Rishabh K. I love music. Music is something that, if played well, is one of the most beautiful art to ever be heard. This is not the only reason though. When I hear a song like Fur Elise, the music will calm and soothe me. When someone plays a song like “In My Red Convertible'', or Maple Leaf Rag though, I feel more excited and have an urge to dance. Both types of music make me feel good. Music’s ability to create different ways to entertain me, whether by exciting, calming or doing something else to me is another reason I love music. One other great part of music is what it is inspired from and/or what it leads to in the future. Fur Elise, for example, was a song created for Beethoven’s first love. One other song, “This Is My Planet Earth” would go on to inspire the song “My Country Tis of Thee”. The history and impact of music is fascinating to me. I love history. The purpose of songs and their meanings are very fascinating, whether it’s out of love for a person, patriotism, to send a certain message, or something else. These are the main reasons that I love music. - Rishabh I’m so happy to nominate Rishabh as a student of the month. Rishabh is a very hardworking student. Moreover, he also actively participates in any performance opportunities at Orpheus Academy. I am impressed by his enthusiasm and attentiveness during the lesson. Keep up the good work! - Mr. William Gautham M. I like music because it is fun. Thank you everyone!
- Gautham I will be happy to nominate my student Gautham for November Student of the Month. Gautham is a very hard working young student. He is very musical! His dad is very supportive, attending every lesson and interested in his son's music development. - Ms. Anastasiia Imagine that you've spent weeks rehearsing together as an ensemble, fine-tuning your skills and playing in sync until you are in perfect harmony with one another... then the whole world shuts down and you can no longer meet up in person. Now, you suddenly have to grapple with new technology and try to replicate the ensemble experience online, as you deal with internet lag and audio problems. That was the experience for the Orpheus Honors Quartet, which is made up of four high-level guitar students: Allen, Brandon, Mei Yin, and Michael, as well as their teacher, myself! Together, we rehearsed virtually for many months, and learned some tips and tricks for how to collaborate effectively along the way. Our hard work paid off when we participated in the Southern Guitar Festival and Competition in May, where the quartet took home 3rd place! Following the competition, we spent time preparing for the Southern Guitar Fest's showcase in North Carolina, and I truly believe all four members of the quartet could now be considered experts in working together online. I took the time to interview the Honors Quartet about their collaboration, and what advice they have for others looking to connect and make music with others virtually. Stephen: You're all experienced performers and you've participated in many, many ensembles being at Orpheus for so long. What is the difference between rehearsing with others in person versus virtually? Allen: Well rehearsing virtually, there's just a lot of problems that come with it. You can't really play together. There's also all the problems with like wi-fi, mic quality, noise cancellation, echo, “Original Sound.” It's kind of just hard to hear good guitar playing over Zoom calls. Brandon: Online, it's a little bit harder to communicate with everyone. If you're communicating offline there’s at least better synchronization because we can all see each other well, and therefore a better performance. "Being aware of every aspect of your playing and your setup before you enter a group situation. Yeah, everyone as individuals, your preparedness and how set up you are and ready to go really has a big impact on the dynamic of a rehearsal, especially when it's online."Stephen: Being the high-level performers that you are, and working together virtually as long as we did, what advice would you have for other students who want to collaborate or play virtually? Allen: Try to listen to your playing as much as possible when you're having those online rehearsals. Sometimes your mic can have problems or your wi-fi could go out and stuff like that, and you might not hear some problems with your playing. So if you see something just address it, you could get it fixed or [otherwise] you could just have it as a bad habit for a long time until an in-person rehearsal. Also, turn “Original Sound” on. Stephen: Yeah, so “Original Sound” and a little bit more self-aware practice. Being aware of every aspect of your playing and your setup before you enter a group situation. Yeah, everyone as individuals, your preparedness and how set up you are and ready to go really has a big impact on the dynamic of a rehearsal, especially when it's online. Stephen: Mei Yin, have you or the group encountered any technical issues while rehearsing over Zoom, and what workarounds did we find? Mei Yin: Internet connectivity problems, and we used ethernet and yeah, usually ethernet and stuff and sometimes upgrading wi-fi to get better connections. And then also playing individually, so our sounds wouldn't overlap and sound bad and distorted because there’s usually lag. Stephen: Yeah totally, upping our internet connection, I think. Having a good internet connection made everything more fluid, and microphones I think. Pretty early on Mei Yin you all invested in a nice microphone, and Brandon and Allen too have nice audio setups. Definitely helped. Stephen: We rehearsed virtually for a recent competition for many weeks, if not months, and then finally we were able to actually meet in person and rehearse outdoors. What was that like, being able to come together after all that time? Mei Yin: I think it was a lot easier and more connected and fluid when we came together in person, because we could all play together, as opposed to online when we each had to play individually. Stephen: Yeah, totally. Was it weird having your part learned and knowing how it fits into the ensemble as a whole, but never having played it in person? And then all of a sudden, being in person and able to play it with everyone, and everyone else knows their parts. Was that kind of strange? Mei Yin: I wouldn't say it was strange, but I thought it was nice to hear all the parts together as one in person. Stephen: Allen, this question is for you. What were some of the things that you did individually to keep up the energy while we were rehearsing online? Allen: When someone else's mic is unmuted and they're playing I would just play with them with my mic muted, so I could get a sense of what it would