Paterson Music Project Film

PMP spent the weekend on set at the Paterson Art Factory, capturing footage of students, teachers, administrators, and parents in action!  PMP had the pleasure of working with Genevieve Castelino-Merchant from Chakra Media Group, based in Chatham NJ and Faroukh Mistry, Director of Photography, based in Los Angeles.  The two worked together to create a video for PMP’s upcoming Building Harmony Fundraising Breakfast. 

Genevieve has embraced this project with such enthusiasm and passion, exceeding our expectations in terms of commitment and artistry.  Her vision goes beyond creating just a video for the Building Harmony Breakfast.  She hopes to create a documentary about PMP which will follow the students and program for five years.  The footage captured from this September will be the first installation of the long term project. This project is an exciting opportunity for PMP to tell its story to a larger audience and to gain publicity and funding so that the program can continue for many years to come. 

The two days we spent on set this September were very special for the parents, teachers, and students.  Parents shared their personal stories and described the impact PMP has had on their children.  It was touching and emotional at times to hear how meaningful the program is to some of the families involved.  There were also plenty of joyful, fun, and even silly moments.  The PMP students basked in the opportunity to be on camera, play their instruments, get close ups with their teachers, dance and sing with the fog machine.  We are so grateful at PMP for this opportunity and look forward to premiering the film on November 21^st at the Building Harmony Breakfast.

PMP Summer Program

Paterson Music Project had a wonderful summer session this July in which PMP students had the chance to continue their musical study as part of the Community Charter School of Paterson’s Summer School.  About half of our soon-to-be fourth grade students participated in the program, which met for two hours a day, four days a week during July. 

Typically, PMP students spend time during the school year taking group instrumental classes, orchestra, and musicianship class with their prospective playing level.  The summer program was a nice change of pace in which students formed chamber groups, played in orchestra, and explored rhythms in bucket ensemble with all levels combined.  The chamber groups were a fun challenge for our students.  This was the first time that they have ever played in chamber groups with multiple voices.  Some of the arrangements they played included Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Ode to Joy, and the Imperial March from Star Wars (which was of course, a PMP favorite).

It was very exciting to see such a strong NJYS/WMC presence at Paterson Music Project this summer.  We had a record number of high school mentors from NJYS work with our students nearly every day of the program.  Our students had the benefit of extra private lessons and coaching from NJYS mentors.  We also had the great pleasure of a visit from NJYS alum, Zach Hatcher.  He did a harp demo and performed on his instrument for an enthralled and inquisitive PMP audience. 

We begin our full-fledged fall semester on September 29 and expect 75 third and fourth graders to be joining us!  There is so much exciting growth and change happening at PMP.  We are looking forward to what will be a fruitful and musical year.

Community and Giving at PMP

The Paterson Music Project is rolling along in its second year!  We have fifty young musicians participating in the program, meeting three days a week to learn about music and make music!  There are many people who make the program happen, including our extremely committed teachers, the administration and teachers at the Community Charter School of Paterson, the PMP Parents, the staff at the New Jersey Youth Symphony, and volunteers.

We've had the pleasure of working with high school mentors from the New Jersey Youth Symphony who volunteer their time to work with the beginner students at PMP on a consistent basis.  They take joy and pride in getting to know the students as well as share their knowledge of their craft with the third graders.

There is one volunteer in particular who has gone above and beyond in giving his time to the program.  Aidan Garrison, a freshman violist from Sparta, NJ, visits the program twice a week, practically without fail.  He mainly works with the viola classes but is ready to do whatever is needed!  He takes care and pride in his work as well as in the work of the students.  He knows each students' name, their habits, their musical strengths and struggles, and how to help them.  If a teacher needs anything, Aidan's got it!  He is also master of transporting stands and chairs to and from the "instrument closet" to the classrooms.

(Aidian working with Rahsaa Johnson at PMP)

Aidan's dedication and humble attitude are unique.  I'd also like to mention that this wouldn't happen without the dedication of his mother, Sarah, who drives him to the program each week over an hour and stays the duration of the program with him.  I know that both the students and Aidan learn a great deal from each other each week at the Paterson Music Project.  Thank you Aidan for your extreme dedication and hard work!

PMP is a COMMUNITY oriented program.  We strive to include as many different people from the immediate community of Paterson as well as the musical community in NJ.  The success of our program is rooted in people working together for a greater cause.  Our volunteers are just one column of support out of many that make the program possible and allow students the opportunity to participate in their own musical community each afternoon at PMP.

(Aidan and Shanna Lin- viola teaching artist at PMP)

Paterson Music Project Final Winter Concert

Check out our final concert from December 2013.  The students worked so hard and sound great after only one year of playing! 

Looking forward to a successful and very musical 2014 at the Paterson Music Project. Happy New Year!

00:00 Ode to Joy

01:24 Ba Ba Black Sheep

04:15 Song of the Wind

05:32 Lightly Row

06:34 French Folk Song

07:43 Tango Twinkle Variations

Photos From Orchestra

Students were laser-focused yesterday as they rehearsed in their respective small orchestra groups with Erika Tesi and Jeff Grogan.  They are preparing for their winter concert on December 10th.  Students are working on orchestra etiquette and focus in addition to the music they are making.  These students will become the program leaders once we begin our new class of students in January!

Anticipation and Excitement for First Concert

The second grade students at the Community Charter School of Paterson (CCSP) are getting ready for their first concert ever!  They will be playing with the New Jersey Youth Symphony on Saturday at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, NJ.  High School students from the NJYS have been visiting the program as mentors in the classroom since January.  Teachers, students, and families from CCSP are brimming with excitement and anticipation for Saturday.  The Alternative Press of Paterson published an article about the concert and the Paterson Music Project.  Click on the link to read the Alternative Press Article!

The Paterson Music Project was all ears yesterday, when "Mr. George"Marriner Maull came to lead a lesson in music listening!  His subject was the last movement of the Fourth Brandenburg; clearly no one warned him that second-graders can't understand Bach.

Come to find out -- second-graders can absolutely understand Bach, at least when Mr. George is leaping about, impersonating now the violas, now the cellos, now the violins.  The kids counted appearances of the theme, yelled "Duh! Duh!" in unison along with the big chords, guessed correctly the identity of the recorder when it came in -- and a few even noticed when he tried to fool them by playing a different piece of music.  Many of the kids played along with great gusto on their air violins and air cellos.

After Mr. George left, the kids got back to the business of making music themselves.  I haven't visited for six weeks or so and was astounded at how much progress they have made; they are playing multiple notes and rhythms on instruments they didn't know how to pick up, last time I was there.  Just as striking was an overall sense of pride and accomplishment among most of the children, and an understanding that they are working as a team.  Bravo to all!  I can't wait to visit again.