Reciprocity Foundation students and Youth Works fellow Brad Balliett

Since 2006, Metropolis has encouraged creativity and self-expression through teaching composition to New York City public school children via our education program called Youth Works. Metropolis first worked in PS 11, a Title One school in Chelsea, providing a unique after-school program that culminated in a end-of-year concert featuring Metropolis artists for the entire school. And year after year, the performances have been a hit with the students.

On May 19, Metropolis Ensemble and its education partners will bring this experience to everyone with its inaugural Youth Works public concert at (le) Poisson Rouge, featuring student compositions as performed by Metropolis artists. This year’s Youth Works fellow, Brad Balliett, has worked with three organizations to provide music composition classes, and each will have selections presented at the concert.

The Reciprocity Foundation is a resource center for homeless or runaway teens or young people, especially LGBT youth of color. With the help of Alexis Neophytides and the organization’s founders, Adam Bucko and Taz Tagore, invited Metropolis artists, including percussionist Luke Rinderknecht and bassoonist Brad Balliett to work with the students over two intensive days. Together they crafted musical accompaniment for a series of poems the students were writing called “Where I’m From.”

The resulting project playfully weaves the poetry together with arrangements for small orchestra that evokes the sounds and emotions from the neighborhoods where each student grew up. Alexis shared her experience from working with the program:

“The best part of the whole process is to see the students faces light up with pride after they perform their final pieces. Also, one student turned to me after Brad introduced himself and his instrument and said, ‘Who knew a bassoon could do that? Cool!!!’”

Watch performances by the Reciprocity students with Brad and Luke.

Special Music School students with instructor Robinson McClellan and Metropolis cellist Ashley Bathgate

The Kaufman Center’s Special Music School (PS 859) is home to musically gifted students from across the city. The middle school age composers in Robinson McClellan’s composer craft course met a wide range of Metropolis musicians this month. The first week, they met members of the woodwind family, including Brad Balliett on bassoon, Carlos Cordeiro on clarinet, and Lance Suzuki on flute.

The next week, the horn quartet Genghis Barbie came to perform for the class, along with cellist Ashley Bathgate. The third week, Emma Sutton and Emily Smith dazzled the class with demonstrations on violin and viola, and Doug Balliett played both the double bass and the viola da gamba. These talented students are working on new compositions for various combinations of these instruments: duets, quartets, and the entire ensemble.

Ashley shared her thoughts:

“I think the word I would use is awe-inspiring. These kids are brilliant beyond belief and they are so eager to fill their heads with knowledge. They are excited about music and they cannot wait to share that excitement with you. It’s contagious. It’s fun. I left the classroom with a feeling of exhilaration and a glimpse of how awesome the younger generations of this world are going to be when they grow up. I can’t wait to work with them again!”

Lance echoed Ashley’s delight:

“Meeting the young composers at Special Music School, I was immediately struck by their bright, inquisitive personalities, their thoughtful questions, and musical knowledge that would put many graduate students to shame. Even at such a young age, it is apparent that they are already beginning to develop their own individual musical voices, and I’m excited to see what they come up with.”

The TEAK Foundation is a nonprofit that offers classes and workshops to talented and ambitious students from underprivileged families and neighborhoods. Metropolis artists, including Luke Rinderknecht, Doug Balliett, and Carlos Cordeiro, are creating a similar “Where I’m From” project that combines poetry and music into short etudes.

According to Brad, the students are “bright, energetic, and incredibly specific about what sort of music should accompany their poems.” Listen to selections from the TEAK project.

TEAK student Kyler and Youth Works fellow Brad Balliett working on her “Where I’m From” project.

In addition to Metropolis’ partner programs, the ensemble is invited to showcase some of the young composers’ works next month at Little Red Schoolhouse, a progressive private school in Greenwich Village. It will bring a fine conclusion to this school year’s education programs, which Brad summed up:

“The variety of young people involved in this year’s Youth Works projects it wide and inspiring. From the brilliant intellects of the students at the Special Music School to the passionate poetry of the young people from Reciprocity, everyone has something utterly unique to offer. I leave every Youth Works work session with new inspiration for what is possible when open minds, good attitudes, and great ideas coincide.”