sound like in person. Stephen: Interesting, so you had the opportunity to play along with other parts without affecting that person. Because we had the option of muting/unmuting, that gave you a little flexibility to practice along with other people or practice your parts during a lull. Whereas otherwise I would get a little mad at you if you were practicing your part while I was talking [laughs]. Good! Stephen: Brandon, can you tell us about the process of preparing for the competition and what pieces we played? Brandon: Well, getting ready for the competition for me was a little bit uneasy, but eventually yeah we pulled through. We played the songs “West Side Story” by Bernstein, and “A Poem” by you. Stephen: Allen, this is for you. What was it like working with the composer of one of the pieces, myself, while we were rehearsing. From your point of view was I more picky with that song in particular, or was it different? And no pressure, you can say whatever you want about working on my piece, my feelings will not be hurt. Allen: Okay. You weren’t pickier, but I feel like you just had a more clear view of what you wanted the piece to sound like. Like in other pieces, you would experiment more to see what sounded better. But you generally knew what you would intend for the piece to sound like. Stephen: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I hadn't actually thought about that difference myself, but I guess it makes sense that when you write a piece you generally have a pretty good idea of how you think it should go. Stephen: Mei Yin, another one for you, can you tell us about the Southern Guitar Fest that the Trio, now Quartet, recently participated in? Mei Yin: So it was originally held online, and we submitted videos. Yeah, I guess it was practice of running through it many times. Then, I also think listening to each other and listening to our playing to help us improve the recording for the next time. Stephen: I think that's big. We did two back to back recording sessions: do one and then listen and then do another one after having listened and made a bunch of notes. And I think both of the times, the second one was always better because you guys made so many improvements. We did two back to back recording sessions: do one and then listen and then do another one after having listened and made a bunch of notes. And I think both of the times, the second one was always better because you guys made so many improvements.Stephen: Mei Yin, how did you feel the competition went? What was it like waiting for the results to come in after we had submitted our videos? Mei Yin: I think the competition went pretty smoothly because it was online. We just submitted the video and there wasn't much, like hassle to it or anything. Personally for me, waiting for the results wasn't that bad. Like I don't find it as bad when it's online compared to in person, because in person you have to like, sit there through the concert before they announce the results. I personally didn't find it that nerve-wracking waiting. Stephen: Brandon, how did you feel coming in third place, and how did you celebrate after we got that great news? Brandon: It was very exciting when I heard that we received third place, when so many people participated in the competition. So I celebrated by being happy for around one to two hours. Stephen: That's a great way to celebrate, it lasted one to two hours, that's it? Brandon: Yeah, that's pretty long for me. Stephen: [laughs] So two hours and then just back to normal? Brandon: Mm-hmm. Stephen: Gotcha. Stephen: What's next for the Orpheus Honors Quartet, what are you currently working on and what's the next goal? Michael, maybe you can take this one. Michael: I know we're working on two pieces right now, I think “La Follia.” And then there's the Vivaldi one I think. There’s another one called “Quest.” And then we're obviously playing in [North] Carolina for the performance thing. Stephen: You joined the group fairly recently in the last couple months. You had to learn a lot of music really fast. What was the process of learning all that music like? Michael: I took it like how I take any new piece: I don't think about the whole piece, I think about just certain sections, like a few measures, play them really slow and try to make every single note perfect. And when I feel comfortable, I just speed it up. I repeat that for other sections and then eventually I put them together and then get them up to speed. Stephen: Great. Those are all great practice strategies: doing slow practice, working in small sections, and just doing everything very gradually. Stephen: The Quartet has played a few different styles of music. We’ve played Baroque music in “The Telamon,'' we've played some contemporary music in the “La Follia” and “The Quest.” What kind of pieces do you enjoy playing the most with the group? Michael: Probably right now it's “La Follia,” just because I feel like it's different than anything I play. It kind of tells a story if you think about it, and then there's so many different types of textures. Just sounds really different, in a good way. Stephen: Michael, I like what you said about it telling a story. That piece does kind of morph over time and change in beautiful and unexpected ways, like a story. Stephen: Another one for you Michael. What aspect of ensemble music is most enjoyable to you? Michael: Probably a little bit of everything. I've been in previous ensembles like a few years ago, they weren’t anything compared to this. All those other things were just like a few weeks, maybe a few months I think. But I mean we kind of just played and then kind of got it over with. There wasn't really any bonding. [Now] it's kind of enjoying what you play rather than just playing it to play. Stephen: Totally. That is so cool. Stephen: Okay, and this is the last question for everybody. The four of you were invited to perform live at the North Carolina festival called Southern Guitar Festival and Competition, after receiving a top prize in an ensemble competition. Is there anything that any of you are looking forward to in particular about that trip? Mei Yin: I always like to travel for competitions, I think it's fun. Yeah I think it will be interesting to go to the festival as well, because I usually like going to other festivals and going to master classes and stuff and seeing other people. Allen: I'm looking forward to just listening to the other people play, since they were extremely good at guitar, the ones that we competed against.  Following this interview, the Orpheus Honors Quartet performed at the Southern Guitar Festival, where Allen, Brandon, and Mei Yin each entered the festival's solo competition and all won prizes! 
