The Blog Spot
Discovery Concert #4: Dr. Blake
Our final Discovery Concert of the school year was extra special because it was organized by the one and only Dr. Blake Cooper! Dr. Blake has taught our wind ensemble and brass classes in the past, and performs for the students of Global Arts yearly! As a result, the students look forward to his visits.
Dr. Blake gathered a group of incredible LA studio musicians and performed music from different genres, including movie music, classical music, and New Orleans jazz! The ensemble demonstrated how a group like this might walk through preparing for a gig, from how they select their rep, to how they talk through the road map of the piece before they start reading through. At the end of the concert, they talked to the students about their lives as musicians, and what it is like to be a gigging musician in Los Angeles.
Thank you so much Barbara Laronga, Mike Davis, Rachel Hockenberry, Lori Stuntz, and Blake Cooper for joining us and sharing your talents with this community. Come back soon!
Sounds on Tap 2026
Sounds on Tap 2026 was such a blast and we are so grateful to our warm community of friends, supporters, and families who made the evening possible.
We’re thrilled to share we raised $6,947! Between ticketed purchases and donations, we’ve raised funds that will help Global Arts set the foundation to expand in the fall, serving more kids who wouldn’t otherwise have access to music education.
We would like to give a special shoutout to David Silverman, for sponsoring the evening’s music. The Caribbean Drift brought an incredible energy to the night, getting everyone on the dance floor!
Thank you to Erik Escobar for hosting, to Nona Rosa pizza for serving up their delicious pies, and Benny Boy Brewing for having us back! See you next year!
Arts Access Los Angeles
We are so excited to help launch Arts Access Los Angeles alongside an amazing group of organizations committed to expanding arts access and opportunity for young people across LA County!
Arts Access Los Angeles (AALA), a new collaborative initiative designed to expand access to high-quality arts education and creative youth development opportunities across Los Angeles County, officially launched in June 2026 with a convening of nonprofit leaders, educators, funders, and arts advocates at Heart of Los Angeles, a local nonprofit participating in the initial cohort. The initiative brings together 13 leading arts and youth-serving organizations, including Heart of Los Angeles, YOLA, P.S. Arts, Harmony Project, Colburn School, Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, and others. The multi-year cohort will be focused on collaboration, organizational growth, and increasing access to arts education for young people throughout the region. The effort is informed by lessons learned through Arts Access Miami, a countywide collective impact initiative that has united more than 30 arts organizations to expand access to arts education for over 17,000 students across more than 90 schools and community sites in Miami-Dade County. Arts Access Los Angeles was created in response to a significant gap in arts access across Los Angeles County, where organizers estimate that hundreds of thousands of young people still lack meaningful access to arts education opportunities outside the school day.
Over the next two years, participating organizations will engage in structured convenings, collaborative planning, leadership development, and pilot initiatives designed to strengthen coordination across the youth arts ecosystem. The initiative will also support student participation in nationally recognized arts programs, including opportunities at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
New Book Nook!
Thanks to our friends at Make Good Inc, Global Arts now has a free mini library featuring a curated selection of books for readers of all ages.
Make Good Inc is a neighboring organization that puts brand-new books in the hands of students who lack access to them by creating and installing book nooks in community spaces and local organizations. Now our students can read so many wonderful books and take them home too!
Thank you so much Make Good for making this possible for our program, just in time for summer reading!
Spring Concert 2026
This year was a big year for Global Arts, and the Spring Concert was the perfect way to finish it off! With our ever expanding program, we needed to find a larger stage for our students to perform on. This was our first concert in a new venue, and it was such a joy to bring the whole program together in this historic space!
The highlight of the evening was certainly seeing the younger students join the older students in our first ever side-by-side performance! Congratulations to our students, families, teachers, staff, and friends, on such a fabulous evening of music.
Jazz Trio Visit
We were joined once again by our friend and composer Jeff Morrow, who brought along his friends Jordan Seigel and Trey Henry to perform and work with our improvisation and composition class!
The musicians took prompts from the students, and improvised short pieces live on the spot. The students were so impressed with the skills these musicians have, and their ability to come up with new ideas together. Then students had their turn to create a short melody, and watch the performers turn their simple melody into an entire new piece of music!
We are so grateful we can show our students these creative ways of creating music, and that these world class musicians are willing the share their time with us!
Discovery Concert #3: Interlochen Arts
Thank you once again to our friends at Interlochen Arts Academy for visiting our students and wowing them with their musicality.
These talented singer-songwriters performed their original music and connected with Global Arts students in a meaningful way by showing them what a path in music can look like.
After the concert, our older students worked with the musicians in a song writing workshop, coming up with songs about topics like going to the beach and favorite foods! The students groups took turns performing for each other, and then spent time chatting with the Interlochen students and making new friends!
We always look forward to your visit Interlochen, come back soon!
Pico Union Library Performance
Students serenaded the community at the Pico Union Library once again, at the annual Poetry Lives in Pico Union event. This wonderful event features poetry readings, community performances, delicious local food, and a great atmosphere!
Moms in our poetry collective shared poems, and tabled for Global Arts. There was delicious food available for attendees, and lots of community parters sharing info about their organizations. The violin and viola classes performed Over the Rainbow, Sari’s Song, and more!
Thank you for having us back, we love sharing with the community.
Find Your Light Foundation 2026
We are grateful to announce we are recipients of the Find Your Light Foundation’s 2026 grant!
Their support allows us to bring music education to the lives of our youth, ensuring that they have a strong community and access to impactful creative experiences throughout their childhood and teen years.
Find Your Light Foundation is dedicated to supporting exceptional arts programs where the need is greatest, recognizing arts education as an essential part of a young person’s development.
Thank you, Find Your Light, for championing the power of the arts and helping us make a lasting impact!
With Love Anniversary Party
With Love Market and Cafe had their 10th Anniversary party, and we were so lucky to be included!
Students serenaded the community with brass ensemble repertoire and shared their passion for music with the neighborhood. We are so grateful to have partners like With Love, who create a third space for the local community.
Our parents also volunteered and ran an information booth, sharing the important work Global Arts does with all who were curious.
Look for us at the next community performance April 18, at the Pico Union Library!
Muse/ique Concert
For our second Discovery Concert of 2026, we had a spectacular visit from the incredible performing arts organization, Muse/ique!
