The week of March 17, I participated in an annual project in Baltimore called Creative Connections. This weeklong performance project combines students from kindergarten to high school age, Peabody Conservatory students, graduates from the Guildhall School in London, and this year five Sistema Fellows, to create 45 minutes of brand new music together and perform it in a capstone concert. This year nearly 200 people participated in this project, 150 of them Baltimore Public School students. My experiences during this week are best described through connections I made with specific people.
One of the first people I met in Baltimore was an 11-year-old. When I met her, she shook my hand, looked me in the eye, and introduced herself as Ashanti, a violist. She asked my name, and I informed her that I, too, am a violist. We had an intelligent conversation about our families, our lives as musicians, and she showed me around the Prep division of Peabody, including a picture of Dan Trahey, the founder and director of OrchKids, with Michelle Obama and one of Ashanti’s classmates. Throughout the weekend, Ashanti continued to be my guide, introducing me to her classmates and teachers.
Continue reading on my personal blog.
Ayriole Frost, Sistema Fellow '14
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