Afterschool Programming For Teens Expands With Future Music Project

Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) today announced the Future Music Project, a set of free afterschool and weekend programs that give New York City teens the opportunity to create, perform, and produce their own music. Launched as a pilot project during the 2015-2016 season, the Future Music Project aims to create an inspiring community of young musicians here in the city.

The program encompasses weekly workshops on songwriting, digital music, and concert production as well as a youth-led musical collective. Future Music Project workshops take place afterschool on Tuesdays through Thursdays and on Saturdays through a drop-in open studio. Running throughout the school year in Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing, the program gives teens the opportunity to come back time after time for a meaningful, sustained experience.

"The Resnick Education Wing is quickly becoming a haven for young musicians to meet, exchange ideas, and find inspiration," said Sarah Johnson, Director of Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute. "We are thrilled to see teens collaborating with each other and producing new music, and we can't wait to see what they come up with this season and in years to come."

Future Music Project workshops start in mid-October, with a private kick-off concert for participants and teaching artists on Saturday morning, October 15 in the Resnick Education Wing, giving young people a chance to meet each other and get excited for the year ahead. The program is free and open to students throughout New York City, including those who have participated in Carnegie Hall projects in the community. Workshops for the 2016-2017 season are currently full, but young musicians can sign up to attend Saturday open studio sessions as well as join the waitlist for weekday workshops atcarnegiehall.org/FutureMusicProject.

The Future Music Project includes the following workshops:

Concert Production & Design
Tuesdays 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. (Starting October 11)
Students bring their artistic vision to life through sound, lighting, projection video, and other aspects of production that make live performances exciting. They also have the opportunity to learn hands-on skills, visit theaters throughout New York City, and work with professional designers and technicians.

Songwriting
Wednesdays 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. (Starting October 5)
With the help of professional musicians, young instrumentalists and vocal songwriters compose their own music and record in a studio.

Digital Music Production
Thursdays 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. (Starting October 13)
Students learn how to produce their own beats, acquire technical skills, and work with professional musicians to create and record their own music.

Participants in all three workshops and guests also have the option to attend Studio 57, a free drop-in session on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. where students can attend workshops, work on independent projects, collaborate with their peers, and jam. Each week, a professional artist will lead a lesson or master class and guide teens as they work on their own music.

The Future Music Project will be led by thirteen students selected to participate in the program's inaugural youth ensemble. This dynamic group of artistic teens will focus on developing original music in a wide variety of genres while working side by side with professional artists. Their work will be showcased during monthly performances in Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing, at two public concerts in the Weill Music Room on February 18 and May 23, and through performances in community settings. Its members will serve as musical ambassadors and mentors for other participants, taking part in Future Music Project workshops throughout the week and hosting Studio 57 sessions on Saturdays. The Future Music Project ensemble will also have a digital presence - producing recordings and music videos distributed through social media. Celebrating the creativity and unique perspectives of each of its members, this youth-led musical collective seeks to be as diverse and vibrant as New York City itself. Participants were selected following a comprehensive audition process in summer 2016.

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The Future Music Project complements existing community programs for teens offered by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, including Count Me In, an afterschool vocal training program in the Resnick Education Wing that prepares middle school singers for auditions to performing arts high schools;Musical Connections, a set of community-based projects that includes songwriting workshops for young people in the juvenile justice system; and NeON Arts, a program of the New York City Department of Probation in partnership with Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute that offers free arts projects in all five boroughs for young people. The Future Music Project makes it possible for these participants to continue their musical exploration in the Resnick Education Wing on a more ongoing basis and meet other young musicians in the city.

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About Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute
Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) creates visionary programs that embody Carnegie Hall's commitment to music education, playing a central role in fulfilling the Hall's mission of making great music accessible to as many people as possible. With unparalleled access to the world's greatest artists, WMI's programs are designed to inspire audiences of all ages, nurture tomorrow's musical talent, and harness the power of music to make a meaningful difference in people's lives. An integral part of Carnegie Hall's concert season, these programs facilitate creative expression, develop musical skills and capacities at all levels, and encourage participants to make lifelong personal connections to music. The Weill Music Institute generates new knowledge through original research and is committed to giving back to its community and the field, sharing an extensive range of online music education resources and program materials for free with teachers, orchestras, arts organizations, and music lovers worldwide. Approximately 600,000 people each year engage in WMI's programs through national and international partnerships, in New York City schools and community settings, and at Carnegie Hall. This includes 380,000 students and teachers worldwide who participate in WMI's Link Up music education program for students in grades 3 through 5, made possible through partnerships with over 90 orchestras in the US, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, and Spain.

For more information, please visit: carnegiehall.org/Education.

(Photo Credit: Carnegie Hall Facebook)