Juilliard 2013 Summer Grants Awarded to Six Student Projects

Juilliard's 2013 summer grants supporting innovative summer educational and artistic residencies are going to dance, drama, and music students working abroad and in the United States. The wide ranging projects will take place in Tokyo, Japan;Nairobi, Kenya; the West Bank; and in the United States to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia; Garland, Texas; and Cleveland, Ohio.These residencies are part of Juilliard's extensive outreach program and have been funded by the School since the program began more than twenty years ago (in 1991). Each spring semester, a call for proposals urges students to plan the artistic and administrative elements of unique projects, which in the past have taken Juilliard's young artists around the world - to Brazil, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Nigeria, Nova Scotia, Peru, The Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Some, such as Art Powers Arusha in Tanzania (founded in 2009); Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) with projects in New York, India, Florida, Africa, and Ecuador; and Detroit Arts Immersion (founded in 2009) have become continuing programs. These summer residencies deepen the students' understanding of their role and impact as artists, and the projects benefit others, often in underserved areas of the United States and the world. Many are created in conjunction with local organizations and existing programs to better match an area's need. The participants in these projects document their work and share it with the Juilliard community during the School's convocation ceremony in September.

These six student projects were selected to receive funding this summer 2013:

TRADE WINDS TO NAIROBI, KENYA, May 27 to June 15, 2013

Founded in May 2012, Trade Winds is a woodwind quintet made up of young professional musicians who are committed to outreach and teaching. The musicians of Trade Winds are flutist Christina Hughes, oboist Ellen Hindson, clarinetist Brian Gnojek, Juilliard bassoonist Midori Samson, and hornist Nicholas Walls. They are inspired by the power music has to build self-confidence and communication skills in young people. They will be offering free classes, collaborations, and performances for students who do not usually have access to arts education. Trade Winds aims to encourage musical creativity among the youth of Nairobi, Kenya. They will offer private instruction to the students. These free workshops will be offered during a three-week residency in Kenya from May 27 to June 15, 2013. Trade Winds will partner with four institutions in Nairobi: Art of Music Foundation; Barbara Jasinka Rise and Shine Academy; the International School of Kenya; and Nairobi School. They also will perform a side-by-side concert with the Nairobi Orchestra. Trade Winds not only hopes to share their knowledge of music, but hopes to learn from their collaborators in Kenya.

PALESTINE PIANO PROJECT, West Bank, June 8-July 7, 2013

Juilliard Doctor of Musical Arts candidate, pianist Benjamin Laude, will give lessons, master classes, and performances in association with Al Kamandjâti, Music Days Festival and Summer Camp, in the West Bank. The Palestine Piano Project will introduce a piano element to the musical environment already established by Al Kamandjâti Association (AK), a program offering instruction and performance opportunities for musicians who play Western orchestral and traditional Arabic instruments. The project will run alongside two separate programs put on by AK: the Music Days Festival and Summer Camp. The daily schedule includes studio classes, ensemble classes, piano composition and improvisation classes, chamber music sessions, and performances. Mr. Laude's conservatory training as a concert pianist and his many years of experience as a teacher and organizer will enable him to enhance both of these programs by attracting young musicians to take part in the joys and rewards of piano playing. The project will provide its young participants with avenues for creativity and expression, collaboration, and self-discovery.

MUSIC FEEDS US: Blue Ridge Mountains, June 10-16, 2013

Juilliard violist Fitz Gary is in the master of music degree program, and cellist Avery Waites completed his master of music degree from Juilliard in 2012. They both have been motivated to give back to their community through their art. They hope to bring classical music to audiences that may not have had much exposure to the genre. Two classical music concerts will be presented free of charge with a free-will offering to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The first concert takes place at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton. Virginia onSaturday, June 15 at 3 PM, and the second concert will be at the First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday, June 16 at 3 PM. In addition, Mr. Gary and Mr. Waites will do outreach projects, including a children's concert, a chamber music workshop for high school students, and performances at the local farmer's market. They also will be performing at a screening of a new documentary, A Place at the Table, starring Jeff Bridge, about hunger problems in America.

JCF TO JAPAN: Tokyo, June 26-July 3, 2013

Two summers ago, a small team from Juilliard and a few other musicians in the NYC area gathered to create an outreach trip called JCF to Japan. The trip was planned to reach out to many Japanese people suffering from the earthquake/tsunami in March of 2011. This year, the team plans to continue its annual trip because the need for hope in Japan is still very high. The main purpose of the trip is to reach out to the Japanese people with the power of music and the healing it can bring. The team will be performing fundraising concerts, free concerts in public spaces, free concerts in coffee houses, community centers, and people's homes to encourage community building. They will be giving master classes and teaching local kids and also music students in the nearby conservatories. The location will be based out of Tokyo, but the students plan on going north to the Tohoku area (Ishinomaki) where the earthquake of 2011 hit the hardest. Juilliard cellist Jeon Lee is the organizer of JCF to Japan.

THE NEHEMIAH PROJECT, Cleveland, Ohio, July 6-20, 2013

Juilliard 2nd year dancer Nehemiah Spencer is the project director of The Nehemiah Project, an artistic project that utilizes community service to bring together young artists in the inner city of Cleveland. The six-day project is devoted to bringing dancers together to demonstrate the values of a healthy strong community. The dancers will put together a small showcase to tour different institutions where they will perform dance/movement therapy. On July 20, 2013, the Nehemiah Project will host its 2nd annual scholarship concert for the Callie E. Taylor Scholarship. The scholarship honors Nehemiah's mother who spent countless hours volunteering and mentoring the students at the Cleveland School of the Arts. The concert raises funds for a Cleveland School of the Arts graduate to go towards unmet needs the student may have for the upcoming school year. Other dancers joining Mr. Spencer include Quran Chamberlin, a dancer for Lady Gaga.

CHAMBER WORKS, Garland, Texas, July 8-20, 2013

ChamberWorks is an affordable strings-only music camp for beginning to intermediate students that aims to produce well-rounded musicians and future artistic leaders. Created by Juilliard violist Marcus Pyle and now in its fourth year, ChamberWorks takes place for two weeks in Garland, Texas at the First United Methodist Church. The basic makeup of the camp is based on relating everything back to chamber music. The core curriculum includes: Discussing Music, Ear-Training, Choir, and Leadership in Chamber Music. Students are also allowed a choice between electives such as Performance Success, Composition and Forms, and World Music/Improvisation. ChamberWorks is a completely interdisciplinary camp that introduces students to drama, dance, poetry, writing, philosophy, and even mathematics. The daily schedule, 9 AM - 4 PM, includes classes, discussions, and rehearsals. Juilliard violist Marcus Pyle is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music (London) with Honors in Viola Performance and is currently in the master of music degree program, studying with Samuel Rhodes.

The Juilliard School also supports numerous programs that bring the performing arts to underserved groups much closer to home. During each school year, Juilliard's administrative Educational Outreach programs benefit audiences throughout the five boroughs of New York City. These programs provide instructional opportunities in dance, drama, and music, epitomizing Juilliard's commitment to sharing the arts with the community. By engaging in classroom teaching and interactive performances, Juilliard students gain the foundations necessary for them to embark on successful careers and productive lives as artists, leaders, and citizens. For more information on Juilliard's Educational Outreach Programs, go to http://www.juilliard.edu/community/outreach.