T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F

6 - Fall 2009 • project STEP

projectSTEPSymphony Hall301 Massachusetts AvenueBoston, MA 02115-4557www.projectstep.org

Save the DateOpening Our Doors

Day- Fenway Monday, Oct. 12 11am & 1pm

Mary Baker Eddy Library

Masterclass with Members of the Lark Quartet

Sunday, November 8, 2pm Higginson Hall, Symphony Hall

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Change, some planned and some imposed from outside, characterized the 2008-2009 year. Upon William Thomas’ retirement, STEP appointed its first Artistic Direc-tor to have graduated from the program: Mariana Green-Hill, ’97. We began with a record number of students, 51, and launched what will be a dynamic relation-ship with the Museum of Fine Arts’ Teen Arts Council. Mid-way through the year Jen Lee left for her home in Seattle, and Javier Caballero took her place as Program

Coordinator. Tony Rymer, ’07, reached new heights winning First Prize at the National Sphinx Competition, and began a year of solo appearances debuting right here with the Boston Pops (see related article).

Along with the uplifting news, the cataclysmic economic events of last fall and winter took their toll on Project STEP. We reacted swiftly by reducing adminis-trative costs immediately, tightening the budget to all but the essentials of the program. Even so we took a larger than usual draw from our endowment, but our mission guided us in maintaining the students’ complete instruction program. From January forward it was clear that we

had to retrench from the much-expanded student roster. Families were informed from the start and a difficult process unfolded that ended in referring a number of students to collegial organizations.

MUSIC ART TEENS STEP MFA

project STEPw w w . p r o j e c t s t e p . o r g • i n f o @ p r o j e c t s t e p . o r g • ( 6 1 7 ) 2 6 7 - 5 7 7 7

Last Year at a GlanceProject STEP teenagers and the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Teen Arts Council will gather this year to share their artistic experiences and explore the value of engaging their peers in the arts. At the first meeting last spring, STEP’s Hon-

ors String Quartet performed Ravel’s colorful Quartet in F major, a quintessen-tial Impressionist work, sitting among masterpieces of the era in the MFA’s Impressionist Gallery. After the perfor-mance the MFA Teens gave a tour of some of the paintings in the gallery, rich in infor-mation and their own personal responses to the works. The collaboration is underwritten by Susan Kaplan, and the Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Foundation, long-standing supporters of both institutions.

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On Facebook: become a fan by searching for ‘Project STEP.’

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Inside this Issue…• New Project STEP Program Coordinator• STEP Graduate Plays Pops • Kravitz and Campbell Scholars Named• Welcome to Four New Members of our Board of Directors

A masterclass with the energetic Harlem String Quartet

A full house for Peggy Pearson’s Winsor Benefit Concert

A master class with the amazing Lynn Chang

An informal viola masterclass for our youngest violists with the inspiring Marcus Thompson

A double bass masterclass with New York based STEP alum Chris Johnson

A magnificent marathon of music at the Spring Recital

The retirement brunch for Ann Hobson Pilot, BSO principal harpist, featuring a performance by STEP students

A promising collaboration with the MFA’s “Art In Bloom”

Project STEP’s first ever chamber music recital

An effervescent friend-raiser at the home of Christophe and Tara Oliver

Randy Hiller, President of STEP, won the New England Patriots’ Community MVP Award for the breadth and depth of his volunteering (See photo on page 5)

Highlights from Last Year:

We are grateful to the NEA and MCC for demonstrating their strong belief in the mission of Project STEP by making significant grants to the program.

Project STEP is deeply appreciative of the in-kind support from The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New England Conservatory, and the BU School of Fine Arts. Their contributions enable us to provide our students opportunities at the highest levels.

Randy Hiller, center, holding his MVP Award from the Patriots Foundation Community Volunteer Awards, with (L – R) Andre Tippett, elected to the Football Hall of fame in 2008; John Hannah, offensive lineman; and Bob and Myra Kraft, owners of the New England Patriots. Randy was honored at a lunch and awards ceremony at Gillette Stadium.

Friend-raiser at Christophe and Tara Oliver’s home, 5/31/09

Last year we bid farewell to Jennifer Lee, Project STEP Program and Develop-

ment Coordinator, as she moved back to her home in Seattle and started a job with the Seattle Symphony. Jen worked at Project STEP for 2 ½ years and had a huge positive impact.