Kaiya J. I love learning with Ms Wendy because she is always very helpful when I am stuck on a piece and she teaches really fun, great songs. The reason I love playing the piano is because you can be creative and compose your own music. And music makes me feel happy and relaxes me! - Kaiya Kaiya has accomplished so much during her 3 years of piano studies. She completed Musical Journey level 1 and 2 and often participated in performance classes and recitals. This summer she learned the Indian National Anthem and performed it as a duet with her older brother, Ishaan!! Kaiya always brings a never-give-up attitude to every piano lesson and because of this she has learned many fun and challenging pieces. I know that music will be a big part of Kaiya's life for a very long time! - Ms. Wendy Carly S. Four years ago I started doing piano, and as my love for piano grew so did my love of music. Then a friend came over and showed me her violin and I loved it. A few months later I asked my parents if I could take violin lessons. Then after weeks of waiting we got my violin and started lessons and here I am about a year later getting student of the month! Thank you Orpheus!
-Carly I am pleased to nominate Carly as October’s student of the month. Carly has a tenacious attitude and comes to lesson ready to tackle any challenge I throw at her. She has a great musical ear and is becoming quite the talented young musician. Keep up the good work Carly! - Ms. Mackenzie Gabriela M.  I love music because it’s exciting; it turns the simple act of sitting and listening into an adventure.
- Gabriela Every lesson begins and ends with a smile. She is willing and happy to learn at any moment. Gabriela has a variety of interests that keep her motivated and our conversations exciting. Not only is Gabriela a wonderful violinist, but has chosen to learn about sports medicine in school this semester just for fun. Gabriela's lessons are always productive and motivating. If there was ever a student who could brighten an entire ensemble, it's her. - Ms. Kenzie Learning to read notes and sheet music is an essential part of any musical education, but doing so can also be a somewhat dry experience. Thankfully, there are many existing apps that "gamify" this learning process to make it more fun and interactive, which a lot of our students enjoy and find helpful. Orpheus guitar student, 11-year-old Michael K., created the following reviews of some note-reading apps that he used to practice with, so hopefully you can find one that works for you too! (Michael's reviews have been edited for clarity.) Flashnote Derby Review: In this game you play as a jockey and practice note-reading by racing your horse against other horses. While you are racing the app gives you notes to play, and the more notes you correctly identify the faster your horse runs. Once you play a certain amount of notes the race is finished! What I like about this app is that it offers a lot of options, such as the ability to change the amount of notes that make up one horse race, and whether playing wrong notes penalizes your speed. This game works great with most instruments, and you can even select the specific notes you want to practice with. For example, I used the app when I wanted to work on just b, g, a, e, and f notes. Also, at the end of each race you can check which notes you got incorrect, which allows you to identify and learn from your mistakes. Pros:
Cons:
NinGenius Music Ultimate Review: In this game you play as a ninja, practicing note-reading, fingering, theory, & rhythm while advancing through different "belt levels," ultimately working towards a black belt. The app is divided into a practice mode and a test mode, and it tracks different elements of the student's performance such as speed, accuracy, and overall score. Similarly to Flashnote Derby, this app also offers the ability to choose specific notes to practice with. While I think this app is great, from my experience it did not actually work well with guitar despite being designed for "all instruments." And as an additional word of warning: NinGenius includes in-app purchases, so parents should be mindful of the ability to buy virtual items within it. Pros:
Cons:
Staff Wars Review: In this game you pilot a spaceship and identify notes as they appear by clicking on their corresponding names. If you do so correctly, your ship shoots the note and you level up. Incorrectly identifying a note causes you to lose a life however, and if you lose three then you get a "game over." This game is a lot of fun and is very reminiscent of Star Wars, which is a big plus for me. Unfortunately though, the app doesn't offer the ability to select specific notes to work on. Also, the rate at which notes appear on-screen increases in speed as the game goes on, making it potentially better suited for older kids or those that are more experienced at note-reading. Pros:
Cons:
About the Author: Michael K., 11 years old, has been taking guitar lessons at Orpheus Academy since November 2020, and is currently studying with teacher Trevor Black. Michael's brother, Johnny, also studies guitar at Orpheus. As many families head back to school this fall, with some returning to in-person learning for the first time in a while, it can be overwhelming to deal with new schedules, activities, and the uncertainties in life that a continuing pandemic may bring. Music can be used as a tool to navigate big transitions such as these however, and the simple act of practicing your instrument can create helpful feelings of joy, calmness, or energy! So, how can you ensure that your music lessons are a source of positivity in your life rather than just an additional source of stress? Here are some useful tips! Maintaining the Joy of MusicWhen we are feeling stressed and over-scheduled, often the last thing we want to do is sit down and work hard at a difficult activity like learning piano or guitar. I know, because I've been there too. It is essential to assess when we are starting to experience this kind of burnout, and actively work to mix things up a little. Take a break from the scales, the technique, or the music theory, and focus on playing non-difficult songs that bring a smile to your face. Once you rekindle the joy of playing some easier, beautiful pieces, you will likely find that you want to play something a little more challenging, which is the perfect time to start building up your technique again. I use this approach for myself and my students all the time! Making Time for MusicMaking time for the things that matter most in life can be a big challenge for anyone. Yes, playing music in a way that satisfies our need for self-expression requires regular practice, and this can be extremely difficult to carve out of a busy week filled with school, sports, tutoring (and hopefully a little down time!). It can feel that much harder when we're adjusting to a new schedule. That being said, making time for music probably doesn't take as long as most people think. Set aside as little as 10-15 minutes a day, and stick to it for a few weeks. The specific timing doesn't matter, as long as the student isn't hungry, tired, or frustrated. For some students, this means practicing in the morning before they get ready for school or work, whereas other students are freshest just after getting home for the day, or right before dinner time. If you're still wondering where to find that 10-15 minutes in the day, think through a typical day and note any periods of natural downtime. You might discover that you're not as busy as you feel. For instance, many parents have expressed that limiting screen time is a major step in freeing up some time for their child to dedicate towards music. Once you've started to create a habit, it won't feel as difficult to get to the instrument, your songs will flow more easily, and you will find yourself feeling naturally drawn to practicing. A mistake is to assume that inspiration comes first, and that dedication then follows. It's actually the opposite: once we regularly do something well, we become inspired by the possibilities for our own self-expression! 
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 | Dr. Klondike SteadmanDr. Steadman is the executive director and co-founder of Orpheus Academy of music with his wife, Wendy Kuo. In addition to teaching guitar at Orpheus, he is the father to a teenage daughter, who is also an accomplished musician. He has authored several books including The Complete Guitar and The Complete Guitar For the Older Beginner, as well as Loving Practice, Developing Discipline. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis, and hiking with their corgi dog, Momo. |
Caleb T.
I like music because I like to play the piano. Several piano teachers taught me to play the piano. I enjoy playing three songs at a time. I learned how to play the piano when I was in kindergarten, and I also played at several concerts that included parents and children. I take virtual piano lessons due to C19. I received two trophies for playing the piano extremely well. In addition, I continue to play the piano to learn different songs and for personal enjoyment.
-Caleb
I am very proud to present Caleb as the student of the month. Caleb has shown impressive progress since the first day we met. He is sensitive to music and works hard to achieve his goals. I am especially grateful to see his discipline, perseverance, and spirit of curiosity. This month, Caleb was able to consistently learn one new song (these songs are not easy for him!) each week and had meaningful explorations of music with me. I feel honored to have nominated him. -Mr. Benjamin
-Caleb
I am very proud to present Caleb as the student of the month. Caleb has shown impressive progress since the first day we met. He is sensitive to music and works hard to achieve his goals. I am especially grateful to see his discipline, perseverance, and spirit of curiosity. This month, Caleb was able to consistently learn one new song (these songs are not easy for him!) each week and had meaningful explorations of music with me. I feel honored to have nominated him. -Mr. Benjamin
Akshaj I.