Two musicians and a teaching artist shared the music, magic, and impact of the one and only Quincy Jones. They performed songs such as “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” and “Why?” by Michael Jackson. In addition to the performance, students were given workbooks to take home so they can continue learning about the legacy of Quincy Jones at home.
Students were taken on a journey, and sang, clapped, and learned so much along the way!
Thank you Muse/ique for visiting us and inspiring our students!
Panel Installation
Our new building is taking shape, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind of progress, and we are so excited!!
A massive thank you to our Director of Operations, Ana Paola, and the incredible teams from the LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl, and LA Parks & Rec as they help us bring our building to life.
Because of their donated time, expertise, and resources, our classrooms aren’t just rooms anymore – they are professionally acoustically sound environments for our kids!
Over the course of several weeks, the team performed acoustic tests in each of our teaching spaces, and created custom designed sound panel installations for each room so our students can have a learning environment that is as special as them!
We never imagined having spaces this beautiful. Thank you Kelvin, Megan, Vincent, and Elsje – and thank you to all who donated the panels and supplies!
USC Village Performance
We had a blast performing at the USC Village!
Our friends at USC Thornton Community Engagement invited our students to perform at the Student Village, right in the heart of USC!
Our students asked so many questions about what it was like to go to school there, and if that is something they could try to do! This experience certainly inspired our students to get curious about this incredible universiry right in the neighborhood.
The performance featured each of our classes and ensembles and was by far the largest community performance we have taken part in!
Thank you to our friends for inviting us, and our friends at ACAM for sharing the stage with us!
Teaching Artist Showcase Recap: Nigel Deane
In our inaugural Teaching Artist Showcase, our viola teacher, Nigel Deane, shared a beautiful night of original songs and compositions.
The audience, made up of community members and students, were serenaded by swelling melodies and calming themes. At one point, listeners were encouraged to share something on stage, which prompted an incredible spontaneous poetry reading accompanied by viola!
Nigel was also accompanied by their friend Vera Wang, in a wonderful duet of viola and piano. It was so special to be able to feature our own staff member in our new space!
Save the date for the next Teaching Artist Showcase featuring violin faculty Kate Outterbridge, on April 24!
Discovery Concert #1: USC Brass Sextet
This year as we transition programming to our new building, we have rebranded our popular Library Concerts to the “Discovery Concert Series.”
Our first Discovery Concert of the year was so special thanks to the wonderful students from USC’s Thornton Community Engagement program!
This brass sextet, made up of musicians Remy Ohara, Dylan Johnson, Neven Basener, Sean Cooney, Joseph Chilopoulos, and Rolen De Jesus, performed works by Victor Ewald, Morley Calvert, and Sonny Kompanek. Students loved the variety of pieces, and asking the performers questions about their lives as music school students.
Thank you so much for coming to see us!
Jeff Morrow Visit
It’s not everyday such an iconic character makes its way into the classroom, but thats exactly what happened to us and Snoopy!
Jeff Morrow, composer of the latest Peanuts cartoons, as well as Snow White, and many more feature films, came to work with our Improvisation and Composition class!
In the weeks leading up to his visit, students were given clips from an episode of Peanuts, and worked together to come up with an original soundtrack to the clip. Jeff gave the students feedback and ideas, and then shared with the class his process and versions of the soundtrack.
Students were so inspired by the process and we are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with such a great composer. Thank you Jeff!
Mural Painting
We have a mural! Our Community Room was in need of a pop of color, and we are so lucky to have been able to get an original mural installed to add a feeling of warmth to the space!
This beautiful mural was designed and painted by Elsa Castañeda, a local artist. It was inspired by California native plants, resembling ‘papel picado’ and the graphic style used in block printing. Elsa created several design concepts, and Global Arts students unanimously voted for this one.
The mural lives in the Community Room of our new home, where it adds color and a sense of tranquility to the space. Huge thanks to the Los Angeles Breakfast Club for awarding us a grant to make this mural possible and for helping bring more art and joy into our community!
USC Scoring at Warner Brothers
We had another exciting opportunity to visit a live scoring session in Hollywood! Huge thank you to our friends at the USC Thornton Screen Scoring program for welcoming our students back into the studio.
Our students had the incredible opportunity to watch USC composers’ work come to life as it was recorded by a live orchestra. Global Arts students sat amongst the orchestra for parts of the session, and experienced the incredible sound that is created but a full symphonic orchestra. They chatted with professional musicians and saw up close what it takes to thrive in the high-stakes and high reward performance setting.
Spending the day alongside professional musicians and witnessing young composers in action is always deeply inspiring. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Recruiting for 2026
Does your child already play an instrument and live in the Pico Union area?
We are recruiting middle and high school students with orchestral instrumental experience starting January 2026!
Instruments we teach include viola, viola, clarinet, flute, trumpet and trombone. Students with experience on their instruments can fill out the interest form here, and we will reach out to you and schedule an audition!
Community Holiday Party
Global Arts hosted a community holiday party in the new space and it was a smashing success! Community members, students, and staff joined together in the beautifully decorated space, thanks to the dedication of our hardworking moms, and enjoyed music, delicious treats, hot chocolate, and festivities!
The students performed holiday songs, and the orchestra performed their latest concert repertoire. This was all followed by a fun filled jam with many of the guests, and culminated in a sight-reading party! Students played side by side with world class musicians, while the audience sang along and played hand held percussion instruments. We are so grateful to be able to have this wonderful community in our space and create memories together! Thank you to everyone who has supported our mission in 2025!
End of Year Concert
This year Global Arts shared a joyous evening of student performances, and showcased all the hard work students put into their music this fall! From the beginner general music class singing holiday classics, to the advanced orchestra performing new music, we couldn’t be more proud of these students!
The student concert committee did a wonderful job hosting the concert, from the student hosts introducing each ensemble, to the student stage crew that kept the concert seamlessly flowing, to the students who helped decorate and design the programs, we are so proud of each of them!
Congratulations to all the students, staff, volunteers, mentors, families, and community members who made this night such a success!
Bookshelf Project
Global Arts students worked with Deacon Dymtrow to paint new bookcases for our new space!
Deacon made these bookcases as part of his path to becoming an Eagle Scout. These bookcases are going to be important resources for our students as these bookcases will hold important music books and method books the students can borrow and practice with at home!
The students spent the afternoon coming up with designs and creative ideas for how to decorate the shelves, and then painted them together! These designs are as creative and exciting as each of the students who painted them.
