Click Here to see the video!
On the morning of April 20, Grammy Award-winning violinist and ETM Advisory Committee Member Joshua Bell visited ETM middle school partner M.S. 180 in Co-op City, the Bronx, and led a master class for the school orchestra.
The students performed two works for him, including a selection from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #5. Joshua provided historical background on Bach and the Baroque period, and performed Bach’s Chaconne, as well as a variation on “Yankee Doodle.”
Afterwards, the students asked many questions, including what inspired him to begin playing the violin. Joshua explained, “I heard music that was so beautiful that it gave me chills.” The students were also curious to hear his advice on “vibrato,” a technique they were eager to learn. At the end of the class, Joshua played the Brandenburg concerto with the orchestra.
Joshua’s final advice to the students was, “If you ever think about quitting, think twice, because music is something you will treasure forever.”
ETM and the M.S. 180 students are grateful to Joshua Bell for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit the school. ETM thanks Teaching Artist Leah Potteiger and Principal Frank Uzzo for preparing the students for the master class.
Click here for more photos from the visit.
