Celebrate 10th Teach Music Week with free lessons
‘Collection As Classroom’ art exhibit opens at DCCC on Monday
BROOKHAVEN » The milestone 10th annual Teach Music Week will be celebrated Monday, March 18 through Sunday, March 24.
The annual weeklong holiday invites musicians, music schools, music stores and other music organizations to offer a free lesson or class to new students, both children and adults.
This year, over 1,200 locations in 16 countries will participate.
Music Week is celebrated annually during the third week of March to coincide with national Music in Our Schools Month. Anyone interested in learning to play an instrument is encouraged to seek out a participating location or musician friend to help get them started. Teach Music Week also invites public, private and charter schools to schedule activities that will encourage more students to sign up for music, band and chorus classes.
Locally, Guitar Center will book end Teach Music Week with a free group guitar lesson on both Saturday March 18 and March 25. Locations from additional chains participating this year include Music & Arts, Long & McQuade, Kindermusik, Gymboree Play & Music, Music Together and School of Rock.
Vincent James of Brookhaven, co-founder of Keep Music Alive, stated, “We all know that the biggest hurdle to doing something is often just getting started. With Teach Music Week, we are hoping to inspire a new generation of musicians who will continue reaping the many benefits of playing music, long after the month of March is over.”
This month, Keep Music Alive will offer local musical instrument petting zoo events, an opportunity to see, hear and play a variety of instruments.
The “petting zoos” are all free. Locations include:
SATURDAY, MARCH 9 » Delaware Children’s Museum, Wilmington, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 16 » Ridley Township Library with Rose Tree Pops Orchestra, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
MONDAY, MARCH 18 » Sharon Hill Library, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
MONDAY, MARCH 18 » Helen Kate Furness Library, Wallingford, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 23 » Concord Township/AMC Church, 10 to 11 a.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 23 » Aston Township Library, 1 to 3 p.m.
Keep Music Alive is also grateful for grant support received from the Les Paul Foundation and Music Nomad’s “One for Music” Program. For more information or to find participating locations, visit http://www. TeachMusicWeek.org; 610874-6312 or info@KeepMusicAlive.org.
Keep Music Alive is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to help more reap the educational, therapeutic and social benefits of playing music. They are founders of two international music holidays: Teach Music Week, during the third week in March, and Kids Music Day, on the first Friday in October.
Each year, Keep Music Alive partners with hundreds of music school and retail locations to offer free music lessons and host special events including student music performances, instrument petting zoos, community jams, instrument donation drives and more. For more information: www.KeepMusicAlive.org.
DCCC’s spring art exhibit ‘Collection as Classroom’ runs Mar. 4—April 12
The Gallery at Delaware County Community College will present its spring exhibition, “Collection as Classroom,” curated by DCCC professor of art history Olivia Gruber Florek. The collection will be on view from Monday, March 4 through Friday, April 12.
Beginning in the Renaissance, artistic training required students to observe and imitate both historical and contemporary works of art. This practice often occurred within the studios of their teachers, who amassed examples of great artworks from their peers and predecessors in order to instruct students in a wide variety of artistic methods.
Through the generosity of DCCC assistant professor of art Matthew Sepielli, professor of art Jaime Treadwell, and professor of graphic design and photography David Yox, the college recreates the practice in the 21st century with “Collection as Classroom.”
“Classroom” features paintings, prints, sculptures, and photographs from the private collections of DCCC professors Sepielli, Treadwell and Yox. Carefully selected to demonstrate an array of techniques, stylistic strategies and significant contemporary movements, this exhibition invites all art students to engage with these artworks to improve their own practice, while DCCC art history students will research and produce exhibition labels.
“Classroom” includes works by Philadelphia-area artist Dona Nelson, best known for immersive, gestural, primarily abstract works employing unorthodox materials; the late Hitoshi Nakazato, a Japanese painter, printmaker and muralist; and print artist Carolina Franco-Gracia.
The exhibition is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for the week of March 11-15 when the college is closed for spring break. For more information, contact Caitlin Flaherty at cflaherty@dccc.edu or 610359-5266 or visit http://dccc.edu/artgallery.
The Gallery at Delaware County Community College hosts up to five visual art exhibitions each year, showcasing the work of students as well as professional artists of national and international reputation.
In addition to exhibitions, artists are periodically invited to hold lectures, collaborative projects and workshops for the college community and the public. Unless otherwise stated, all visual arts events are free. Find out more about the arts at DCCC at www.dccc.edu/campus-life/arts/about.
Young Brookhaven classical musician receives highly competitive $10,000 grant
From the Top, America’s largest national platform celebrating young classically trained musicians, announced the 2024 recipients of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and a young Brookhaven musician, Rhyuhn Green, was among the winners.
