Youth Works

Brad Balliett

The Metropolis Ensemble recognizes that New York City's cultural organizations have the enormous potential to make a special contribution to quality of life and education of inner-city school children.

Youth Works seeks to encourage creativity and self-expression through teaching of the art and craft of music composition to public school children in New York City.

In the fall of 2005, we chose the Public School 11, a Title One school, to host our pilot program. All interested students from 3rd to 5th grades were offered a full scholarship into the 40-week program.

Public School 11 is located on 21st Street in Manhattan, where 60% of all attending students come from families in poverty. In our first year, we forged a unique collaboration with the nonprofit organization PS11 Programs, which facilitates student registration, provides teacher aide support, and serves as liaison between parents, teachers, and members of the Ensemble.

Composition classes are structured to accomplish three goals:

1. To expose students to a vast repertoire of music and foster an understanding and appreciation of concert music.
   
   
2. To guide students through the basic principles of composition so that they may express themselves through music.
   
   
3. To present a concert at the end of the school year that showcases the students' work in a chamber ensemble orchestration arranged in collaboration with the students and the Youth Works Fellow.

In order to familiarize the students with new music and the process of composition, both semesters will have a theme that connects music with the visual arts. Also, Metropolis Ensemble musicians will give demonstrations to correspond with lessons throughout the semester.

Youth Works is the first phase of our unique two-year composer mentor and teaching fellowship program. In the second year, the composer selected hones her craft and gain professional exposure through our Wet Ink commissions program. Learn more about Wet Ink...