Thank you Deacon for your time and contribution to our program!
Video Chat with AWFC Composers
As a continuation of our collaboration with AWFC, the composers Daniella Nassar and Juli Aoyama met our students on Zoom, and listened to a run through of the pieces they created for the Global Arts Ensemble.
Students were then invited to ask questions about the composers and their lives, what inspired them in the creation of these pieces, and about their background in music.
What a wonderful experience this has been for our students, thank you so much AWFC!
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Enoc
Meet our volunteer, Enoc! Enoc has been helping out with the violin classes this fall, growing his skills as a teacher, and serving as a mentor and leader for our young students to look up to! We are so grateful to have him on board with us!
What drew you to volunteer at Global Arts?
Music education is a fundamental part of who I am today and I was excited to give back to a community that had already given so much to me during my development. I was excited to learn and work with the Global Arts staff, many of whom I’d learnt from as a student all while furthering Global Arts’ mission of providing a developmental and nurturing environment for their students and helping them learn how they too can make change in their community!
What has been a favorite moment at Global Arts?
Watching students perform their original compositions during improv!
Describe Global Arts in three words:
Awesome, Unique, Inspiring
What’s something unique/fun about you people should know?
My name spelt backwards is Cone!
Dr. Blake Performance
Brass teacher and professional tuba player Dr. Blake Cooper performed for our improvisation class, and wowed the students with extended techniques and creative improvisation!
The piece was recently performed on his faculty recital and fit in well with what the improv class is working on. He showed off several special tuba techniques and sounds that were new to most of the students!
Thank you Dr. Blake for sharing your music with us!
Halloween Festivities
Happy Halloween and Feliz Día de los Muertos!
The Global Arts Poetry Collective built a beautiful ofrenda in the new building, it is so special and reflective of all the wonderful people who love Global Arts.
Also, students got together this week to watch “The Nightmare Before Christmas,”add their messages to the ofrenda, show off their costumes, and hang out as a community!
From all of us Global Arts, have an incredible and safe weekend!
Hollywood Bowl Visit
What’s this?! Students got a special sneak peek at a rehearsal for the wonderful Nightmare Before Christmas Live at the Hollywood Bowl!
Thank you so much to the Zimmitti Music Group for creating this opportunity for our students! Students were so inspired to see a professional ensemble rehearse, and hear Danny Elfman himself sing and read the part of Jack Skellington!
Nothing beats seeing a live performance and we are so lucky to live a city with the best live music around!
Global Arts Soirée Success!
The Fourth Annual Global Arts Soirée was a huge success, thank you so much to all who attended and supported this event!
It was so special to honor our first honoree Alex Iles, and hear his friends and community share how much of an impact he has made on the lives of so many. Alex is a very important member of the Global Arts family and it felt important to celebrate his contributions this year!
Students performed beautifully for the attendees, and added so much energy! The beginner violin class performed for the first time and everyone was so touched by their playing, while the wind ensemble showed what is possible with access to Global Arts over many years! We are so proud we can showcase the tremendous talent that lives at Global Arts!
It was moving to be held up by our community of supporters who showed their passion and dedication to music education through their generous donations. We are so grateful to everyone who is on this journey with us! Thank you for attending, and we hope to see you next year!
City of LA Certificate of Recognition
The Global Arts Wind Ensemble received a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles for their performance at the LAFD Appreciation Dinner. The students performed for the LAFD in a night honoring their work and dedication, and we are proud to have been included in the evening!
We are so proud of these students dedication, hard work, and commitment to giving back to the community!
Laufey Foundation Partnership & Soundcheck
We are excited to share our new partnership with the Laufey Foundation!
After finding success in classical and jazz music, Laufey started The Laufey Foundation to help young musicians get the same chances she had. Inspired by her own experience with great mentors and education, the foundation gives grants and top-quality gear to youth music programs around the world. Its goal is to make sure all aspiring musicians have the resources they need, especially through youth orchestras, to reach their full potential.
A lucky group of our students were able to catch a live soundcheck at Crypto . com Arena and see Laufey soundcheck her touring show! What a fabulous opportunity for our students!
Global Arts Poetry Collective
The Global Arts Poetry Collective held their very first event, and it was the first event hosted in the brand new Global Arts building!
Families, community members, and supporters celebrated the work these women have put into creating this group, heard original poetry, and came together as a community. It was an inspiring night full of creativity and moving stories. Congratulations to our Parent Coordinator Viviana and Community Coordinator Blake for creating this wonderful event for the Global Arts family! And thank you to Virginia and Ariadna for their time and support!
Collaboration With the Alliance for Women Film Composers!
Global Arts and the Alliance for Women Film Composers (AWFC) have come together in the spirit of education and collaboration to select two pieces composed by AWFC members to perform during the fall season.
The pieces selected are by two very talented composers, Daniella Nassar and Juli Aoyama.
Daniella Nassar is a Cypriot-Lebanese media composer, pianist, and cellist based in London. Combining classical training with contemporary innovation, she creates orchestral music that balances expressive depth with intimate textures, often blending live instruments with electronics and sampled sounds. Her piece “Beneath the Emerald Canopy,” is a beautifully expressive piece created with the Global Arts ensemble in mind!
Juli Aoyama is a Japanese composer and arranger based in New York, with a classical background and diverse genre experience. She studied composition at Osaka College of Music and has built a career in Japan. Her piece, “See You Again” is a moving gorgeous melody that lets each instrument in the Global Arts ensemble shine.
Stay tuned to find out how to hear these works performed by the Global Arts Ensemble!
We Got a Building!
We are thrilled to share a major milestone in Global Arts’ journey: we have our first official home! This space will serve as the hub for our music classes, rehearsals, meetings, and so much more. We can’t wait to welcome more of the community to this new arts hub in the Pico Union area!
We are so proud to recognize the generous donors whose support helped Global Arts secure our very first home:
✨William H. & Patricia M. Smith
✨The Laufey Foundation
✨Chan-Velasquez Fund
✨Paul H. & Wendy A. Kubitskey
✨The Seth MacFarlane Foundation
✨Pete & Elizabeth Anthony
✨The Kaiser-Sandler Family Foundation
✨Annica and James Newton Howard
✨Joanne Freed and Richard C. Mendelson
✨Cyndi & Dean DesRosier
✨Interior Removal Specialist, INC.