Out of more than 250 applicants, Rhyuhn and 20 other exceptionally promising pre-collegiate musicians with demonstrated need were chosen to receive up to $10,000 each. These funds are made available for instrument purchases, summer camp tuition, college audition expenses, private lessons and other music-related needs.
Rhyuhn, a promising 17-year-old pianist and composer, will spend the money to record preliminary auditions, travel to college auditions, and take lessons with prospective teachers.
In addition to the financial support, all Jack Kent Cooke Young Artists appear in a From the Top episode broadcast nation
wide, participate in From the Top’s Learning and Media Lab, and join a growing cohort of diverse young people from across the country, supported by a network of industry professionals with a genuine desire to empower young musicians.
“This award and the exceptional artists it supports are changing the face of classical music,” said From the Top Executive Director Gretchen Nielsen. “The costs of high-level study, instruments, and auditions have historically been huge barriers, keeping talented performers from reaching their full potential. We are proud to connect dedicated young artists like Rhyuhn Green with the resources and encouragement needed to pursue a career in music.”
Garnet Valley, Delaware County Christian School and Radnor to compete in Delco Hi-Q championship
The results are in. Six topscoring teams competed in a series of two semifinal contests to determine the Delco Hi-Q 76th season finalists. Garnet Valley High School already earned a bye from scoring the most points in the regular season.
Now, it was left to the remaining six teams to vie for the final two spots in the final three-team contest.
Delaware County Christian School was the first team to secure a spot in the championship after winning on Feb. 27 against Haverford and Strath Haven high schools.
In true DCCS fashion, the auditorium was standing room only- and the full audience brought enthusiasm and cheers for every question. DCCS took a dominating lead in the first half, but Strath Haven followed close behind in the second half. The ultimate victor was determined by the last two questions of the contest. Final Scores were DCCS, 49; Strath Haven, 44; and Haverford, 31.
In the second semifinal on Feb. 29, Radnor secured a spot in the championship.
Marple Newtown had home court advantage, and the lead changed multiple times in the first half. During the second half, Radnor was really able to pick up points to secure the win. Final scores were Radnor, 49; Marple Newtown, 39; and Upper Darby, 32.
Just last year, the top three teams competed in the championship and will do so again on Wednesday, March 13 at 9:55 a.m.
Garnet Valley has a very long, successful history in Delco Hi-Q. The school has earned five titles since 2011, for a total of nine since their first win in 1978 and placed first last season. This is the school’s seventh consecutive championship appearance and 25th overall since 1977. Garnet Valley placed first in the regular season, which earned them the opportunity to host the championship. Faculty adviser Sandra Dubnansky has been coaching the team for nine years and fellow adviser Alex Hillemeyer is in his second year.
Entering the competition in 1993 as a replacement for St. James High School, Delaware County Christian School is now embarking on its third consecutive and sixth overall championship appearance. The team claimed the top spot in 2021. Leading the team is veteran faculty adviser Thom Houghton, who brings over 20 years experience to his coaching role.
Radnor High School holds one of the longest championship records in Delco Hi-Q history. This will be its 28th overall championship appearance. The school has clinched 11 titles since 1965, with the last coming in the 1998 season. Faculty adviser Robert Spear has coached the team for eight years.
Delco Hi-Q is a partnership between Delaware County Intermediate Unit and FMFCU Foundation. FMFCU Vice President Rick Durante serves as executive director and quizmaster, FMFCU Foundation Program and CSR Manager Danielle Griffin is Hi-Q assistant director, and DCIU’s Dave Bramble is the production engineer.
In addition to support from participating schools, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union and the Wilbur C. and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation are the primary corporate sponsors. Additional support comes from longtime sponsor Kimberly-Clark Corp. and the Delaware County Daily Times.
Elwyn welcomes new board members
Elwyn, the internationally-recognized nonprofit human services organization, recently announced the addition of four members to its board of directors: Robert Colucci, Kelly McGee, Debra Paul and Myron Thomas. Each brings a wealth of industry expertise and a deep commitment to Elwyn’s mission.
As executive vice president and chief financial officer, Robert Colucci, has provided financial leadership for more than 22 years at Collette, where he began in 1999 as controller.
Kelly McGee is an associate general counsel at Lifespan Corp in Providence, Rhode Island. She has extensive experience in providing services and consultation to individual and institutional health care providers with regulatory, compliance and general business matters.
Debra Paul has more than 20 years of experience in health care. She is the past president and CEO of Fellowship Health Resources headquartered in Lincoln, Rhode Island, where she also served as CFO. Paul was Elwyn’s CFO from 2020 until her retirement in 2022.
Myron Thomas serves dual roles as Culmen International’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer, leading efforts to optimize operations and guide capital deployment to maximize organic and inorganic growth.
Founded in 1852, Elwyn makes life better for people with developmental and behavioral health challenges. To learn more, visit http://www.elwyn.org.