This June, New York City teens will have the opportunity to work with renowned jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch as part of theFuture Music Project Ensemble, a dynamic collective of young musicians that writes, produces, and performs original music at Carnegie Hall and around the city. On Thursday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m., the ensemble performs with Hersch at SubCulture on the Lower East Side, followed by a second concert at El Museo del Barrio on Saturday, June 16 as part of theSuper Sábado Block Party, with street games, art making, and performances from 12:00 - 5:00 p.m., including a Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert by El Barrio's own Johnny Colon. Hersch has been working with the teens in workshops this spring, and will be collaborating with them as part of both concerts, which will include a new work by Hersch as well as music inspired by the 1960s.
An audition-based band made up of teens from across New York City, the Future Music Project Ensemble is led by James Shipp,
Mazz Swift, and Saskia Lane, and meets multiple times a week to write original music, rehearse, and perform. Earlier this spring, the group performed with celebrated artists on
Carnegie Hall's mainstage as part of A Time Like This: Music for Change, a creative learning project inspired by the music and movements of the 1960s. The collective has also performed at the Bronx Museum, Rockwood Music Hall, and El Puente this season.
In addition to the ensemble,
Carnegie Hall's Future Music Project also includes weekly afterschool workshops on songwriting (led by Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Jarrett Cherner,
Nick Demeris,
Jean Rohe, and Skye Steele), digital music (led by Gabo Lugo and Reginald "P.U.D.G.E." Sinkler), concert design (led by
Justin Gray), and a sampler pack exploring basic musicianship, recording, and songwriting (led by Clay Ross and Falu Shah).
Young people in the justice system across New York City also have the opportunity to take part in Future Music Project through offsite workshops at Belmont Academy (led by Aynsley Powell andOrson Benjamin), and Bronx Hope (led by Brown Rice Family), as well as Crossroads and Horizon Juvenile Centers (led by
Bridget Barkan and Ricardo Nigaglioni).
Teens can also take part in Studio 57, a free drop-in space on Saturdays (led by Frankie Leroux) that gives them the opportunity to collaborate, jam, attend "Meet the Pros" master classes, and perform during monthly concerts. They will have one final opportunity to share their songs before the end of the year through a "Studio 57 Live" open mic-style performance for family, friends, and fellow musicians onSaturday, June 23 at 12:00 p.m. in
Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing.
"Future Music Project is a place where young musicians can meet, exchange ideas, and find inspiration," said
Sarah Johnson,
Carnegie Hall's Chief Education Officer and Director of the Hall's Weill Music Institute. "This program is truly teen-driven, and we are thrilled to see participants collaborating with each other and producing new music. These aspiring young songwriters, producers, and instrumentalists are creative, talented, and have powerful stories to tell. "
Applications and more information are available at
carnegiehall.org/futuremusicproject. Workshops for the 2017-2018 season are currently full, but young musicians ages 14-19 can learn more and sign up to attend free Studio 57 sessions on Saturdays here.
Follow Future Music Project on Instagram at
instagram.com/futuremusicproject.
Listen to original music from Future Music Project at
carnegiehall.org/oursongs.
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