Young & Very Talented Roosevelt Island Piano Students Perform "Music Is All Inclusive" Concert With Chamber Orchestra - Presented By RIRA & RIDA, Dedicated To Memory Of Former Main Street Wire Editor Dick Lutz

Following the May 19 memorial celebration in honor of former Main Street Wire editor Dick Lutz,  Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Children, Youth & Education (CY&E) Committee Chair Adib Mansour organized a Chamber Music concert performed by Roosevelt Island young people dedicated to Mr. Lutz.

Below is video of the concert courtesy of John Dougherty



and Mr. Mansour reports:

After the passing of my mother, I am back in New York contemplating on the success of RIRA’s Children, Youth & Education Committee’s “Music is All Inclusive” concert last May. The concert was in collaboration with Roosevelt Island Disabled Association's Wendy Hersh and Musicute’s piano instructor Ms. Shuang.

Of course, the heroes of the concert were the young Roosevelt Island piano students: Bijan Navab (13 yrs old), Lou-Ann Sire (12 yrs old), Nina Xining Wang (12 yrs old), Tung Le (12 yrs old), Isra Ghrib (10 yrs old), Amelia Ghrib (9 yrs old), Hemi Te Amo (9 yrs old), James Wilson Bailey (8 years old), and Penelope Louise (5 yrs old).

The idea I had behind the concert was to elevate the expectations of our youth and let them know that with their hard work and their steadfast determination they can achieve their dreams. In this case, one of their dreams was to play with an actual professional Chamber Orchestra. The other thought was to get them to understand that all the residents of the island are equal. The message that I incorporated in my communications with the students and on the program was: “I do not have a disability, I have a gift”.

Lots of heartfelt “thank you” to everyone that helped while I was away. The community came together to coordinate the concert which was dedicated to Dick Lutz and was preceded by his memorial. The concert was set in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd which added a beautiful resonating sound and a dramatic feel.

It was not easy to coordinate the project while attending to my mom’s health from Lebanon. But the support from the community and RIRA/RIDA members was invaluable in making it a resonating success.

I am proud to be part of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association, and this beautiful community.

Watch the Chamber Music concert - some very talented Roosevelt Island young people.

Roosevelt Island Youth Program/Beacon Free Marching Band Drums And Electric Piano Classes Available - Sign Up Now, Space Limited

An announcement from the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (RIYP). According to RIYP's Adib Mansour:

The Roosevelt Island Youth Program / Beacon is thrilled to announce the start of two new classes: Piano and Drums. The classes are offered to 5th through 9th Graders by professional and skilled teachers. Children will learn the basics with state of the art drums and electric pianos in the newly renovated Youth Center.

Piano classes are held Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:30PM to 5:30PM

Drum classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30PM to 5:30PM

Both classes are held at the Youth Center, 506 Main Street.

For further information and registration, please contact Kim at the Beacon (212) 527-2505 or email info@rooseveltislandyouthprogram.com

Perhaps future college marching band members

You Tube Video From Drumline Movie

will have received their start at this RIYP program.

Roosevelt Island Sing For Hope Piano At Good Shepherd Plaza This Weekend Thru June 16 - Come Play Or Just Listen And Enjoy

Playing Roosevelt Island Sing For Hope Piano

Did you see the Roosevelt Island Sing For Hope Piano being played at Good Shepherd Plaza this weekend? The Buboblog did and reports:

... The Roosevelt Island piano is located near the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. When we got there, it appeared as if the instrument had only just been unwrapped. But a man was already sitting down, playing Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony....

 Image From Buboblog

From the Roosevelt Island Twitterverse:

@therealtavie Sounds like my dad!@rooseveltisland(er) even got him on video. youtu.be/p8tCQ2SLvDE Maybe next time they should do a duet.
— Jenifer Semenza (@jenifernyc1) June 2, 2013

and:

Photo: The tech is giving my @sfhpiano a final tuning on site at Roosevelt Island. Come visit and share your... tmblr.co/ZP7L-umRHOe8
— Marc Evan (@MarcManiac1) June 2, 2013

The Roosevelt Island Sing For Hope Piano will be at Good Shepherd Plaza thru June 16. Check it out and play or just listen.

More on NYC Sing For Hope piano public art installation from previous post.

UPDATE 6/3 - More Roosevelt Island Sing For Hope piano playing at Good Shepherd Plaza from Don Semenza, this time with vocal accompaniment.



Another Roosevelt Island Sing For Hope performer.

Sing For Hope Public Art Installation Piano Coming To Roosevelt Island's Good Shepherd Plaza June 1 Thru 16 - Enjoy And Play It Says Piano Designer Mark Evans

Cheshire Kitty reported:

Artist-decorated pianos coming to 83 NYC locations - including RI - from June 1 to June 16: Sing for Hope

According to Sing For Hope:

This summer, from June 1st through June 16th, the Sing for Hope Pianos return to our city streets. In one of New York City’s most vibrant public art installations, 88 artist-designed pianos (one for each key on a piano) are placed in parks and public spaces throughout the 5 boroughs for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

Visual artists from Sing for Hope’s roster of over 1,000 Volunteer Artists and local community members were selected through an open application process and donate their time and talent to create this beautiful gift to our city: 88 unique and interactive piano artworks.

Once on the streets, neighborhood associations and community organizations serve as “piano buddies” and supervise each piano throughout the duration of the project, making sure they are protected from inclement weather. The Sing for Hope Pianos unite our city, as artists from all walks of life create daily spontaneous concerts and neighborhoods come together around the shared gift of music and art....

More information on Sing For Hope here.

The Roosevelt Island Sing For Hope Piano will be located at Good Shepherd Plaza - 543 Main Street and was designed by Mark Evans who writes:

All done. Next time I see this guy it will be at Roosevelt Island, hopefully being enjoyed and played by many of you! Be sure to follow @sfhpianos to keep up with all the pop up piano updates these next few weeks!

Image From Mark Evans In Progress

Mr. Evans named the piano 88 Keys To Consciousness and explains:

... The piano itself becomes a living Rorschach test as each individual viewer reinterprets the glyphs -- creating their own characters, language, and narratives, within the art. The work becomes a collaboration between both artist and viewer, as each actively participates in the process of finishing the art and creating new worlds within their own subconsciousness....

 Image From Sing For Hope

In the summer of 2011 there was another Pop Up Piano Public Art installation on Roosevelt Island in front of Blackwell House. Remember this performance from the Benjamin Rosenblum Jazz Fusion Duo



Looking forward to hearing some talented Roosevelt Island piano players in the next two weeks.