Personal History
A note from our Artistic Director
"In May 2022 I was invited by the Arts Saves Lives Foundation to do an independent evaluation of the youth orchestra of National Institute of Art in hopes of making it more sustainable organization and a part of Arts Saves Lives Summer Intensive Program for 2022. For nine years Art saves Lives has been a positive and active force Saint Martin/Sint Maarten Island, both Dutch and French sides, and it’s innovative Summer Intensive encompasses Dance and Theatre attracting renowned professionals in the industry; Music was sorely lacking. What my observation found that though extremely motivated, but teachers and students, that lacked the appropriate tools for growth and success.
After several meetings with the Arlene Halley, Director of NIA and Nicole de Weever, Director of Arts Saves Lives Foundation. I was commissioned to tackle this enormous problem and accepted. The problem was simple: How could I increase the level and organization of these young musicians as quickly and turn them into a functioning orchestra and not just a group of kids playing instruments in a room. They had molded into an ensemble and in the short period of two months.
The first thing I did was hold an audition where I met with all the students individually. The goal of this audition was not only to evaluate the level of each student but to access the motivation of each student and in some cases their family. My goal was to select at least ten students from the both the Dutch and French sides of the island and mold these young music students into an ensemble that listened to and breath with each other and as a consequence played with each other.
After this I began to work. Because of the varied levels of the students, I needed to select works that were at an appropriate to encompass many levels, something to make the less proficient students something to strive for and the more proficient students something that would not bore them. After some research and consultation with colleagues specializing in the youth orchestra field I came up with a program that included Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: L’Amant Anomyme Overture, Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion, and Dmitri Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2 and Bela Bartok: Romanian Dances. I also incorporated selections form Georges Dandelot’s Manuel Pratique and Robert Starer’s Rhythmic Training. I sent all music to NIA for it to be distribute to the selected student. Know that I do not play every instrument in the orchestra I recruited professionals from my network to voluntarily virtually mentor the students. These professionals ranges from principal musicians from orchestras worldwide to renowned soloist and conservatory and collegiate music professors. All I asked from each Music Mentor was four hours of their time spread out of the course of the month of June, basically one lesson a week for four weeks to help prepare the students with the repertoire requirements.
After several weeks of research and preparation passed, I spent one week seven days in Saint Martin/Sint Maarten in the Caribbean from July 2 – 9, 2022 teaching students of varying levels and organizing them into an ensemble. I trained students on how to become an ensemble in three sessions daily: a morning repertoire reading, the second half of the was spent on the basic principles of note reading strategies (solfège with Dandelot) and rhythm accuracy (Starer), this alternated with ad hock Diversity in Classical Music history lesson to break up the monotony. In the afternoon a more in-depth repertoire reading and rehearsal.
After the one-week session we performed the pieces in a concert for the Art Saves Lives Community and public. This was so successful it literally brough tears to the eyes the Director of Arts Saves Lives Director, Nicole de Weever. Now that I established this could be done both Ms. Weever and Mrs. Halley want a continuation of the program that I created. This would the nucleus for the All-Caribbean Youth Orchestra (ACYO) because I soon found that other music schools heard of the work being done at NIA and literally wanted to join.
What my observation found that though extremely motivated, but teachers and students, that lacked the tools for growth and success. After several meetings with the Arlene Halley, Director of NIA and Nicole de Weever, Director of Arts Saves Lives Foundation."
- Marlon Daniel, 2023
After several meetings with the Arlene Halley, Director of NIA and Nicole de Weever, Director of Arts Saves Lives Foundation. I was commissioned to tackle this enormous problem and accepted. The problem was simple: How could I increase the level and organization of these young musicians as quickly and turn them into a functioning orchestra and not just a group of kids playing instruments in a room. They had molded into an ensemble and in the short period of two months.
The first thing I did was hold an audition where I met with all the students individually. The goal of this audition was not only to evaluate the level of each student but to access the motivation of each student and in some cases their family. My goal was to select at least ten students from the both the Dutch and French sides of the island and mold these young music students into an ensemble that listened to and breath with each other and as a consequence played with each other.
After this I began to work. Because of the varied levels of the students, I needed to select works that were at an appropriate to encompass many levels, something to make the less proficient students something to strive for and the more proficient students something that would not bore them. After some research and consultation with colleagues specializing in the youth orchestra field I came up with a program that included Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: L’Amant Anomyme Overture, Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion, and Dmitri Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2 and Bela Bartok: Romanian Dances. I also incorporated selections form Georges Dandelot’s Manuel Pratique and Robert Starer’s Rhythmic Training. I sent all music to NIA for it to be distribute to the selected student. Know that I do not play every instrument in the orchestra I recruited professionals from my network to voluntarily virtually mentor the students. These professionals ranges from principal musicians from orchestras worldwide to renowned soloist and conservatory and collegiate music professors. All I asked from each Music Mentor was four hours of their time spread out of the course of the month of June, basically one lesson a week for four weeks to help prepare the students with the repertoire requirements.
After several weeks of research and preparation passed, I spent one week seven days in Saint Martin/Sint Maarten in the Caribbean from July 2 – 9, 2022 teaching students of varying levels and organizing them into an ensemble. I trained students on how to become an ensemble in three sessions daily: a morning repertoire reading, the second half of the was spent on the basic principles of note reading strategies (solfège with Dandelot) and rhythm accuracy (Starer), this alternated with ad hock Diversity in Classical Music history lesson to break up the monotony. In the afternoon a more in-depth repertoire reading and rehearsal.
After the one-week session we performed the pieces in a concert for the Art Saves Lives Community and public. This was so successful it literally brough tears to the eyes the Director of Arts Saves Lives Director, Nicole de Weever. Now that I established this could be done both Ms. Weever and Mrs. Halley want a continuation of the program that I created. This would the nucleus for the All-Caribbean Youth Orchestra (ACYO) because I soon found that other music schools heard of the work being done at NIA and literally wanted to join.
What my observation found that though extremely motivated, but teachers and students, that lacked the tools for growth and success. After several meetings with the Arlene Halley, Director of NIA and Nicole de Weever, Director of Arts Saves Lives Foundation."
- Marlon Daniel, 2023
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