This space is a direct reflection of your belief in the power of the arts to build community, create opportunity, and inspire change.
From all of us at Global Arts: thank you for investing in this vision. The future is brighter, and more creative, because of you.
Tickets on Sale: Global Arts Soirée
Join us for a vibrant evening in support of Global Arts’ mission to provide free, high-quality music education for youth in LA’s Pico Union neighborhood.
Set in a beautiful historic Pasadena venue, this evening brings together community, creativity, and purpose as we aim to raise $50,000 to fund instruments, instruction, community, and vital after-school support for our young musicians. With performances that will move you and stories that will inspire, your ticket is more than entry to a great event—it’s an investment in the next generation of confident, connected, and creative leaders.
The event will feature:
- Live music
- Beer & wine
- Buffet dinner
- Student performances
- Paddle raise
- Silent auction
Purchase your tickets today and reserve your spot!
Interlochen Reflection
As we look back on the summer, one highlight was certainly the incredible opportunity eight of our students had to attend the Interlochen Summer Arts Academy. These lucky students spent several weeks in the idyllic Michigan countryside, spending their days making music with other students from all over the country.
Students participated in camp traditions like bon fires, swimming in the lake, singing, and so much more! They also performed in ensembles, took lessons, and had many new musical experiences!
We are so grateful to the donors who made this experience possible, including Matt Aubin, Tori Jackson, and the Interlochen Arts Academy. Without their generosity, this trip would not have been possible.
Also a big thank you to Global Arts faculty, Ana Paola and Jackie, who flew with the students to Michigan! These students have come home with memories and experiences that will last them a lifetime!
Welcome Ana Paola and Blake Cooper!
For the fall semester, we are excited to welcome two of our favorite Global Arts friends to the team!
Blake Cooper will join the team for the fall as brass faculty, though his time at Global Arts started when he volunteered to perform for students in one of the first ever library concerts! Blake is an accomplished brass player, performing with the top film and local orchestras in Los Angeles, and teaching for many prestigious music departments in the greater Los Angeles area. He has visited the program over the years as a performer and we are now excited to welcome him as a teacher!
Ana Paola, one of the Global Arts founding members and current board member, will join the woodwinds faculty. Born in Venezuela, Ana Paola fell in love with the music-for-social-change model when she was just a child. Ana Paola became an accomplished flutist and activist, performing all over the world, and most recently serving with the Marine Corps. Ana has been a regular presence at Global Arts classes and events for years, and we are excited to have her as a part of the team!
Summer Camp Recap
Our final week of summer camp was one for the books!
Students worked with TV and film composer Peter Karr, and worked together to score a scene from a TV show. He talked with the students about his life as a composer, and demonstrated how he uses technology to create the perfect soundtrack.
We also welcomed back the wonderful Rose Morris, she presented another fabulous songwriting workshop with the students! The students were given an image and were able to connect with each other to create an original song as a group!
And finally students worked with Teacher Nigel on creating new music with looping technology! This was a very creative week, and we are so lucky to have so many great professionals who are able to join us at Global Arts and inspire out students! What a summer!
LA County Department of Arts & Culture Grant
We are excited to announce that Global Arts has been awarded a grant from the LA County Department of Arts & Culture! The department, whose mission is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout Los Angeles County, envisions a region in which arts, culture, and creativity are integral to every aspect of civic life for all people and communities.
This is our first time receiving funding from the department and we’re looking forward to the partnership, which will help us continue providing music education, arts programming, and resources for youth and families in the Pico Union community. Thank you for the support!
Staff Spotlight: Meet Teacher Nigel
What is working at Global Arts like?
Working at Global Arts is like having little educational parties every afternoon that we’re teaching there. There are times when the kids are having so much fun they don’t realize they’re secretly learning a ton!
Describe Global Arts in 3 words:
Connected, Caring, Inspiring
What piece of music describes your personality best?
I vibe most with One of These Things First by Nick Drake
What has been a favorite moment at Global Arts?
My viola students had a transition from a different teacher going into this year with me, which is pretty much always tough for kids. Some of the students who had the toughest time adjusting started to open up over time, and seeing them smile and laugh and be more open is very rewarding.
What is something people don’t know about you?
I love hip-hop music, so I made some beats and put some lyrics over them something like 8 years ago. I don’t know if any of those tracks still live anywhere, but even if they do I’m not sharing them EVER!
Interlochen Summer Arts Camp
We are so thrilled to share that this summer, for the first time, we are sending a lucky group of students to Interlochen Arts Camp! These students will sleep away in the magic of Michigan for three weeks, and for many of them, this will be their first time at a sleep-away camp!
Students attending the Junior Camp will participate in orchestra, music ensembles, chamber music groups, music theory, choir, private lessons, and Dalcroze Eurhythmics. In addition to their music classes they’ll partake in traditional summer camp activities, such as swimming, tennis, archery, picnics, bonfires, and so much more!
We are so grateful to the incredible supporters who have stepped in to financially support our students on this journey. Thank you Matt Aubin, Tori Jackson, the Interlochen Team, The Roth Family Foundation, as well as several anonymous donors for making this possible!
We hope by taking advantage of this opportunity, students will be inspired to expand their musical journeys, and become a part of a larger musical community.
Teacher Spotlight: Meet Jackie!
What is working at Global Arts like?
Like a warm hug
Describe Global Arts in 3 words:
Joyful, welcoming, homey
What piece of music describes your personality best?
Bransle/Tom Kruskal’s by Elixir. Simple, layers on layers, feels rooted and like home.
What has been a favorite moment at Global Arts?
Seeing the students supporting each other and encouraging one another. The other week each student had to lead a chorale for the class, bringing everyone in and cutting off on the fermatas. One was reticent to do it and the rest of the group really came together to support her, letting her know that she could do it and that they had her back no matter what. Seeing their kindness towards each other and their teamwork is a joy.
What is something people don’t know about you?
In another life I would love to have my own little gluten free bakery.
Summer Camp Update
Summer programming has begun, and students are having a blast! Summer is a wonderful time for everyone to come together for fun-filled music-making activities and exciting new possibilities.
Students have been exploring improvisation this week with Ms. Kate. These classes involve playing musical games that get students into a creative mindset and encourage students to expand their creativity. Students created soundtracks for cartoon strips, Snoopy cartoon videos, and video-game clips, thinking of new ways to use their instruments to create sound-effects and convey the mood of the media.