As hard as it was to say goodbye to Jen, we were extremely fortunate that Javi-er Caballero stepped into the position in January of 2009. Javier had managed Project STEP’s instrument collection for 18 months, and in that time he updated our instrument inventory (described and numbered 196 instruments and 68 bows). Born in Puerto Rico, he grew up in Florida

and began playing the violin at age 11 and later switched to cello. Javier has a Masters Degree in Cello from the Boston Conserva-tory and teaches and freelances lo-cally. Javier spent summers at the Ap-

ple Hill Chamber Music Festival for years, where he met Tony and Marta Rymer, and was Tony’s counselor.

New Project STEP Program Coordinator

Top Consultants Donate Expertise to Project STEP Seven Boston business men and women, all part of the Community Consulting Teams of Boston, donated cumulatively more than 1,000 hours of time to Proj-ect STEP this past winter and spring. The scope of their research was breath-taking. They dug into archives and finances, and interviewed some 34 STEP constituents: students, parents, faculty, past and current staff, past and current board members, funders that support STEP, foundations who had declined to fund Project STEP, and organiza-tions like STEP in Boston and through-out the United States. The result was a set of recommendations touching on Project STEP’s mission, its opportuni-ties and challenges, and its optimal size. Community Consulting Teams (CCT) is a volunteer organization that brings together business school graduates and non-profit organizations for the benefit of the Boston community. Subject to ac-ceptance of a proposal, non-profits are as-signed a team and receive free professional consulting on pressing issues. The consul-tants were high caliber and fully commit-ted to determining the best course forward for Project STEP. We are grateful to them all: Paula Cohen; Chris Heckscher; Tarun Jain; Sue Kahn, Co-Project Leader; An-drea O’Neill, Project Sponsor; Christophe Oliver; and Donal Toole, Co-Project Leader.

2 - Fall 2009 • project STEP

Congratulations to our graduated Seniors! Danielle Lennox-Heichman, violin student of Janet Packer, will be studying music at NYU. Adrya Sanchez, cello student of Jennifer Lucht, will be studying business at Babson College and plans to play in the Babson orchestra. Our seniors gave a spectacular and moving graduation recital in June.

STEP Graduate Plays Pops! Tony Rymer, Project STEP ’07, won First Prize at the 2009 national Sphinx Competition (www.sphinxmusic.org). As a result, Tony was invited to perform on Opening Night with the Boston Pops, marking the second year in a row Project STEP made an onstage appearance with the Boston Pops! (Last year

Artistic Director and STEP alum Mariana Green-Hill and then-Junior Danielle Lennox-Heichman played a movement of the Bach Double Concerto at spring Pops.) In addition to his increasing professional engagements, Tony has made time to volunteer

and perform locally for such events as the Mass Mentoring Program’s “Mentors of Color Campaign,” held on June 2, 2009 at the UMass Boston campus. This fall Tony begins his junior year at the New England Conservatory as a student of Paul Katz.

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Welcome to Four New Members of our Board of DirectorsWe are very pleased to welcome four new Directors, each of whom brings valuable experience and skills to Project STEP.

Catherine Toppin, Esq., is an Associate Attorney in the Intellectual Property Group of Edwards, Angell, Palmer and Dodge, LLP. Growing up in Washington, D.C., Ms. Toppin spent Saturdays with her violin in lessons and rehearsals, so she is personally familiar with the benefits of intense and long term music instruction – even if she opted for a different profession. She holds a JD from the University of Maryland School of Law, and a BA from Princeton.

Myran Parker-Brass, Director of Education and Community Programs for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is also a mezzo-soprano who has soloed throughout the world as well as with the Boston Pops Orchestra, among many other Boston performances. Ms. Parker-Brass has been in her position at the BSO for over 15 years, and knows Project STEP well. She represents the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Project STEP’s Board of Directors. She holds an MFA and MME from Governors State University, and a BA from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Christopher Heckscher, Investment Analyst, is currently Investment Director – High Yield for Standard Life Investments in Boston. As a member of the Community Consulting Team’s Project STEP consult-ing group, Mr. Heckscher came to know STEP from all angles: he led the team that interviewed 34 constituents. He holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a BA from Harvard.

Christophe Oliver is a business development executive with over 16 years of international experience. He spent over 12 years at Saint-Gobain of Worcester, MA, most recently as Director of Strategy for the global Coated Abrasives business. As a pro-bono consultant with the Community Consulting Teams of Boston / STEP team, he analyzed Project STEP’s operations, helping STEP define, quantify, and chart key metrics. He holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and attended university in his native France.

