June 2022
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A NOTE FROM JANE
MEET OUR GRADUATES: ALL COLLEGE-BOUND!
One more academic year has come to a close and we have much to be grateful for. Our kids are growing up. I never cease to be amazed by our students’ extraordinary attributes. As a group they are kind, compassionate, wickedly intelligent, thoughtful, and so courageous.
On June 6, ELM honored our 6 graduating seniors with a $1,000 scholarship in honor of Mark Katz, a music lover and ELM supporter.
I have watched our current group of seniors since they were too young to plant their feet on the floor when playing their instruments.
Since they were in third grade and learning to read music while simultaneously learning to read books.
Since swinging at Pickleweed Park while eating sno-cones from the ice cream truck was their favorite break-time activity. (Well, it is still up there.)
And now, all six are accomplished musicians. And athletes. And dedicated community members, sharing their talents and compassion with others volunteering in community clinics as translators, hosting visiting musicians, and creating modules to support Latino mental health through mindfulness. They are studying biological science and political science, nursing, music, architecture, and yes, music – in college. All six are going away to college. Spreading their wings. Exploring the world.
As they leave the nest, a new group of seniors assume their role as ELM leaders.
Volunteer reading buddies join us at ELM on Wednesdays for in-person reading and engagement.
We are excited to welcome a new cohort of twenty 3rd graders this September, ready to start their 10-year ELM journey. Each will have dedicated volunteer reading buddy in addition to their intensive music and instrument classes.
Keep an eye out for ELM performances this summer – notably at the Marin County Fair (June 30) and in collaboration with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra (August 5).
We have much exciting news about our growth, new teaching artists, a new conductor, new programs (viola and bass, finally!) which we will announce in our next newsletter. Until then, please feel free to reach out to me. We welcome volunteers, visitors, and creative ideas.
Warmly,
Jane Kramer, PhD, Founder and Executive Director
P.S. I have said this many times but it never gets old. As Juan Antonio Abreu said: “Teach the children the beauty of music and the music will teach them the beauty of life.”
STUDENT CONNECTIONS
Meet our Graduating Seniors: All Bound for a 4-year University
Photo credits: Tim Porter
During the last four years at San Marin High School, Dilan Gonzalez has made music a priority. An avid soccer player in addition to ELM, he also played violin in his school orchestra and tenor sax in the concert band. Dilan will be a freshman at CSU Long Beach in the fall pursuing his interest in the sciences.
“Without music I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Music has been an important part of my life over the years, with all the countless hours I put into it, and I look forward to applying this focus and dedication throughout my college years and beyond.”
Kareli Escobar has spent the last nine years playing the violin at ELM student while volunteering with the Marin Clinic, passing out supplies and translating for Spanish-speaking families. Kareli is excited to pursue a nursing degree in the fall at San Francisco State.
“From ELM I learned how the body and mind work together. To play music your body must relax while your mind focuses on what is going on. I plan to use these lessons in college by not letting myself stress out, knowing that if I keep things steady, everything will come together like a piece of music.”
Leslye Deleon Since she was young, Leslye has been committed to using her voice for change. For her Minds Over Matter project, designed to address mental health issues often overlooked in the Latin community, Leslye was awarded the Marin Youth Volunteer of the Year Award. Leslye plans to study political science at Pitzer College in the fall.
“Through ELM I learned that I can carve my own path forward, one different from the typical path for kids from the Canal. I will not forget the many lessons ELM taught me and I know that they will continue to inspire me as I become my family’s first college student and college graduate.”
Miriam Velazquez is a role model for her peers. She has volunteered for years as a member of her church choir and has helped welcome visiting musicians who come from Mexico. Miriam is eager to join Cal Poly Pomona’s freshman class this fall with an eye towards a career in the music industry.
“ELM has taught me so many valuable lessons throughout the years, but one I will never forget is that great things are created when we all work together. When working in a team everyone has a job and contribution to make. They need to be prepared and use communication and listening skills to create an amazing outcome, just like in an orchestra.”
In addition to his own musical pursuits, Nicolas Lau has taught music to new students at ELM. Concertmaster at Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra and member of the World Youth Ambassadors, he has also performed with the Take a Stand Orchestra under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. Nicolas is excited to begin his first semester at UC San Diego this fall.
“The lessons ELM has taught me is that I am stronger and more resilient than I ever imagined. This perseverance and resilience that I gained from ELM will be important in my college success and my future life.”
Athlete, musician, and active member in her school and community, Yesenia Díaz has juggled high school tennis with studying violin at ELM and volunteering with local organizations. Among her volunteering pursuits are working as a teacher’s assistant at a local elementary school and volunteering with ONE TAM to preserve and restore trails in Muir Woods. She leaves in the fall to study architecture at Cal Poly Pomona.
“When I am in college, I will remember how many times I've been in front of a group of people, performing a challenging work on my violin and know that I will have the confidence to effortlessly deliver a project.”
ELM IN THE COMMUNITY
ELM Parent, Ericka Cortez, graduates from UC Berkeley in Political Science
“If you have a dream, give it a chance and unpack it one step at the time. It might require sacrifices, but if you persist, I assure you that you’ll be amazed about the exciting things that you can accomplish regardless of your current circumstances.”
In May, we were honored to watch Ericka Cortez, ELM mother of ELM students Valentina and Xophia, accept her diploma at U.C. Berkeley where she studied political science and international relations. Her next step – law school to study immigration or family law. Ericka hopes that her success will inspire others who wish to go back to college and earn a degree. She is a role model and mentor to our students and their parents who also aspire to pursue their dreams.
ELM SPOTLIGHTS
Gricelda Calderon, ELM Musicianship Teacher
Our Spotlight this issue features ELM Musicianship teaching artist, Gricelda Calderon. After starting as an intern at ELM while still in high school, Gricelda graduated from Sonoma State and joined our staff as a teaching artist. This fall, she will begin her new position as first full-time Latina music teacher in the school district as Director of Music at Davison Middle School in San Rafael (which she attended way back when). Gricelda spoke with our Spotlight host, Kate Fitzsimmons about how her time at ELM has shaped her as an individual and artist.
PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
ELM's Spring Concert on June 5th was a tour de force. ELM teachers and staff devoted so much energy into concert planning and execution, and it showed. Enjoy more videos at youtube.com/elmprogram.
elmYO performing Cordoba by Isaac Albeniz at ELM's Spring Concert on June 6, 2022
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Bob M Brown Fund
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ELM provides youth with an immersive music education that empowers them to pursue their dreams and access resources they need to succeed in life.