Community Engagement

College Track Mentorship Program

New World Symphony (NWS) College Track Program:

The New World Symphony (NWS) College Track Program will serve up to five young classical instrumental musicians (grades 8-12) from backgrounds underrepresented and underserved in classical music. The goal is to provide each student in this program with the skills and resources necessary to apply and be admitted to the college/conservatory music program of their choice. In order to assist the students in this program, the students chosen for the College Track Program are each matched with a Fellow who will provide 25 lessons per season and assist the student in selecting and acquiring a new instrument and accessories as needed. The program will help each student apply for five available festival scholarships each summer, and the students will participate in an end-of-year recital at the New World Center to celebrate their accomplishments.

Why is this important for the students:

Customized Plan for College or Conservatory Admission

Working with NWS Community Engagement staff, each student will develop an individualized Bridge Plan.

Lessons

NWS would offer lessons to those students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to work with a private music teacher. Students chosen for this program are each matched with a Fellow who will provide 20-25 lessons per season. (NWS seasons are from September to May)

Summer Festivals

The program will help each student apply for five available festival scholarships each summer.

Instrument/Supply Purchase

Teach crowdsourcing, networking, and fundraising skills to help the student raise money to purchase a high-quality instrument. This process will help the students understand the fundraising process.

Master Classes

Students will be able to take part in instrument-specific master classes with NWS Fellows and NWS visiting faculty members, including, potentially, NWS Founder and Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas and visiting conductors.

Conservatory/University Research and Audition Tour Support

As each student enters their junior and senior years of high school, NWS will provide logistical and monetary support to facilitate the college/music school application and audition process.

Why is this important for the fellows:

• Experience teaching and mentoring advanced middle and high school students
• Learn to be an effective advocate for young musicians of color
• Gain increased awareness of the road to conservatory and university for students from underrepresented backgrounds

Why is this important for NWS: Community Engagement is integral to the New World Symphony fellowship experience and a core part of our curriculum. Through training and application of skills in practice, Fellows develop engagement techniques to interact with community members of all ages from diverse backgrounds. The College Track Mentorship program is committed to providing students tools for a lifetime of success by providing an inclusive range of services.

For more information contact:

Cassidy Fitzpatrick, Vice President for Musician Advancement Cassidy.fitzpatrick@nws.edu

Richard Brown, Program Manager  Richard.brown@nws.edu