I just love music. Every piece is so cool and amazing—it's beautiful and has different notes. Each type of music and note creates something new and interesting. All the techniques are wonderful and they can make one same note have many sounds. Every music/instrument is very unique and different but so good at the same time. I find music through guitar beautiful and amazing. I like singing along to my songs while playing on my guitar. Sometimes I just like to play some notes on my own. I love the different sounds and things that make a violin sound so graceful like a ritardando, it makes the end of a piece so beautiful and vibratos just make largely unique sounds.
-Akshaj
The joy he brings to his lessons is so uplifting and always brings a smile to my face. There is not a challenge he will shy away from. It is clear that music means so much to him and is a big part of his life. I am honored to teach him at this point in his musical journey.
-Mr. Jesse
-Akshaj
The joy he brings to his lessons is so uplifting and always brings a smile to my face. There is not a challenge he will shy away from. It is clear that music means so much to him and is a big part of his life. I am honored to teach him at this point in his musical journey.
-Mr. Jesse
Eleanor M.
I love music because I can sing and dance to it. Violin classes with Ms. Mackenzie are great because she is kind and makes me smile.
-Eleanor
I am excited to announce Eleanor as July’s student of the month. I am nominating Eleanor because she shows up everyday enthusiastic to learn and brings so much laughter and light to our lessons. She is always asking questions, focused on finessing her technique, and is reflective and perseveres when she struggles. I look forward to Wednesdays to see what stories she has to share and what revelations she has had over the past week of practice. Keep up the great work Eleanor, you’re becoming a fabulous violinist!
-Ms. Mackenzie
-Eleanor
I am excited to announce Eleanor as July’s student of the month. I am nominating Eleanor because she shows up everyday enthusiastic to learn and brings so much laughter and light to our lessons. She is always asking questions, focused on finessing her technique, and is reflective and perseveres when she struggles. I look forward to Wednesdays to see what stories she has to share and what revelations she has had over the past week of practice. Keep up the great work Eleanor, you’re becoming a fabulous violinist!
-Ms. Mackenzie
Pathways Through Music, a non-profit organization recently founded by Orpheus Academy's own Jesse Crites and Douglas Stefaniak, aims to serve Williamson County with quality music programming that benefits schools, communities, and individuals. The organization provides elementary music education to lacking campuses, creates ensembles and events, and funds private lesson scholarships for those in need.
In this abridged first episode of their conversational series, "Pickup Notes," Jesse and Douglas speak about the purpose and goals of Pathways Through Music, as well as what comes next and how to support their mission.
In this abridged first episode of their conversational series, "Pickup Notes," Jesse and Douglas speak about the purpose and goals of Pathways Through Music, as well as what comes next and how to support their mission.
Douglas: Hi everyone, welcome to "Pickup Notes," a sit-down with the directors of Pathways Though Music. My name is Douglas Stefaniak, I'm the Program Director at Pathways Through Music.
Jesse: My name is Jesse Crites, I'm the Executive Director for Pathways Through Music.
Douglas: What is the need we are fulfilling in the community?
Jesse: Well we are serving the Williamson County community. We know that Leander does not have a dedicated music teacher for their elementary school students, and they don't have string programs, that is, orchestra or guitar. So we're really looking to address those needs for Leander. We also serve Title I schools that we have in Round Rock, and we also look to provide private lesson instructions for students involved and enrolled in our after-school programming.
Douglas: Why did we create Pathways Through Music?
Jesse: Well I think you and I sat down, along with a lot of other colleagues of ours, and we just noticed that nobody else was doing this, nobody else was really focusing on these specific needs. So we felt the calling to do just that, to provide these programs for those schools.
Douglas: Yeah. And on a personal note I know that I moved to Austin because of the thriving music scene, and there's so much to do with guitar. But then in the district just north of the city, there doesn't seem to be as many opportunities.
Jesse: Yeah, I mean if you think about-- Williamson County is right next to Travis County, and Travis County boasts one of the most iconic American music scenes: Austin, Texas. And yet just north of that county you have a school district that doesn't provide a specific music teacher for their elementary kids, and doesn't even have string programs. To me that's a bit of a travesty, and something that I know you, and I, and this organization can help address.
Douglas: Mm-hmm.
"Travis County boasts one of the most iconic American music scenes: Austin, Texas. And yet just north of that county you have a school district that doesn't provide a specific music teacher for their elementary kids, and doesn't even have string programs."
Douglas: What is it that we are currently working on? What kind of programs are we starting, what schools are in contact with?
Jesse: Funny thing, I thought that was going to be another challenge: "So we started this non-profit, is anybody going to want to take advantage of what we offer?" Surprisingly, it has not been a challenge. In fact, we have had to limit our number of schools.