Classes like Wind Ensemble and String Ensemble returned, with students coming together to learn fun new songs as a larger group. Ensemble time is such a wonderful way to explore musicality and ensemble playing. Playing with others is a rewarding skill that leads to so many other incredible skills!
Students also are having fun with arts and crafts activities! They have tie-dyed T-Shirts with Ms. Emily, a camp tradition, and created ornaments for our Music Buddy supporters. These hands on activities are another creative outlet for students to enjoy, and a great way to students to bond socially. We are excited for the last half of summer programming, check back for updates about our composition workshops, and more!
Visit to Warner Brother Studios
Thanks to Pete Anthony and Jeanine Cowen, a group of Global Arts students got to sit in on a scoring session at Warner Brothers studio!
The USC Screen Scoring Program was in the studio, showcasing USC student composers reimagined film scores- each USC student conducted the orchestra and got a coaching on working with a live orchestra. Our students witnessed this learning process, and were able to see how composers work with orchestras behind the scenes in a recording session. Students sat among the musicians and took in the experience from the point of view of an orchestra member.
Thank you so much to the USC Screen Scoring Program for allowing our students this opportunity!
3o In The Morning
30 in the Morning, a local photography studio, worked with our student photography committee to help them develop the skills to document the Spring Concert!
They started off the workshop by talking to students about important techniques, such as framing, lighting, and different photography styles, such as portrait photography and street photography. Next, they lent the students a camera and helped them take pictures, giving them feedback in real time.
Students then used these skills and documented important moments from the Global Arts Spring Concert. The students captured photos of the student performers, families, and so much more! What a wonderful experience, thank you 30 in the Morning for supporting our students!
Workshop with Casey Gibson
This Spring, students got to work with the amazing composer Casey Gibson, learning how to use technology to create new compositions! Casey has written music for countless TV shows, films, and commercials, and is a trained pianist and vocalist. He encouraged the students to try out new techniques on their instruments, and helped them channel their creativity. Practice and performing composed pieces on your instrument is an important part of developing skills as a musician, but creating your own music is a way to really put your skills into practice.
Thank you Casey for taking the time to inspire our kids and teach them new skills! And we also want to thank We Benefit Children- this amazing organization provided a large number of IPads to our program so students can learn to incorporate technology into their music making, and be on the cutting edge of the latest use of technology in the music industry.
Sounds on Tap 2025
This was truly a night to remember! The second ever Sounds on Tap even was truly a beautiful evening of fun and community. With 120 tickets sold, this event was electric with energy!
The Wildfire Brass Band was filled the night with upbeat music, playing many popular song covers with their own unique spin on each arrangement. The host, LA comedian Erik Escobar, brought an exciting new energy to the event this year. Erik made sure the event flowed smoothly, and kept everyone engaged with the goal of the evening: to support keeping music education free for our students! Erik helped us raise $5,990, which was an exciting moment and a big accomplishment!
The pizza and beer were flowing on a perfect warm Spring evening, and most importantly, we got to spend time with our incredible supportive community. Thank you to everyone who attended, and for believing in the power of music education. Be sure to save the date for our next event, October 9th in Pasadena!
Admin Team Shout Out!
As the school year comes to a close, we want to shout out our hard working admin team that is always busy keeping programming running smoothly! Viviana, Blake, Paola, Cynthia, and Dean are always there to chat with parents, run the check-in and sign-out table, distribute resources to families, and lend an ear to students who need extra support.
Viviana and Blake run parent programs including the parent book club, which has grown tremendously in the last year, and are coordinating a big exciting trip for a group of students this summer! Paola is our student volunteer, always helping out with whatever tasks need to be done at programming. Cynthia coordinates student and parent surveys, Music Buddy writing days, and any visitors coming to campus. Dean is always there to chat with students and parents, offer support and solutions to the whole team, and helps with set-up and tear-down everyday!
We are so grateful for this wonderful group of people, what a dream team!
CicLAMini Performance
We always have the best time performing for the community at CicLAVia! This CicLAMini was no exception. Students and families performed at the Pico Union CicLAMini and serenaded cyclists, pedestrians, and skaters, as they celebrated car-free streets for the day around the city!
The winds and brass students showed off their latest Wind Ensemble repertoire, while the strings students performed fiddle tunes and pop song covers for the afternoon crowd.
Thank you CicLAVia for inviting us, and always providing an exceptional space for people to come together and explore the community in a fun new way!
Pasadena Showcase House Grant
We are delighted to share that we have been awarded a grant by the Pasadena Showcase House!
This grant will support our orchestra program, allowing us to continue to provide our students with the quality music education they deserve.
We are so grateful that we have received support from this organization since 2021! This unique organization hosts The Pasadena Showcase House of Design, an annual spring fundraiser that invites the public to tour a beautifully reimagined estate, with proceeds supporting Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts’ grants to other nonprofit arts organizations. Through the dedication of volunteers and the creativity of top designers, this event raises vital funds to make music accessible across the community. Thank you Pasadena Showcase House for your generous support!
Spotlight: Student Mentors
Student mentor shoutout!
Student mentors, students who have been in the program more than one year and volunteer their time, come in early each day to coach younger students on their instruments, help the teachers run class smoothly, and inspire the younger classes with their dedication to music. These students demonstrate a desire to learn, a dedication to their instrument, and an excitement for leading the next group of young musicians at the program.
These students make a big impact on the next group of younger students, and we are so delighted to watch the students who were once beginners, step into the role of leader. Some of these students were beginners just a few years ago, and are now able to identify how to help effectively in the classroom. We can’t wait to see where this group of leaders go next!
Spring Concert 2025
We are so proud of all of the work our students have put in this year, and it really showed at this year’s Spring Concert! This was by far our greatest concert yet, and that is thanks to all the hard work put in by students, parents, faculty, and staff.
There is so much creativity and music making happening! The viola class performed covers of songs by Billie Eillsh and Tin Hat Trio, while the violin class played fiddle tunes and Beethoven. The Wind Ensemble performed a triumphant collection of ensemble pieces that were so exciting and powerful! The beginner instrumental classes demonstrated amazing growth and showed off all their new skills. It is amazing to think they were just getting their instruments for the first time last September. General music students were very impressive with their recorder songs, and singing demonstration. The most exciting moment of the concert was when the orchestra performed Can Can to a thunderous applause from the whole audience!
