Community Concerts

Objective: To innovate performance opportunities for student musicians beyond the traditional concert hall

Largest Audience for a Single Performance: 19,000

Notable Achievement: Coordinated press coverage from the New York Yankees’ official television network

In 2014, P.S. 18 in The Bronx did not offer any music curriculum. With generous funding from the New York Yankees Foundation (whose stadium stands just a few blocks from the school’s campus), The New York Pops established a choir residency. When my colleagues asked me to enhance the program, I developed an experience with Tony Award nominee Montego Glover. Ms. Glover participated in a Q&A session and rehearsal period with the students, and then returned a week later to lead them in a rendition of “Lean On Me” during the choir’s final performance (see right photo above). The community concert was covered on YES, the Yankee Entertainment and Sports Network.

In 2018, The New York Pops was invited to play the national anthem prior to a New York Islanders game at Barclays Center. To represent the organization’s arts education programs, I coordinated a performance by an ensemble of music students and their teachers (see left photo above). That evening, a PSA that I had co-produced in support of The New York Pops’ arts education programs also aired on Barclays Center’s jumbotrons.