We are going to be starting our programming this fall with C.D. Fulkes Middle School and Voigt Elementary School. Both are in Round Rock, both are Title I schools, and both are very excited to have us. A challenge that pops up there is providing instruments for these students, and that's something we're currently working on. We're working with other non-profits to help get instruments into those two schools.
We're anticipating anywhere between 6 students to maybe 24 for the first year, but with the capability of teaching up to 32 students in each classroom.
Douglas: Right. And all of those students are eligible for the private lesson scholarship, right?
Jesse: Yes. Of course part of our mission is to eliminate barriers. The most obvious is financial, some of the less obvious include transportation. You may have the actual financial means to do something but no actual resource to get you to that lesson. So providing scholarship money for students to pursue private lessons with an instructor of their choice. It's not dedicated to one school, so instead the idea here is that they'll find a qualified teacher that is within their travel resources, within their community.
Douglas: I think it would be great if we could let everyone know kind of what we're doing next and what our plans are for the future. So could you give us an update on what we're going to be doing moving forward?
Jesse: Yeah, quite simply put: grow.
Douglas: Yeah.
Jesse: Extending our program into more schools and more school districts. So right now we're just in Round Rock and just in two schools, one elementary and one middle. Our big mission is to get into Leander ISD, and of course Hutto, Cedar Park, Georgetown as well, they're all within Williamson County. The vision is to expand into those school districts where the need is as well.
Developing our donor network and funding sources. Obviously a non-profit cannot be successful without a dedicated and supportive network of people giving time, finances, donating instruments, and probably a number of other ways that people can help out as well.
Sharing our mission with other organizations, whether it's non-profit or for-profit. And the goal is really to become a staple in the community. When people think of music and Williamson County, I want them to think of Pathways Through Music as well.
Douglas: Yeah, I agree. I think that's fantastic.
To those of you who have supported us so far, thank you so much, I'd like to say that. It's been really great hearing how supportive everyone is, and I'm looking forward to continuing to grow those relationships.
Jesse: You know I just want our audience, young and old, to just know this: You have a voice and it's worth hearing.
Watch the full episode: https://pathwaysthroughmusic.org/2021/06/18/pickup-notes-episode-1/
Please consider donating: https://pathwaysthroughmusic.org/donate/
Aylin has been a vital part of the Orpheus community for over a decade! She strongly believes in music’s ability to make a difference in the lives of others, and understood the isolating effect of the pandemic and social distancing, especially for senior citizens. As a result, Aylin created the Musical Postcards for Seniors initiative to organize virtual concerts for seniors in retirement homes, which united many Orpheus students, teachers, and families toward a good cause.
Now that Musical Postcards has come to a close, Aylin’s guitar teacher and Orpheus director, Dr. Klondike Steadman, spoke with her about the project, her time at Orpheus Academy, and her advice for others in using music for positive change.
Now that Musical Postcards has come to a close, Aylin’s guitar teacher and Orpheus director, Dr. Klondike Steadman, spoke with her about the project, her time at Orpheus Academy, and her advice for others in using music for positive change.
Klondike: Hi Aylin, thank you so much for being here today!
Aylin: Hi, thank you.
Klondike: I can't believe you're getting ready to go off to college. I just think about that ambitious little girl who came-- I don't know, were you four or five when you first came to Orpheus?
Aylin: I think I was like six years old.
Klondike: You were just so focused and intense. You're still a really focused person, and you just wanted to be so good at everything you did, and you put your whole heart into everything you did here at Orpheus. I almost can't imagine Orpheus going forward without you. You've been such a big part of Orpheus for 12 years, is that right?
Aylin: Yeah, 12 years.
Klondike: It's really incredible. I had you in some of my earliest Musicianship classes, when you were just six years old. And now you're graduating high school! How awesome is that?
Aylin: Yeah.
Klondike: Looking back at all of those years, and it's way too many things to even mention in one interview, what are some of your favorite memories of Orpheus, and accomplishments from your time here?
Aylin: I have so many amazing memories, it's really hard just to pick a few to discuss here. But I think a lot of my favorite memories come from making music together with other students. I was part of a guitar quartet for around five years, and I really enjoyed practicing and performing together.
We played a lot of fun pieces, and one of my favorites was "Kalimba" by Kindle I believe. A kalimba is like an African thumb piano, and so to imitate the sound of a kalimba we each put a handkerchief underneath the strings of our guitar, and I’d never done that technique before, so it was really exciting to try. The piece "Kalimba" is based on like African and Afro-Cuban rhythms, and I really loved exploring different cultures while also learning and playing new rhythms with the quartet.