The student concert committees made a big impact on the concert, working on stage crew, hosting, program creation, and photography. A parent committee of volunteers helped after the concert, serving aguas frescas and snacks to the community! Thank you all for your hard work, which made this concert such a success!
Parent Club in the News!
Words cannot express how moved we are to see our Mothers Book Club, lead by the one and only Parent Coordinator, Viviana, featured in an article in Caló news!
This book club has evolved into something we only ever could have dreamed of. A place where our students’ mothers can come together and find their voices, express themselves, and feel a sense of community with each other. The book club meets regularly to discuss the latest readings, meet with authors, and write poetry. Many of the participants have shared how this new exploration of creativity has positively impacted their relationships with their children. This is only possible because of the dedication and commitment by our parent coordinator, Viviana. Thank you so much for all you do!
Visit from Esin Aydingoz
Winds Ensemble was lucky to have a visit from the acclaimed composer Esin Aydingoz! Esin is a media composer hailing from Istanbul, Turkey and the Assistant Chair of Berklee College of Music‘s Screen Scoring Department. Her arrangement of Paint It Black on Tim Burton’s hit Netflix show Wednesday was #1 on the Billboard Classical Charts.
Esin worked with Wind Ensemble students, conducted and gave tips on their latest repertoire, and chatted about her career as a musician. Thank you so much to the Zimmitti Music Group for coordinating this incredible experience, our students are learning so much!
Performance for the LAFD
Our students had the great honor to perform at a tribute to the LAFD Battalion 11! These firefighters exhibit bravery each day they show up to defend the local community from the dangers of fire, and many defended homes in the Pacific Palisades fire in January. Students attended a celebratory dinner in Pico Union, and entertained these heroes while they were treated to a fabulous dinner.
We are so grateful we could share our music with them as a small token of our gratitude! Thank you to the Pico Union Neighborhood Council for inviting us to participate!
Teachers Head to Alaska
Thanks to a generous grant from Los Angeles Philharmonic, Global Arts faculty and staff members we able to travel to Juneau Alaska to visit Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM). This incredible program lead by Lorrie Heagy, is a special one of a kind El Sistema-inspired program that is bringing music classes to students during and after school in the public school system. This program incorporates the Lingit language into the music classroom as part of a local effort to revive a local indigenous language. The JAMM teachers incorporate songs, phrases, and dances into each class to embody the Lingit culture and traditions. Our teachers were truly moved by how connected the students and staff were to the local traditions! Teachers observed and participate in classes, chatted with teaching artists, and explored the beauty of the city for three full days.
These types of learning experiences are so important for teaching artists, as it serves to both inspire and energize. In addition to this, the trip served as an opportunity for the faculty to get to know each other and bond over shared interests. We are so grateful to the LA Phil for making this opportunity possible, and to JAMM for opening their doors to us.
“Play It Forward” Launch
Global Arts has launched a new monthly giving club, and we want you to be a part of it!
Play It Forward is a club for supporters who have a passion for youth music education. For just $10 a month, these club members provide free instruments, safe spaces, concert experiences, and so much more. When you join the club, you’ll receive a limited-edition t-shirt designed by a Global Arts student, a sticker, and a thank you video from the students. Click here to sign up!
Student Spotlight: Meet Adrian!
Say hi to Adrian! In the latest Student Spotlight we meet a first year violin student and second year Global Arts student who has a passion for learning new songs!
What is it like to be a student at Global Arts? We learn new songs and practice old songs, and we play games!
What has been a favorite moment at Global Arts? My first concert with Mr. Matts class, I liked the songs we learned!
Describe Global Arts in 3 words: Violin, Fun, Learning!
What is something people don’t know about you? That I practice my violin a lot!
Thank you Adrian! Keep up the good work!
Sounds on Tap Announcement
YOU’RE INVITED TO SOUNDS ON TAP!
Our Spring Fundraiser is upon us and we hope to see you there! Join us on May 19th, 6-10 pm at Benny Boy Brewing for an unforgettable fundraiser event. Come spend an evening with friends, enjoy live music by Wildfire Brass Band, sip on drinks, savor delicious pizza by Nona Rosa, and test your knowledge in a game of trivia, all while creating opportunity for the next generation of young musicians!
We’re all about supporting music education for the next generation, and your presence directly supports our mission. Giving young people access to music nurtures creativity and helps them build brighter futures. This event brings together a fabulous community of like minded arts supporters, don’t miss out! Click here to learn more!
USC Mentors at Global Arts!
This Spring we are lucky to have two incredible music students from USC Thornton School of Music working with our students every week. Jay, a Junior in Viola Performance, and Abby, a Junior in Violin Performance, join Global Arts each Tuesday to support the strings faculty in classes, learn the ins and outs of music education programming, and inspire the students with their presence. Thank you both for being a part of our community and a shoutout to the amazing Chrysa Kovach for coordinating this opportunity for our students!
Poetry Lives in Pico Union
Our mother’s are incredible! Last weekend our Mother’s Book Club participated in ‘Poetry Lives in Pico Union’ at the Pico Union Library! This event featured workshops and poetry readings, and one of our very own mothers read her poem to an audience of community members. Thank you to Viviana and Blake for coordinating this bookclub, and Ariadna and Virginia for inspiring us with your writing!
Staff Spotlight: Meet Cynthia!
Let’s get to know our Director of Development and Grants Manager, Cynthia Zelaya-Robinson! Cynthia has been a part of Global Arts since the beginning and has seen the program grown in many exciting ways. As classically-trained soprano from Los Angeles, she has always been dedicated to the arts and had a passion for music! Swipe to learn more about Cynthia, and see what she has to say about what it is like to be a part of the Global Arts community.
What is working at Global Arts like? The Global Arts team is very collaborative. I love that we can all bring new ideas to the table and make things happen.
Describe Global Arts in 3 Words: Spunky, Genuine, Community
What piece of music describes your personality best? At the moment, “Pluto,” by Clare and The Reasons. It’s an older song, lighthearted and a little silly. I wish I had written it myself.
What has been a favorite moment at Global Arts? Seeing the camaraderie that organically happens within the program is really special. The students look out for each other both socially and musically. It’s really cool to watch how they quickly feel like they belong here and how they identify with being a musician.
What is something people don’t know about you? I have synesthesia!I experience colors and textures in response to music.
Thank you Cynthia!
