Rachel Barton Pine, Masterclass

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine performing for the students at the Sphinx Performance Academy, last Sunday July 24th at Roosevelt University in Chicago.
Selections from her new album: CAPRICHO LATINO.

Sphinx 15: Get in tune, at SPA!

July 26, 2011

By: Mariela Lemus

Here at Sphinx, we have a schedule. The schedule cannot be broken, but we don’t mind (for the most part) because the schedule is pretty awesome. Part of the schedule is a daily evening activity. Every night at around 6:40pm the thirty-two SPA students meet in the lobby of the University Center here in Chicago. Our dorm parents do a quick (well, it’s supposed to be quick) roll call to make sure that there are, in fact, thirty-two of us before departing for Roosevelt University. We walk down the hot humid street, dodging the construction workers with their yellow tape and unnecessarily loud machinery, with our instruments on our backs or being rolled behind us. Once we arrive at Roosevelt, we use the two old elevator “cars” to transport our bodies and instruments to the seventh floor where we stroll down to Ganz Hall.

Last night the Resident Quartet coached a master class with five different solo and ensemble performances. My quartet was the third performance of the night. Since we were third, we could not wait back stage in the green room until after the first performer was finished. Yet a funny thing happened the very day of the master class. Our second violinist, Jonathon Vargas, had a slight problem with his dependable violin. The A string popped earlier that day. He had to replace it with a brand new string. (Brand. New. String. On the day of our master class). So Chris Jenkins, Dean of SPA and also my quartet’s coach, allowed Jonathon to stay backstage to constantly tune his A string a little sharp in anticipation of it going flat while we were on stage.

Rebecca was the first soloist. She performed a bit of Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto for us. Shelby stood next to her on stage and got the audience involved in interacting with the performer as well as giving her own personal feedback. It’s always nice to see a supportive audience that listens intently to the performer, and applauds and appreciates the work that the performer has put in to the repertoire.

Folasade was up next. From backstage with my quartet I could hear the opening notes of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. But then the nerves began shaking my body and the chill of the air conditioner froze my mind, numbing my very brain, limiting my thought process to Mozart and only Mozart. Jonathon was in tune. Alex was in tune. Indya was in tune. I was in tune. WE were in tune. And it was time to go on stage. I was distracted. The heat of the stage lights washed over my skin and I forgot to lay out the second page of my music before we began. Luckily the double bar leading into the development was at the bottom of the first page for me, so I was able to pause long enough to flip the page. Good times…

At the culmination of our little performance, Jen came right up on stage and dove into coaching us. She invigorated our quartet with energy, a very vital necessity in playing, but something we had been lacking severely. She forced us to communicate with each other, to the person next to us, diagonal from us, and across from us; so much so that the stands between us no longer served as boundaries, but just represented metal hands outstretched to docilely hold up our thin sheets of music.

Every day at SPA is a learning experience, that’s what the camp is about. The schedule keeps us on track, even if we’d rather it relax a bit here and there. But I guess it’s like having protective parents make you do things a certain way. “One day you’ll thank me. One day you’ll understand.” SPA teaches young musicians discipline they need to become a serious performer. So no matter what happens, the schedule is there to keep us on track, to keep us focused, and most importantly to teach us. The master class last night was just one example of what SPA does. Congratulations to those who played, you were amazingly fantabulous (which IS a word; I saw it on a bus here in Chicago).

From Jonathan Vargas

Well my first three days of SPA have been incredibly fun!! Everyone is so cool. You feel like family so fast! Here at SPA I have had so much fun learning new pieces and getting to work with other people from across the country!!! It is definitely a vigorous schedule but it’s 99% fun all day. (1%=time to go to sleep). I can guarantee the next two weeks are going to be a blast!

-Jonathan Vargas-10th grade

First Day, by Rhonandhoh Abraham

Today I woke up at seven AM and I was still able to get to breakfast early. After breakfast I had time to play and rest. So basically the breakfast hours are really good. After breakfast I had my lesson at Roosevelt, which is very close to the dorms. When my lesson was over I was assigned to a practice room and I practiced for three hours. I was able to have 10 minute Break within the hours. Lunch came after practice. The cafeteria has GREAT food and healthy choices. I made friends very easily and the classes are fun. We also played games a lot and just hung out. SPA is a fun camp and the best one I’ve been to and it’s only my second day.

Awaiting for SPA CHICAGO!

Photo: Jada Wright-Greene, Sphinx's Director of Education & Youth Development, arrived today to finalize the contract with Roosevelt University and get prepped for SPA Chicago 2011!

Notes from Eliesha Nelson's Masterclass!

