Announcing New Afterschool Program and New Classes for Infants and Toddlers

14-month old Elijah grabbed the egg shaker from the basket and started to march around the room, even before Ms. Martha started the hopping game. It was a cool day in early summer, when a small group of parents and toddlers gathered for a sneak peek at one of Settlement’s newest class offerings, Children's Music Playshop.

Early Childhood faculty member Martha Glaze Zook
leading a song during Children's Music Playshop

Ms. Martha, also known as Arthur Judson Distinguished Faculty Chair and Early Childhood faculty member Martha Glaze Zook, played along, declaring Elijah the “leader” of the hopping game, before passing the responsibility to the next child. Activities like this, which encourage both cooperation and creativity in a musical setting, are highly beneficial for very young children. Moving, interacting and exploring rhythm through simple games and instruments encourage mental and physical development before the preschool years. Children become oriented toward music, and often remain interested for life.

Children’s Music Playshop, an introduction to music for infants and toddlers, builds upon the curriculum of Children’s Music Workshop, which has been part of Settlement’s core program for more than 20 years. The new course will be structured as a music class for very young children, along with their parents or caregivers. The class is geared toward developing locomotor skills, word recognition and vocal expression through songs, movement games, and rhythmic and speech exercises.

Music Playshop will be offered weekly, with classes split between 6- to 18-month-olds and 19-month-olds to 3-year-olds, at the Mary Louise Curtis, Germantown, Kardon-Northeast, Willow Grove and Wynnefield Branches. Contact the branch nearest you for more information.

Families seeking quality arts-based aftercare in Queen Village and Germantown have a new option: This fall, Settlement will launch Kaleidoscope Plus, an extension of its award-winning preschool program that will serve students from preschool through third grade and their families.

In Kaleidoscope Plus, children will participate in age-appropriate arts activities, including music, theatre, movement and visual arts, and receive snacks and homework assistance. As an added plus, parents may be able to schedule group or individual instrument lessons or dance classes during the aftercare program, saving valuable time. Settlement faculty may also be able to escort children from nearby schools to Settlement as a convenience to parents. The program will run daily from 2:45 to 5:45 PM at the Mary Louise Curtis and Germantown Branches; other scheduling options are available, including four-, three-day and two-day options.

Call 215.320.2672 to sign up for the program at either branch, or click here to submit an online request for program and enrollment details. For families qualifying for CCIS, contact Tarrell Davis at 215.320.2670 or by email.

Adapted and expanded from Settlement's Fall 2013 newsletter. Read more here.

Settlement's Open House, Saturday June 8, 10 AM to 1 PM

Settlement's 2012-13 school year comes to an end next week. After the Annual Concert on Sunday, there's one last week of lessons and classes before students and teachers alike head off for summer camps, festivals and well-earned vacations. Before we send everyone off for the summer, we hope to get to know some new people first at the annual Open House, held tomorrow, from 10 AM to 1 PM, at all of Settlement's branches.

Students and faculty will be performing and leading demonstrations, and staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about all of the lessons, classes and ensembles offered both this summer and year-round.

A full schedule of events at each branch is available here, but from all of the events packed into just three hours at each branch, here are a few selected highlights:

-Suzuki play-in at the Mary Louise Curtis Branch. We've talked about the Suzuki teaching method here before, now come see what has made the Suzuki program at Settlement such a popular choice for very young musicians and their parents.

-Cello-bration at the Willow Grove Branch, including a performance by a cello ensemble, coached by Christine Danoff, of Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras. It's a sneak preview of Sunday's Annual Concert, too.

-Performances by student jazz and rock bands, coached by Mark Forchic, at the Germantown Branch. It's been a year of tremendous growth for jazz ensembles at Settlement, and Mark's ensembles have been performing far and wide.


-Voice recital featuring students of Susan Rheingans at the Kardon-Northeast Branch

-A demonstration of Percussion Construction, a percussion class where children ages 5-7 play alongside their parents, at the Wynnefield Branch.

-Demonstrations and performances by Children's Music Workshop students at the Camden School of Musical Arts. CMW provides an introduction to music theory, notation and musical development -- a great way for young musicians to learn music fundamentals before starting on an instrument.

Rites of swing: Jazz performances abound this spring

It's been a big year for jazz at Settlement, with jazz ensemble programs thriving at the Wynnefield, Kardon-Northeast and Germantown branches. Plus, the Advanced Study jazz ensemble at the Mary Louise Curtis Branch recently won a Student Music Award from DownBeat magazine; read more about that here!

Guitar faculty Mark Forchic coaching several saxophone students

Spring brought a staggering number of performances throughout the community by ensembles from all of these branches. The list includes:

• regular performances at the City Line Landmark Americana
   
• a Jazz Festival on April 7 at the Mary Louise Curtis Band, in collaboration with professor Chris Farr from the University of the Arts and members of the UArts Jazz Band and with ensembles from all branches taking part

• a jazz-centered performance hour at the Wynnefield Branch

• a patio performance at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Wynnefield Branch, with piano faculty Scott Coulter joining several members of the Wynnefield Jazz Ensemble

• the South Street Spring Festival, sponsored by the South Street Headhouse District, with a crowd of thousands passing by

• the City Avenue Spring Fling. Saxophonist Jack Savone, a member of the Kardon-Northeast Jazz Ensemble, was even asked to sit in with Chico's Vibe, a professional group that performs widely throughout the Philadelphia area

 

Outdoor performance at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Wynnefield Branch

These numerous performances are partly a reflection of the dedication of guitar faculty Mark Forchic, who coaches the ensembles at Wynnefield, Kardon-Northeast and Germantown. Along with the directors at those branches, he sought out new students at many local schools, and he's instilled a serious, performance-oriented mindset in all of his groups this year. "I treat it like we're a working, performing jazz group." Weekly practice sessions are "not like in school; we play like we are going out to play a gig -- which we do."

