learning to make music is an amazing experience when a student is faced with an appropriate challenge, has the tools to meet that challenge, is fueled by a powerful interest in music and experiences success frequently.  If a student is feeling pinched, these are the things I check on first to see if one is out of whack.  

I often imagine for myself that making music--that wonderful ability in which all musicians engage--is the hub of a wheel, while the spokes are the ways we might use to approach that hub.  A spoke might represent our chosen instrument, for instance, or an element of music which we really love, like a beautiful tone, the drama of a piece, or the real live interaction between players in performance.  A spoke might even be a learning modality like the kinesthetic sense or the aural sense, or even a style of playing: fast vs slow, aggressive vs refined, singing vs rhythmic, and so on.  Eventually, it all comes together, but we all start somewhere, and we’re all different.  Each one of us has our own favorite spokes and spokes we don't yet understand.  

I feel very lucky to be where I am in my development as a musician because I can feel many different spokes starting to come together.  For instance, I can go to a violin class, piano class, or even a saxophone class and learn so much that helps me on my own instrument, because at the end of the day, we're all aspiring to the same thing.  The most important thing is never to give up.  I've certainly surprised myself!

CYM: What is your favorite kind of music to listen to for fun? Where/when do you listen to music for fun (outside of work, teaching, practice, etc.)?
Mr. Ryan: Ah.  Yes.  I had a great time driving through West Virginia because I found a radio station where I was able to listen to two solid hours of banjo.  I love Irish fiddling but I don't play it.  I use techno for driving and chores.  But honestly I love classical music through and through, and I never ever get tired of it. 

CYM: Are there other things you like to do/hobbies/accomplishments that you’d like to tell us about?
Mr. Ryan: Two words: “bicycle soccer”.