(Photo: Violinist Jermaine Crutchfield performs Corelli's "La Folia" variations for Eliesha Nelson. Accompanied by Haeju Choi on piano. SPA Oberlin 2011)

Dear SPA Students and bloggers,
I thought it would be useful to publish some notes that I took from the past masterclass with violist ELIESHA NELSON. Four students participated, playing violin and viola pieces, and everyone agreed that her advise and expertise were very helpful. See below!
-Angie Durrell, Assistant Dean
SPA '07

-Music is a language (regarding phrasings.
"How are you able to express yourself?
TELL a story." (E.N)
-The bow is like your breath (referring to
Corelli's variations on La Folia)
-Think of the BOW like money, you don't want to
spend all your money and then have nothing left.
So, you want to even it out!
-Whenever you shift, you should always know
how you're going to get there ("you have to think
that note")


-Best way to improve INTONATION is
by practicing: intervals, intervals, intervals!

Post by Kriscendra Jones

(Photo: Violinists Jennifer Riche and Kriscendra Jones during the Cleveland Orchestra Concert on July 3rd.)


This was my first and only year in Sphinx and in one short week I learned so much! It was great working with the Catalyst Quartet and hearing criticism and advice straight from them. In my private lessons, I improved a lot in a short amount of time thanks to the excellence of the staff. It was also great seeing other Black and Latino players from around the country come together for one week of intense (but fun) playing. The skill level of the student players was incredible and it actually makes me sad that I can’t come back next year! If you’re looking for a music summer camp you will gain skills and friends you will not forget.

Kriscendra Jones SPA’11

Post from Natasha Rosario, cellist

(Picture: Peter Slowik, from CREDO Chamber Music Program, assisted SPA student in finding a cello to use during the festival.)
(Picture: Natasha Rosario, from Rhode Island, tries out various instruments and bows at the CREDO office at Oberlin Conservatory.)
In just about a week I've connected with kids my age through music, in living together we've grown closer and I find myself once again part of another big family woven together by music. Everything was connected to music-from (what at first seemed like) 3 grueling hours of practicing on our own, a concert trip to see the Cleaveland Orchestra and fireworks, and even just dancing to music late at night with my roommate, Princess. Last night we heard the Resident Quartet play a Mendelssohn piece (Op.80 which we are all still singing). Today I had my last lesson with Mary Ann Ramos and it was, once again, extremely helpful. Hopefully I'll still be able to imagine her saying, "Soft Bunny bow hold"- even if it sounds ridiculous it really works... at least for me it does. One step back, and three forwards. That's what it was been like here at SPHINX. First, my quartet sounded less like four parts and more like four people practicing three completely different pieces at the same time. But now our Mozart K. 387 sounds pretty good. I hope I don't jinx it- our concert is tomorrow.
Wish us luck!
-Natasha Rosario

Reflections, from Alex Bliss

This summer is my third year attending the SPA summer program. Every time that I attend SPA I leave feeling like my playing has gotten worlds better. In the summer of 2010 before I went to SPA I made a recording of myself and then made another after I returned from SPA. They didn’t even sound like the same person playing. There wasn’t a Single part of my playing that didn’t improve in some way. Spending so much time with your instrument and working with people that know even more than you do about music takes your understanding of music to a new level.

SPA is a Fantastic music camp, but to say that’s all its about would be selling it very short. At Spa U learn a new way to look at the world community. The people who attend SPA have all been in the same situation that you have been in. That situation is being singled out for being a minority. In my high school orchestra I was always the only person of color. No mater what you do you cant shake the feeling that you are different and independent. SPA gives you the opportunity to Learn Music in a community.

Something that sticks out the most to me about SPA is the fantastic faculty. Being able to work with such skilled musicians and hearing them play just makes you want to become a better player. I am never as inspired with my music than when I am at SPA. To put all these things simply, “ My time at SPA is what makes me want me to be a musician".

SPA Oberlin 2011: A message from the Dean

SPA Oberlin 2011 has kicked off, and I think our students are really
enjoying themselves.  While there is a lot of practicing and
rehearsing that goes on, on July 3rd our students traveled to the
Blossom Music Center where they were treated to a performance by the
Cleveland Orchestra and a fireworks display. Pretty cool - but they
were up early and hard at work the next day preparing for an upcoming
masterclass with Eliesha Nelson, Cleveland Orchestra violist, not to
mention the final concert on Saturday.  The quartet pictured here is
working on a Mozart quartet and is trying to capture the character of
one of his quirkier menuettos just right.

Tuesday night, my group, the Catalyst Quartet, is performing at 7 pm
in Kulas Hall.  We're excited to pair a classic work with something
totally new: Beethoven's quartet Op. 95 "Serioso," followed by Michael
Nyman's second string quartet, which I love.  The Nyman strikes me as
especially genre-bending; it's reminiscent of mid-80s rock music, but
was inspired by a performance of Indian dance.

We're so grateful to the good folks at Oberlin Conservatory for
hosting us for this period of time; the facilities are excellent.
More blog updates from students are in the works.

Chris Jenkins
Dean, SPA