PROJECT STEP BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2009-2010

Randall Hiller, PresidentGregory E. Bulger, Vice PresidentWilliam “Mo” Cowan, Vice PresidentDianne Luby, Vice PresidentDaniel I. Palant, Vice President Goetz B. Eaton, TreasurerJessica E. Margolin, ClerkOrlando Abraham, Parent RepresentativeMark ChurchillAndré de QuadrosSamiyah DiazJonathan GlionnaChristopher A. HeckscherRosebud HollandMary LincolnChristophe OliverMyran Parker-BrassCheri RobartesAstrid SchweenWanda Smith, Parent RepresentativeMarcus ThompsonCatherine J. ToppinMargaret Williams-DeCellesOwen Young

PROJECT STEP BOARD OF ADVISORS 2009-2010

Nina L. DoggettThelma Goldberg Jackie Jenkins-ScottPatricia KrolMurphy Lewis Barbara E. MazeRachel S. MooreWilliam MoyerJoy Cline PhinneyAnn Hobson PilotMartha Batchelor Volpe

STAFF

Mariana Green-Hill, Artistic Director Mary S. Jaffee, Executive Director Javier R. Caballero, Program Coordinator.

We note with sadness the passing of our longtime friend, supporter, and

advocate for our students Barbara Berger.

www.projectstep.org

Adrya Sanchez Danielle Lennox-Heichman

Mariana Green-Hill Gives a Strad Some ExerciseMariana Green-Hill, esteemed Artistic Direc-tor of Project STEP, was invited to play a Stradivarius violin for a lunchtime concert in New York arranged by the Sphinx Music Organization. Ms. Green-Hill first met the violin on Monday morning, September 14th, and practiced with it for two hours before the performance. She played a Brahms so-nata and a William Grant Still suite, and felt that the modern work by Still was easier to play on the Strad. Asked how she found the instrument to play she said, “It was very clean, bright. It would take me a while to figure out how to play it with nuance.” Would she like to play on it again? Maybe, but – “I love my own violin – love it. We are one; we understand each other.”

A Practical Approach to Theory This year we are launching two classes for our youngest students that will make music theory more practical. Weekly 45 minute piano lessons will give our young students a grounding on the keyboard, where intervals and key signatures may be learned visually and by ear, facilitating note reading. Supplementing the piano lessons will be solfége classes, which will help our students in ear and rhythm training. Together these classes will prepare our students to enter higher level theory classes in seventh grade.

Atlanta Colleges Request STEP for Masterclass and PerformanceAtlanta called and Mariana Green-Hill responded to a request to bring Project STEP students to play with the orchestras of Spelman and Morehouse Colleges. Monique Smith, a senior at Boston Latin and a violist at Project STEP, and Aurélie Théramène, a junior at The Commonwealth School and a violinist, also at Project Step, will perform movements of two concertos in Atlanta. Monique will play the first movement of Carl Maria Von Weber’s Andante and Hungarian Rondo, and Aurelie will perform the first movement of Saint-Saens’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor. Ms. Green-Hill will lead a masterclass for students at both colleges during the three-day trip.

Concert MastersGregory BulgerSusan Okie BushAnn S. and Robert BuxbaumEleanor and The Honorable Levin H. CampbellMark and Marylou Speaker ChurchillWilliam “Mo” CowanSamiyah DiazReed Drews and Lisa IezzoniGoetz EatonJoan EckleinJonathan L. and Megan GlionnaThelma and Ray GoldbergJoseph Hearne and Jan BrettLinda HeffnerRuth HertzBruce and Ellen HerzfelderRandall and Elaine HillerSandra and Carl JaffeeJackie Jenkins-Scott and James ScottSusan KaplanHenry H. KolmJessica MargolinBarbara KravitzMary and Robert LincolnDianne LubyHenrietta MeyerWilliam and Elizabeth MoyerRuthanne MoyerDaniel and Barbara PalantJonathan PalantWilliam E. PalantMyran Parker-Brass and Kenneth BrassPeggy PearsonAnn Hobson Pilot and Prentice PilotJason T. PriceIrving RabbCheri RobartesDaniel and Susan RothenbergAstrid SchweenEpp SoninMarcus A. ThompsonJohn and Samantha WilliamsMargaret Williams-DeCellesWinsor Music

Principal PlayersCorinne and Gerald AdlerHolly and David AmblerBernice AuslanderEmily H. Bailey and John WinslowSandra and David BakalarMolly and John BeardGeorge and Roberta BerryWilla and Taylor S. BodmanJane C. and John M. BradleyDelores Handy BrownMelinda C. and Henry BrownMichael and Susan BrownJohn and Susanna Peyton CampbellHolly CarsonJames David ChristieJohn and Mary Cornille CoganLoring and Katinka ColemanBruce and Susan CreditorJoan P. and Ronald C. CurhanNelson and Ruth DarlingAnna and Peter DavolAndre de Quadros Eugene and Nina DoggettMuriel and Hugh DyetteRobert M.Eisendrath

3 - FAll 2009 • project STEP • OUR STUDENTS’ SUCCESSES ARE REALIZED BY YOUR SUPPORT – THANK YOU.

