Updates on the Festival’s Education Programs

Last month, following the closure of New Mexico’s public schools due to the coronavirus pandemic, students at Santa Fe public schools began taking classes remotely, which they’ll continue to do through the end of the school year. As a result, in late March the Festival began offering its music education programs online, too.

Currently, Hilary Schacht is leading the Festival’s Strings in Our Schools program online, providing group and private violin lessons for elementary school students in Santa Fe and Pecos, while instructors with the Dream Big Private Lesson Program are giving online private music lessons—on violin, viola, cello, guitar, voice, percussion, or one of the winds—to students at Santa Fe’s Capital High School, which Dream Big currently serves exclusively.

And in other Dream Big news: last month four ensembles from Capital High—all of which include Dream Big students—achieved great success at the Music Performance Assessment, organized by the New Mexico Music Educators Association. The Advanced Orchestra earned an “Excellent” rating, and the Jaguar Band, Advanced Mixed Choir, and Intermediate Guitar Ensemble earned “Superior” ratings. Each ensemble performed musically demanding works and was judged on melodic accuracy, intonation, ensemble precision, and interpretation.

This year’s Assessment saw the Capital High ensembles earn their most elevated ratings so far, and each of the ensembles’ directors attribute their group’s success to Dream Big’s impact on participating students’ performances. We at the Festival are so proud of everyone. Congratulations to all!