Find Your Light Foundation
We are so pleased to share we have been awarded a Find Your Light Foundation grant! This organization was founded by Josh Groban and his family and is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to experience a quality arts education. We are grateful to have received this funding for a second year! This grant will support our music programs, and help us continue to provide quality music education to youth in Pico Union. Thank you so much Find Your Light!
Palaver Strings Visit
We fit our largest ensemble yet into the Library for an unforgettable Library Concert and Workshop. Open to our orchestra students, Palaver Strings performed in an intimate concert and the conducted a two hour workshop on musicality, ensemble playing, leading, and chamber music skills. Students had a lot of fun working with the group, and left the day with new resources and lots of fun memories. A few students we also able to attend their performance at 2220 Arts + Archives, and experienced a stunning evening of music featuring singer Vuyo Sotashe!
Thank you Palaver for sharing your time with us, come back soon!
Student Mentor Climbing Trip
The Global Arts student mentorship group spent time bonding outside of programming last weekend with a very special trip to Stronghold Climbing Gym. Everyone had a blast and it was so fun to see students and teachers get together outside of school with an activity that isn’t directly related to playing a musical instrument. Teachers Jackie and Nigel, as well as development director Cynthia, coached students on how to boulder, top rope, and on the climbing basics. Nigel even showed off their climbing chops by demonstrating a challenging lead climb that had them dangling from the ceiling! Making memories together is always special. We are are grateful to Stronghold Climbing Gym for making this event possible, and we can’t wait to do it again soon!
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
We are pleased to share we have been awarded a grant from the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund!
The mission of the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund is to support organizations in Los Angeles County that provide direct services and experiences to children and youth from underserved communities so they may gain values, skills, and confidence to achieve their potential.
This is our second year receiving funding from this fabulous organization, and these funds will support our general operating budget. Thank you so much DSYF for believing in our organization, we appreciate all you do!
Interlochen Arts Academy Visit
We are so lucky to have such a wonderful variety of visitors come to Global Arts and work with out students. In March we were visited by Interlochen Arts Academy! The group was on tour with a selection of top-notch highschool singer/ songwriters. These incredibly talented high school students performed a concert for Global Arts students, and shared their impressive vocals and featured original songs written by each students in the group. After an exciting performance, the young artists worked with our more advanced students on songwriting and creativity in a songwriting workshop. Students wrote songs about summertime, friendship, and most memorably, about a penguin! One student said afterwards, he was excited to learn that you could write a great song about anything! Thank you Interlochen Arts Academy for making this event so special and memorable, we hope to see you again soon!
Trip to Sony Recording Studios
A group of our young musicians got the amazing chance to visit Sony Pictures Studios to see a live recording session for Pixar’s next film! After exploring the historic Sony Pictures lot, students headed to the Barbra Streisand Recording Studio and watched an orchestra of professional musicians record the soundtrack to a soon to be release movie. Not only did they hear amazing music by Rob Simonsen but they also got to meet the amazing musicians and see all sorts of new instruments! They even saw a few familiar faces, including our board member Alex Iles, and several musicians who have performed at Global Arts in the past, including Drew Forde, P Blake Cooper, Ryan Dragon, Dan Rosenboom, Aiko Richter, Rob Schaer, and other fabulous musicians from the Zimmitti Music Group. Thank you Matt Walker and his team Lauren Harrold and Caleb Hsu! Thank you to Zimmitti Music Group for making these experiences possible for our students and to the amazing musicians for welcoming us into your space.
We Benefit Children Award
We are delighted to share that We Benefit Children, an LA-based charitable organization, has provided funding for us to purchase 25 iPads, 2 macbooks, and Sibelius subscriptions for this year! Having iPads for educational purposes will allow us to introduce a technology element to the program, give more advanced instruction on composing music, digital music education, ear training, and will help Global Arts to expand class offerings. As music advances with technology, our students will be able to expand their creative skills and deepen their understanding of music. Thank you so much WBC, we can’t wait to show you what we can do thanks to this generous gift!
Wholesoul String Quartet Performance
We are delighted to welcome back wholesoul string quartet for another library concert, we love to see these musicians and are lucky they share their music with us! The students were delighted to see a live string quartet perform live on campus, and for many, it was their first time seeing an ensemble like this! wholesoul seamlessly blended Classical, film, and popular music together in a wonderful concert, and then answered students questions about their careers as artists in Los Angeles. They played songs from Howl’s Moving Castle, songs by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, as well as a Mozart quartet and other popular songs that got students moving in their seats!
Come back and see us soon wholesoul!
CicLAvia
One of our favorite events of the year is CicLAvia, a festival in Los Angeles where the streets are closed to car traffic, and filled with cyclists, skaters, pedestrians, and features organizations and businesses from all over the city. This year we participated in the festival and performed in the opening ceremony! Then the students serenaded cyclists and families as they whizzed by on their bikes. It was a warm and sunny day, and it felt great to be out in the neighborhood meeting other community members. Students from all the classes performed their latest rep and for some students this was their first community performance. There was amazing food, crafts at neighboring booths, and an exciting energy in the air. We will be back in May, so join us if you have never been to one of these events!
Global Arts Turns 5!
In February, Global Arts turned 5! It’s hard to believe how much has changed in the last few years, we have grown from a couple of beginner music classes a few days a week, to a program the serves over 70 students. In the last year we have been able to expand our reach to include classes such as general music, Orff ensemble, Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and String Ensemble to name a few! We have developed a mentorship program, a parents bookclub, a live music series on campus, and opportunities for staff to grow and develop their skills in the classroom. Thank you to everyone who has supported Global Arts on this journey. Cheers to another 5 years!
D’Addario Foundation Grant
We are SO excited to share that we’ve received a grant from the D’Addario Foundation.
The D’Addario Foundation is one of our oldest supporters, our first grant from them was in 2021! We are so grateful for their continued support as our program grows. This generous grant supports our orchestra program and includes funds for in-kind product donations. We are able to purchase new strings, reeds, and accessories for student instruments, and they provide such quality and care with each of their products. D’Addario is known for “championing positive change through music,” and we are so lucky we get to share in that work with them. Thank you D’Addario!
Student Spotlight: Meet Cristal!
Today we chat with Cristal, a third year flute student at Global Arts!
What is it like to be a student at Global Arts? It’s fun! It’s fun to play music, and be with everyone in the community.