Kravitz and Campbell Scholars Named Two longstanding Project STEP advocates have established scholarships to make certain that our high school students will have the support they need to reach their potential in music. Barbara Kravitz, honoring her late husband Arthur’s deep commitment to STEP, and Judge Levin Campbell, honoring his wife Eleanor’s long belief in and support of Project STEP, both made gifts that will support one Pre-College student each year in perpetuity. This year’s scholars are:

Monique Smith, viola, senior at Boston Latin Academy, is the Arthur Kravitz Scholar. (right) Aurélie Théramène, violin, junior at The Commonwealth School, is the Eleanor L. and Levin H. Campbell Scholar. (left)

Edwin and Sandra EpsteinLois & Charles EpsteinMicheline FedermanWendy M. FiscusKathleen and Elliot ForbesRobert Frank and Jennifer Coplon Lawrence and Marjorie FrankoMarion Gardner-SaxeSarah M. GatesStephen and Lisa GeberMarvin GilmoreRobert Gittens and Donna LatsonAnn GoeringCharles and Sara Goldberg Charitable TrustRobert GoldsmithSondra GotkinNadja B. GouldJohn W. and Gretchen GraefFrederick and Donna GreatorexRaymond and Joan GreenDiane Asseo GrilichesRobert HagopianSusan HalbyUnae K. HanJuanita HardrickDeborah HauserRebecca and Richard HawkinsPatrick and Lorell HernandezDoris and Howard HiattDebra J. Hilbert and Andrew KnappEdwin and Mary HillerEloise HodgesCarol Hofman and Michael SchafferRosebud HollandElizabeth HuntleySusan IkedaFrancine JohnsonJones Hill AssocationRalph and Sherry JonesMartin Kaplan and Wendy TarlowAnn R. KarnovskyJulia KathanNathan Katz and FriendsKenneth KaufmanLeigh C. and Chris KelterRobert and Susan KenneyJudith H. KiddGeorge KidderNaomi Krasner

Pat Krol and Stephen ChiumentiRonan Lefkowitz and Phuong PhamGeorge and Karen LevyElliot D. and Lenore Zug LobelKeith LockhartMichael K. MarshallJoseph and Rachel MartinMary MartinMarjorie McDonaldKathleen McGirrKenneth and Margaret McIntoshLisa-Maria and Neil MehtaGael R. MintonRachel Moore and Robert RyanRichard and Claire MorseRobert and Jane MorseEllen MorseBrian and Silvia MurphyJoan Nissman and Morton AbromsonLynn E. Nowels and James D. OlesenChristophe C. and Tara H. OliverBarbara OrenJames Orleans and Nancy WalkerElizabeth OstlingSusan and Stephen PaineMay H. PierceWilliam and Lia PoorvuHarold and Frances PrattRichard Ranti and Laura AhlbeckHenry and Susan ReederJennifer R. ReganRobert E and Ruth RemisRichards, Barry, Joyce & Partners, LLCAlyce RideoutJim and Sandy RighterSamuel and Phyllis RubinovitzLois C. RussellRutman’s ViolinsLawrence J. SaubermannStephen Saudek & Janice DurhamDavid and Marie Louise ScudderJudith SizerFenwick SmithMaurice SmithPhilip SmithWanda L. SmithSteve and Janice SniderEmilie D. SteeleMarylen Sternweiler

Alan and Marjorie StraussJames L. and Maude TerryJohn and Dorothy ThorndikeElizabeth W. VorenbergDavid WaltherRuth Plaut and Lloyd WeinrebChristopher WheatSonya R. WhiteIain and Elizabeth WhitfieldJohn WinslowLisa Wong & Lynn ChangJolee and Mark Zola

