Without missing a beat, the music goes on

A NOTE FROM JANE

We are more than three months into the quarantine, and music is more essential in the daily lives of our ELM community than ever. With our lives in turmoil, music is both grounding and uplifting. Playing music at home gives our students the opportunity to create and immerse themselves in beauty. As Plato said, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”

We trusted that if we could surmount the technological challenges, the desire to continue a connection to our ELM community through music would prevail. And we were right. Our students were hungry to resume music and connections with their ELM family.

With Herculean effort and dizzying speed our ELM teaching artists re-designed a music program for distance learning.  

While synchronous music classes remain a challenge, we switched to private lessons for most of our students. The interview with Maaike Kahn, our lead string teacher, in this month's ELM Spotlight beautifully captures the challenges and delights of teaching music during this precarious time. 

In addition to the creative teaching and practice videos the teachers record and share with their students weekly, they hold weekly Zoom meetings so classes can reconnect musically and socially. There is a strong emotional connection among the older students who have been together at ELM since they were 7 years old. And the delight on our younger students faces when they saw their teachers and classmates for the first time was priceless. We have even resumed our parent ukulele classes via Zoom.

In between scheduling private lessons and hosting Zoom meetings, our team has been preparing for a virtual Spring concert. The concert will be a combination of student performances, teacher collaborations, and more. 

We look forward to seeing you on June 14th at 4pm to celebrate our resilience, creativity and community spirit. Without missing a beat, the music goes on. Look for an invitation to join soon.

Warmly and with gratitude,
Jane

ELM PRESENTS

Meet Maaike Kahn, ELM's Cello Teaching Artist and Director of String Program

For this edition of the Notes, we asked Kate Fitzsimmons, freelance journalist and treasured ELM volunteer, to try something new and do the interview via Zoom. 

Enjoy this dynamic interview with Maaike as she speaks to her respect for her ELM teaching artist colleagues, what she misses most about ELM at this time, and how she has adapted her teaching style and format during our Covid quarantine.

WATCH INTERVIEW

ELM IN THE NEWS

Music in a time of distress

Derek Wilson, reporter with Marinscope, wrote a thoughtful piece this month about ELM featuring interviews with Executive Director, Jane Kramer and ELM graduate, Eduardo Mejia.

Eduardo was one of ELM's first students more than a decade ago and is currently studying music and business at the University of Redlands. Since returning home this semester due to COVID-19, Eduardo has reconnected with family, including his sister, Ariana, an ELM cellist. Upon graduation, Eduardo hopes to return to the Canal to mentor and teach.

“Once I finish college, I want to return home and go back and help teach music students," Eduardo said. “It’s something I learned in my community. I want to give back.” 

READ ARTICLE

ELM COMMUNITY

It’s more than the music: Supporting our families

Supporting our ELM families is embedded in our core vision. Thanks to the generosity of 86 donors, ELM raised $44,696 to support our families during this time of crisis. We distributed $31,250 in cash gifts to every ELM family and are currently distributing the remainder as mini-grants to families with extra-ordinary needs at this time.

LEARN MORE

IN MEMORIAM

Honoring Mark Katz

We are sad to announce the passing of Mark Katz, a former neighbor and friend of Jane and her family. They met at the Cazadero Performing Arts Camp, which maintains an active partnership with ELM. We are honored that his family requested that donations in his memory be made to ELM.

To date we have received over $6,792 in donations from dozens of friends and neighbors of Mark and his wife, Paula. We also received a 3-year pledge for $15,000 to create a scholarship fund in his name. With these scholarship funds we are able to pay for private lessons on ‘less common’ instruments like oboe, bassoon or french horn.

Interested in contributing to a fund for private lessons?

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ELM NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Make a commitment to music education

Your donations give our dedicated team the chance to design programming that provides social and emotional support in addition to high-quality musical education for children in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael.

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UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

The show must go on

Our spring concert had been scheduled for June at Angelico Hall at Dominican University in San Rafael. We were excited to play at this beautiful historic concert hall seating up to 850 people. 

In lieu of a traditional concert, we will host a virtual concert on June 14, 2020 at 4pm. We will feature students, siblings, and teachers performing and other delightful engagements. 

Look for an invitation in your Inbox soon.