And last summer, I started Musical Postcards for Seniors to inspire Orpheus students to record concerts for seniors to help ease their isolation during the pandemic. And the dedication of the Orpheus community to do social good through music and the positive feedback from seniors is something that I’ll forever cherish.
Klondike: Yeah, and we'll talk a lot more about the Musical Postcards, that’s such an amazing thing.
But I just want to share with you that one of my cherished memories is when we traveled down to Brownsville together. And we had to rearrange "Kalimba" to fit because one of our members of the quartet couldn't make it, and so you guys all took on the extra burden and you took home first prize in the guitar ensemble competition, the small ensemble. So that was really an added bonus, but the main thing was just sharing that time together, eating out together, traveling together, it's really something I’ll hold close to my heart for my whole life.
Klondike: But you mentioned the Postcards to Seniors-- how did you get the idea to create this amazing program of videos that get sent to retirement communities?
Aylin: So last year when COVID-19 hit, my in-person ensembles, lessons, and concerts came to a halt. My fellow musicians and I found ourselves in a Kafkaesque nightmare: isolated at home, sequestered from each other, and unable to make music together in a surreal new reality.
And meanwhile the media reported dire problems for isolated seniors. And talking with my grandparents, who were quarantining on the Aegean coast of Turkey, I really sensed their gloom in losing human connections. And so to lift up their mood in a Zoom call, I played some classical guitar pieces for them, and it instantly lit up their eyes. I was really exhilarated by that connection.
"Talking with my grandparents, who were quarantining on the Aegean coast of Turkey, I really sensed their gloom in losing human connections. And so to lift up their mood in a Zoom call, I played some classical guitar pieces for them, and it instantly lit up their eyes."
Klondike: Well it was so awesome, and you know I think it's one thing to have an idea-- but you actually took it and put it into action. What did it take to bring that idea to fruition?
Aylin: So I started out by making sample recordings of mini-concerts, and I emailed them to nursing homes. To my surprise, some nursing homes called back immediately to learn more about the idea.
I sensed that my recordings alone would not be sufficient, so I pitched the idea to Orpheus students and invited them to record music and greetings for seniors. And students loved the cause and went out of their way to dress up, practice, and compose new pieces. And I was able to edit the recordings into Musical Postcards, and share the links with nursing homes.
To scale the project up, I reached out to Orpheus leadership and secured support for engaging more students, teachers, and staff. We developed a system where students upload their recordings to Google Drive for a team of teachers to review, and then I would arrange the individual recordings into 10 to 15 minute Musical Postcards. And I collaborated with staff to manage the supply of Musical Postcards and we emailed them to nursing homes weekly.
Klondike: Wow such an amazing operation that just [whoosh!].
"I pitched the idea to Orpheus students and invited them to record music and greetings for seniors. And students loved the cause and went out of their way to dress up, practice, and compose new pieces."
Klondike: So, can you just share with us some of the notable statistics about Postcards to Seniors?
Aylin: Yeah, so our concerts of over 100 students reached over 760 nursing homes in 26 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, and three Australian states.
Klondike: It just blows me away. It's one of the most impactful initiatives we've ever had at Orpheus, and I just am so grateful that you did that. Not to undercut the amazing work that you've done changing the lives of seniors, but I also want to say, the students themselves that probably were just on their screens all day long-- they need a really good reason to feel like what they're doing has meaning.
Klondike: Can you talk a little bit about your experience changing lives, and then how it felt to see those wonderful videos from the other students?
Aylin: Yeah, so for me, giving back to my community through Musical Postcards gave meaning to my life. We're inherently social beings who crave social connections, and I think our communities can really give us courage, help us overcome life's challenges, and make the journey worthwhile.
So I saw that we could really alleviate social challenges by working together and uniting. And with the help of the Orpheus leadership, students, and teachers, we all worked as a team to put this together, and I think it brought out the best in people and enabled us to stay connected. And hearing the positive feedback from seniors was very meaningful. Many of them commented on how the concerts have brought a smile to their faces and sparked a memory of their own children playing instruments and performing in school concerts.
One senior, I remember he commented like, “I love this so much that I watch it every morning, it gives me hope and brings sunshine to this dark time.” And helping to bring joy to even one person is very meaningful and rewarding.
Klondike: Wow, again it just really touches me so deeply. You may not even be aware of this Aylin, but concurrent with the Musical Postcards, all the teachers and staff at Orpheus were kind of exploring what our deepest values are as an academy, and we decided to settle on “Collaborate, Play, Engage, and Create,” and I think that Musical Postcards-- You just hit on all of them. You came up with a great idea, it was very creative, and then you collaborated with the teachers, staff, and students, and also the people at the nursing homes, to get people playing and get the engagement up. So I’m just so proud of his project.