MusiciansKenneth G. and Anita AdamsHelen AdelmanConstantine AlexanderHelen and William AllisonEvelyn AmrheinAnonymousMarjorie M. Arons-Barron and James H. BarronPaul and Cynthia BarcellosIna K. Wilhelm Barron and Ronald P. BarronBarbara A. BenjaminJacob BergmannLeonard D. and Audrey B. BermanEthel BernardMarjory P. BlacherLinda BlackPamela BlauNancy H. BrackenGeorge R. BulgerJennifer R. Buras and Christopher R. CarmosinoMarshall G. Burlingame and Aline C. BenoitSharon R. and Lawrence R. ByrdMoises M. and Judith A. CarrascoAnn N. CobbRobert F. and Judy Saiki CoutureRuth CurwenDavid Cutright and Julie RamseyElizabeth M. DavisR. Bruce and Madelyn B. DonoffCatharine-Mary DonovanDoriot Anthony DwyerStephanie EngelRussell Engler and Tracy Miller Frank EpsteinHerbert EpsteinHarriet FeinbergJanet M. FinnJill FischerMarylin D. FranklinThomas L. and Annemarie GaugerAndrew and Sarah GlennJara S. GoodrichWilliam R. and Carolyn R. GraceElizabeth GraefLeon and Johanna Ellen GuntherHelen HagopianBarbara HarrisRebecca HarrisRobert M. HeinemanPatrick and Lorell HernandezDavid C. and Miriam I. HortonLouise M. HuddlestonRonda M. JacobsonMary S. and Bennett JaffeeMarjory JohnsonLois JosimovichArnold and Joan KerznerPamela KirkpatrickCarrie Kourkoumelis

Richard G. and Deborah A. LaflammeJasper J. LawsonSara Lennox and Larry MillerConstance R. LevineRobert and Gwyneth LoudElisabeth H. LoukasBetty Sweaney LykinsJulie-Ann and James A. Mac LeanJohn and Olive MalcolmBenjamin and Deborah T. MangelJohn A. R. and Barbara S. MardenMalcolm A. MargoliesAnne E. McCollumMary Jane McInnisRalph and Sylvia MemoloAlan and Cecily MorseRuthanne MoyerWalter J. and Linda C. MurphyJudith NorsigianDiana M. NugentLindsay and Brian O’DonovanKaren A. and John R. O’MalleyPaula PageRobert Panessiti and Michael HoganAva Bry PenmanElisa PepeDavid Perlman and Jackie WolfBarbara Poeschl-EdrichCarol A. ProcterDavid and Rose RaduzinerAza RaykhtsaumPeter and Suzanne ReadDavid H. and Susan S. RosenEllen J. RubinMatthew Ruggiero and Nancy CirilloKathy SchlotterbeckHarvey Seigel and Martha BabcockAlan J. and Leslie A. ShermanMolly SingerEllen and Jay SklarNanci and Bud SpannausHugh A. and Catherine StaceyMargaret SteerMarcia Stern & Sean MorrisonAgathi StratisMarylynn A. SullivanCaitlin J. ThomasJudith Ebel TsipisVyacheslav and Maya UritskyEdith L. WalkerGeorge WalkerRay Wellbaum and Karen CampbellConstance V. R. WhiteLinda and John WillsonErnest and Roswitha WinsorBeverly Woodward and Paul MonskyEdward YauMichael Zaretsky

Foundations and Corporations Peter T. Anderson Insurance ServicesBathon Family FoundationBlessing FoundationBoston Musicians AssociationCharles Bond TrustBridgehaven FoundationCity of BostonFirst NightGermeshausen FoundationGrantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLCJohnson StringsKanter Kallman Foundation, Inc.

Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family FoundEdward and Joyce Linde Family FoundationLyon & HealyMass Cultural CouncilSean McDonough FoundationMorse FoundationMu Phi Epsilon FoundationNational Endowment for the ArtsNew England Patriots FoundationRamsey McCluskey Family FoundationCarl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation

4 - FAll 2009 • project STEP • OUR STUDENTS’ SUCCESSES ARE REALIZED BY YOUR SUPPORT – THANK YOU.

You can be InstrumentalProject STEP is fortunate to have an instru-ment collection of violins, violas, cellos and double basses, and bows. This year we will concentrate on bringing this valuable as-set into full working order. With 28 instru-ments in need of major repairs, this great asset is not working for us as it should; some of our students are playing on lesser quality instruments. We also must fill gaps in the collection that force us to rent instruments: a double bass and two full size violas.

Can you help?

• $300willcoverminorrepairsto an instrument – bridge replacement, minor cracks, a bow re-hair.• $1,800willcovermajorrepairstoan instrument – major cracks, broken sound board, finger board. • $19,000wouldbringall28instruments to excellent condition.• $9,000wouldpurchaseinstruments to fill gaps in our collection.

Please help us revitalize our instrument collection. Sponsor an instrument with a gift of $3,000, and the instrument will bear your name!

The Kanter Kallman Foundation, inspired by Project STEP’s 25th anniver-sary film, supports one accomplished

musician for study. This year’s Kanter Kallman Scholar is Jordan Calixto, double bass. Jordanisinthe9thgradeat Marblehead High School.

Ann Hobson Pilot’s retirement activities are well underway. Go to www.musicaljourney.org to read about the film she is making, and Project STEP’s role in it.