All these gigs wouldn't have come about with a talented bunch of students. One of Forchic's ensembles at Wynnefield started this year ahead of the rest -- the members are all students at Lower Merion High School and have been playing together for years -- and played the majority of the concerts. Forchic says those students -- Tom Hagen, Dean Hughart, Ellis Kelsey, Jeremy Katz, and John Della Franco -- are a special group. "It's unique from the other groups I have," he says. "I've had them for two or three years now, and they spend so much time playing and just hanging out together."

The ensembles at Kardon-Northeast and Germantown, plus the other two ensembles at Wynnefield, have all worked on catching up with the older, more experienced ensemble, and all have been featured during this busy season of shows. All of Forchic's groups dig deep into classic tunes, drawing from the professional jazz player's standby The Real Book, and work on making up arrangements on the spot -- no writing anything down.

The busy season is coming to a close with a performance at the Seger Park Playground Spring Festival on June 2 and numerous performances school-wide during the Open House on June 8. After a little downtime for students and faculty, jazz at Settlement will pick back up once again with the Summer Jazz Camp from July 29 to August 2. For more information on the jazz ensemble program at Settlement, contact the Branch nearest you or stop by the Open House at any of our branches on June 8 from 10 AM to 1 PM.

Learning and growing, beat by beat

For a student's perspective on the Settlement community and the impact music has on those who play it and hear it, we turn the blog over to Jessica Solomon, a longtime student of Sue Jones at the Wynnefield Branch.
 
I have been drumming my heart out since I was eight years old. As a percussion student at Settlement’s Wynnefield Branch, I have studied a range of instruments, including timpani and marimba, and each year I have passed a certification exam, advancing to the next level. Through Settlement, I have gained an appreciation for music that I did not have prior to starting drumming classes.

Settlement percussion faculty Sue Jones, with one of her students

Gaining knowledge of what goes into making music -- not just the notes, but also the creativity, dedication, and practice -- has given me a better understanding when listening to music, whether live or through headphones. Playing in the Percussion Ensemble, led by Sue Jones, has given me the opportunity to perform with other musicians and opened me up to new techniques and styles. I have gained a lot of confidence through drumming. It brings out a side of me that makes me feel empowered, knowing that I have the ability to create a beat or a rhythm that is a brand-new piece of music.

One of our most rewarding performances was at an Open House for prospective students. We began the event with a piece that created a mood of excitement; the children joined in with small percussion instruments, thrilled to be making music with us. I saw the faces of little children filled with awe when the rhythm of the tambourine or maraca they were shaking actually fit into what we were playing. That moment of connection filled me with a sense of purpose that I believe every child should experience.

Above all, playing drums at Settlement has taught me two important lessons. The first is that music should never be taken for granted. Playing music is a skill that must be acquired, learned and perfected. Not everyone can sit at a drum set or a piano and play gorgeous music right away. If you want to play well and be known, you have to practice -- sometimes until you have calluses on your hands. Second, music brings joy to everyone and should always be taught. Music is a universal language that links many cultures, and without it, language barriers are harder to break and friendships are often harder to create.

I've found that being a female drummer is always a conversation starter -- there aren't many of us. It's just one way that music connects me to the world, and I continue to find new ways that music connects things in the world around me. That appreciation for music, and the memories I've made, are something I'll always take with me from my time at Settlement.

Jessica, a senior at Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, has served as Communications Department intern during spring 2013. She will continue her studies in music at Goucher College.             

Recital Season: Certification at Settlement Music School's Wynnefield Branch

For a student's perspective on the Settlement community and the impact music has on those who play it and hear it, we turn the blog over to Jessica Solomon, a senior at Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, Communications Department intern, and a student of Sue Jones at the Wynnefield Branch.

The 2013 Certification Concert for Settlement Music School's Wynnefield Branch on Thursday, May 2, 2013 was a truly rewarding experience. It felt wonderful to see the students play their hearts out and to see them and their family members in the audience be influenced by music.

Kendall Anderson, 10, violin student of Monique Johnson

Nine students, ranging in age from eight to eighteen, performed pieces on piano, violin, flute, saxophone, and guitar. The program featured both classical and modern music, plus some pre-concert jazz played by the Wynnefield Jazz Band as the audience came in. (It's been a busy month for Settlement's jazz players -- more on that in a post later this week!) Family and friends offered encouragement to the performers before and after the concert and recorded videos on cameras and cellphones. Lots of younger siblings were enthralled by what their big brothers and sisters were doing.

Joyce Yuan, 7, violin student of Fran Berge

After the concert, Curtis Jones, Jr., Philadelphia City Council Member for the 4th District, gave an impassioned speech about the need for Settlement to thrive and to think about the investment the parents are making in their kids. Instead of kids being out on the streets, he said, they are learning the gift of music. He has been a strong supporter of Settlement and touched on the fact that the Wynnefield Branch has given over $100,000 in scholarships.

Philadelphia City Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. His Deputy Chief of Staff,
Morgan Cephas, serves on the Wynnefield Branch Board of Directors.

Following his speech, the names of students who qualified for certification were read and certificates were handed out to those present. Then, to the surprise of two seniors, they received the Robert L. Goodale and Rachel Perkinson awards for their participation in Settlement and for graduating from Settlement. The night was a positive night for music and bringing family and friends together to witness the hard work and dedication of those performing. Certification concerts continue throughout early May: the Willow Grove Branch students performed on Sunday, May 5, and more concerts will take place May 7 at the Camden and Mary Louise Curtis branches, May 16 at the Kardon-Northeast Branch, and May 18 at the Germantown Branch.