When Wendy and I started Orpheus like 18 years ago, it was mostly because, even outside of a pandemic, music lessons, classical music lessons particularly, can be a very isolating experience: “Practice by yourself, go to a private teacher, go home and practice what the teacher told you you did wrong, go back for another lesson.” And we wanted the opportunity for kids to come together and be able to be in group classes, and like you said, that experience of playing in ensembles was already really meaningful, and I think that you then took it to this whole new level, which is just so inspiring.
"Our concerts of over 100 students reached over 760 nursing homes in 26 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, and three Australian states."
Klondike: I wanted to ask you a little bit about your future plans, I hear you're going to Harvard?
Aylin: Yes.
Klondike: That's amazing, and tell us a little bit about what you hope to study and research, and maybe even beyond your undergraduate years, what you hope to spend your life doing.
Aylin: So I'm really grateful to have the privilege of attending Harvard, and I'll be studying neuroscience on a pre-med track. So my hope is to become a medical doctor and researcher.
Klondike: Awesome. That's a field that I just find so exciting, I wish I could have had the opportunity to study that.
Klondike: And I know you're going to be so busy at Harvard, but are you gonna try to play guitar a little bit?
Aylin: Yes, you know my life has always had dualities and one that I’ve really embraced over the years is the science and art duality.
And so I definitely want to continue playing classical guitar while I'm studying neuroscience in college. I think expressing myself through music brings me a lot of joy and it's profoundly meaningful to perform and share that joy with others.
Klondike: Wonderful. You know, I don't get the chance to ask this, and be as honest as you can be-- not many students get to see Orpheus for a full 12 years, because you have to get started really young like you did. Have you noticed any changes over the years?
Aylin: Well I think over the years Orpheus has really built a family of engaged students and teachers, who are all eager to learn and develop together. Through private lessons and group musicianship classes, we've learned to read music, play our favorite songs, and create music with friends, and we've also had opportunities to play in public recitals both solo and with friends.
Orpheus has developed so many more initiatives over the years to further its social mission and has also been receptive to the ideas of students like me, and it has just been such a joyful experience and I'm so excited to see how the Orpheus community continues to grow.
Klondike: Well thank you, I'm so glad that they were all positive things. You're not like, “Oh you guys got so big and…” [laughs]. I really hope that as we’ve grown, we grow closer and we get to share more.
"Orpheus has developed so many more initiatives over the years to further its social mission and has also been receptive to the ideas of students like me."
Klondike: Those experiences of being a family, or the challenges that you overcame at Orpheus, are there any of those that you wanted to highlight that helped you in your amazing journey?
Aylin: Yeah, well I think Orpheus has not only taught me music, but also fundamental life skills such as self-discipline, grit, and self-esteem. And those skills have really helped me thus far in my education, and I'll carry them with me to college and beyond.
I think Orpheus has also taught me to follow my passions and collaborate to achieve meaningful goals, and really use my talents and capabilities to benefit society. And that has really inspired me to make a positive social impact wherever I go, and do it with love.
Klondike: Well that's exactly what I would want for any student. You really exemplify what we would like all students to take away.
Klondike: Do you have any advice for younger students about how they can make positive change happen?
Aylin: Yeah, well I would say no matter what your age is, you can definitely create positive change. If there's a cause that you're passionate about, even if people tell you that you're too young and you can't make an impact, I promise your opinions matter. And you can take action now to make a difference. So my advice would be to be proactive and ask for help when you need it. There's really no shame in asking for help, in fact it's a sign of strength.
I would recommend finding a mentor who inspires you and is available to support you, reach out to people in your community and online like on social media who share your vision and collaborate with them, but do so with your parents permission to be safe. And read relevant books and credible articles about the cause you're interested in.
I also want to emphasize that, while it can be great to have a big vision, it's okay and normal to start out small, see where the project goes, and then gradually expand it. And you don't have to do this alone. There's so many people to help, I'm one of them, and there might also be teachers, family, or friends who are willing. So take advantage of all the opportunities and support around you to do social good.
"If there's a cause that you're passionate about, even if people tell you that you're too young and you can't make an impact, I promise your opinions matter. And you can take action now to make a difference."
Klondike: Well thank you so much Aylin, and I know you've already inspired so many, and you will continue to do so as you go out into the world and make a big, big difference. So thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you've given to Orpheus!
Aylin: I couldn't have done it without the Orpheus community, so thank you so much Orpheus. Thank you!
