BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ - The new gym at Columbia Middle School resonated with the sound of strings,early on Tuesday morning, where students from Columbia and Governor Livingston High School blended their talents for a concert showcasing the results of three recent workshops with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) musicians.

"This is a combined effort with members of NJSO who did hands-on with each section of the orchestra," explained David Grego, who is in his tenth year as Orchestra teacher for the Berkeley Heights school district.

Before any music was made, however, Grego had to find the money for his project. He put together a grant proposal for the Berkeley Heights Education Foundation (BHEF) last fall. Carol Cunningham, BHEF President, expressed that when the eight deciding members read this particular proposal, their reaction was, "Wow," adding, "It is creative, innovative, and really reaches out."

The plan, which involved three workshops with NJSO, and a final concert, totaled $4,000.00, of which BHEF contributed $2,300.00. Regarding the remaining dollars Grego said, "NJSO covered it." An $1835.00 Edward T. Cone Classical Music Grant was provided by Young Audiences, www.yanj.org

"This was based on an idea of putting together two groups and creating focus on it," said Grego, adding, "but also, incorporating third graders from the elementary schools, and in performing, dangling the carrot, shall we say, for recruitment. Plus, so children in fourth and fifth grade, who are already playing instruments, can see what they can look forward to."

Frances Rowell, violoncello, who joined NJSO in 1995, emphasized that the participating quartet she plays with, called Symphony Strings, had nothing to do with the grant process. "We get no credit for designing this, we are just doing our thing," she said, "but, it makes me very happy to know that doing what I do is helping someone who is building something."

Rowell elaborated on the program. "David told us what educational elements were to be highlighted," she began. "He wanted to give the students a chance to be coached and work together and that is a special thing to give to an entire school."

She continued, "Our first goal was to work with students on their individual parts. They read through the music and we addressed difficulties. In the second workshop, we worked on J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #3, which is big deal, because students don’t often get to be part of that piece. It gets too complicated. Finally, our dress rehearsal was our chance to tune it up, but overall, we wanted the students to appreciate the process. For example, we demonstrated articulations for Bach, and in the next run-through, the kids were imitating us."

Eighth grader, Helen Thomaides, 13, has been playing the violin since fourth grade in school. "I learned different ways to use my bow," she said, adding, "I didn’t realize there was so much of a difference."

Seventh grader, Laura Young, violoncello, echoed, "I had a lot of practice with second position I do not get in regular lessons."

From the younger point of view, Ashley Kothan, violin, Alyssa Megson, viola, and Julia Cemprola, viola, only recently began playing their instruments.  As Megson explained, "We came [to the concert] to listen to the orchestra. I can’t wait to hear it."

As third through eighth graders filled the gym, there was time for all to look at instruments up close, until bows got re-rosined to begin.

The concert, under the direction of Grego, included Zampa Overture (F. Herold; 1831), which tells the story of the young Count Monza heading off to sea to become a pirate.  The piece involves mystery and humor and featured a violoncello solo by Allison Kao, eighth grade. The orchestra joined her at a dance tempo, working hard on balance and contrast "almost to the point of ugliness, then, softness," as Grego had instructed during rehearsal.

Brandenburg Concerto #5, First Movement, and #3 First Movement, were shared pieces by the students and NJSO quartet, which the composer described as, "concertos with daring combinations." Photographs taken at prior workshops were projected on screens above the players throughout, and audience participation came into play when asked to provide vocal percussion for NJSO Selections from "West Side Story" (L. Bernstein) as the finale of an hour-long performance.

 Libby Apicella was in charge of concert logistics with CAST – Creative Arts Support Team in Berkeley Heights. "We’ve been behind the scenes," she said, and from what she witnessed, "The kids have been enthusiastic, and each has grown as a person, and as a musician."

NJSO violist, Christine Terhune, expressed, "It was fun because we had to really get our creative juices going...it’s fun to be on the bubbly side where the kids are and to make sure that we stay there too."

Bassist Jonathan Storck, married to violin player Francine Storck, who plays principal second violin in NJSO, said about his unusual place in the quartet, "We formed this quartet to introduce children to the orchestral family, so if it was a regular string quartet they would miss out on this big, beautiful bass. It has been a pleasure, plus, remarkable that the young kids could keep up with the older kids very well."

Kate White, Manager of Education and Community Engagement for NJSO, further explained, "Out of more than 60 musicians in the Orchestra, 95-percent volunteer to participate in the REACH (Resources for Education and Community Harmony) program." She said that what was interesting for her, as an audience member at this concert, was that, "I had gotten to know our musicians, but around these kids, a whole other side comes out."

White spoke to third, fourth, and fifth graders prior to the concert, selling the point that, "Strings are fun because you get to play with your friends," and explaining the different roles instruments have in the group. "One of most exciting things about REACH is it’s an opportunity for musicians to put together programs they’re interested in," said White.

Rowell said, "When teaching, there is no better way than letting kids hear [the music]." Rowell, who is also part of the American String Teachers Association, drove home the point that, "It’s a plus to bring professionals into school, but we can never replace having a faculty of music teachers. Nationally, it strikes me that there is growing evidence that the elimination of an ensemble costs school districts money, because it has to hire more teachers to cover the time during which students would have been doing orchestra. In my opinion, it’s a very rich piece of any community life to have a body of kids that can make music. Let’s not discount what is heroic in this [economic] climate, which is the work of the BHEF, parents, and the district."

Grego’s overall take is that, "School taxes are good on one level because there’s a regular conformity to what happens all the time. This was way beyond that financially. This is the first one of many [workshops], I’m hoping. Taxes will not pay for this to happen, but I imagine if the right finances were available, it could happen many times, but it’s a situation that if there is interest, then let’s face it, you stir up enough mud, people see the results."

Grego concluded, "All of these kids have been my students, from the beginning. We’ve been able to gain a lot of ground, and make it sound really good…I’m very happy about that."

The concert was recorded by Joseph Voorhees’ Industrial Arts/Tech Ed class at GLHS and will be broadcast on Comcast TV 34 and Verizon TV 47 channels.

For more information on NJSO, and the upcoming May 16th family concert visit: www.njsymphony.org/reach