Describe Global Arts in 3 words: Super Awesome Sauce
What piece of music describes your personality best? Dragon Slayer (measure 42 to the end!) Super awesome, cool, and fun!
What has been a favorite moment at Global Arts? The concerts! The winter concert we had, was honestly fun, and at the end the food was great!
What is something people don’t know about you? I really like Dino Nuggets! And I like a show called Mob Psycho 100!
Student Concert Committees
Having students take ownership of programming is an important value at Global Arts. That is why we have created student committees to shape and lead the Spring and Winter Concerts at Global Arts.
Leading up to the winter concert, students stayed after programming to work with their teachers on planning and preparing for the big day. Students had the choice of joining one of four committees. Some students chose to participate in stage crew, and practiced setting up and tearing down the music stands and equipment, and designed the stage plots for different size classes and ensembles. Some students chose to host the concert, coming up with clever ways to introduce each class, and translating the introductions into Spanish as well! The decoration crew created fun paper decorations to spruce up the stage and worked on the program design. And lastly the photography crew practiced capturing memorable moments throughout the concert. We look forward to seeing how this program will expand and evolve this Spring!
Back to School
Programming for the year 2025 has officially begun and we couldn’t be more excited. Despite some hardships and challenges the city of LA is facing, we are grateful we can come together as a community and continue doing what we love.
Behind the scenes at Global Arts
Friend of Global Arts, Andy Robinson, paid a very special visit to Global Arts last fall. Using his experience as a filmmaker, Andy created a unique video about Global Arts. The interviews include our co-founder and fearless brass teacher Jackie DesRosier, parent coordinator Viviana, and flute student and future climate scientist, Sydney!
Click here to watch the full video, learn more about Global Arts, and see the incredible work put in day in and day out by the students, faculty, staff, and families of Global Arts.
A Look Back at 2024
As 2024 comes to a close, we want to acknowledge the incredible growth this organization has undergone. In 2024, we began the first ever Global Arts Ensemble, leading to a triumphant performance of Ode to Joy and Dragon Slayer at the Winter Concert! Students also participated in Orff classes, and newly added String and Wind Ensembles. We added three new staff members to the team- Blake, Matt, and Nigel, we are so grateful you are with us! The mentorship program took off with 8 student mentors creating meaningful connections with younger students.
In a continuation of the successful Library Concert Series, Global Arts received many new visitors this year! Visitors included a UCLA brass quintet, Wholesoul String Quartet, Zimmitti Music Group with Ré Olunuga, Interlochen Arts Academy, and a special community concert with Syrinx Reed Quintet at With Love Cafe. Students were invited to see live performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, LLS Symphony, Alessandro Martire and the Orchid Quartet at Zipper Hall, Lion King Live, LA Film Orchestra Concert, The Hollywood Bowl, and The Ford Theater. Perhaps the most memorable moment was being invited to watch Star Trek: Lower Decks being scored at Sony Pictures Studio, led by the incredible Chris Westlake! One additional exciting opportunity, Global Arts was featured in a video collaboration with Josh Groban and The Dodo!
Our fabulous Parent Coordinator, Viviana, started a workshop series for the parents of Global Arts students. Workshops were on emotion regulation, financial planning, and beyond! This fall, the mothers of Global Arts came together for a bookclub, reading “Visitas Inesperadas” by Ariadna Sánchez Hernández. The mothers got to meet with the author, and had a wonderful time connecting over the novel!
The most exciting student performance of the year was at the very popular Bob Baker Day, in June. Students were invited to open the event, run by Bob Baker Marionette Theater, and had a blast playing for the community, seeing the marionette performances, and spending the day at the event! Other performance highlights included the Camino Nuevo Castellanos Playground opening, and the Normandie Community Center Holiday event!
Between guest visitors and performances, creative workshops, Orff ensemble, orchestra, and group instrumental classes, students were kept very busy with four weeks of summer programming! Highlights include a visit from animation pro David Silverman, a ensemble workshop with Oskar Cartaya, and a songwriting workshop with Rose Morris! Students also explored their creative sides with a tie-dye t-shirt activity day! Thank you to everyone who helped make this a special year. We love our community!
Staff Spotlight: Meet Ms. Kate!
Today we chat with Ms. Kate, our violin teacher and marketing director!
What is working at Global Arts like? Working at Global Arts is like getting to eat an ice cream sundae every afternoon!
Describe Global Arts in 3 words: Joyful, inspiring, and fun!
What piece of music describes your personality best? “This is How We Walk On the Moon” by Arthur Russell is really speaking me right now! It’s light and groovy, a little sentimental, and moving forward!
What has been a favorite moment at Global Arts? This fall, the intermediate violin class began learning to play a new song with three part harmony. Watching the students really listen to each other and notice how the different parts fit together rhythmically was a really proud moment. This class has grown so much since the first year of Global Arts!
What is something people don’t know about you? I love cooking! I always enjoy finding new recipes to try, and coming up with my own twists on dishes I love.
Book Club Meet and Greet
Thank you so much to Ariadna Sánchez for visiting the ‘Mothers of Global Arts Bookclub’! Our fabulous group of mothers, led by Viviana, has been reading Ariadna’s book “Visitas Insperadas,” and finally had the chance to meet the author and discuss the book with her in person at With Love Cafe! This is such a special place of connection and community for our parents, and we are so grateful for everyone who is a part of it. Thank you Ariadna!
Ode to Joy
Students are hard at work learning their new repertoire for the Global Arts Winter Concert, taking place on December 6th! Our large ensemble has started learning one of the most iconic melodies, “Ode to Joy,” and it is sounding terrific! We can’t wait to showcase all the beautiful music and variety of musical styles learned with you all next month!
Board Member Spotlight: Meet Alex!
What drew you to Global Arts?
I was invited to play in a brass ensemble for the kids and I was overwhelmed by the energy, enthusiasm and effectiveness of the program and especially the Global Arts teachers. I offered to support this group however I could and eventually was honored to be a member of the board which I enthusiastically accepted!
Describe Global Arts in 3 words:
Community through music.
What piece of music describes your personality best?
Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony, especially the final movement. I want to share the joys of life and music with this kind of unabashed joy.
What is your favorite moment at Global Arts?
So many great moments! I love watching the teachers and kids in one on one moments. You witness the mentorship, connection and growth happening in myriad ways. Sharing through music plants seeds of leadership, self confidence, individuality, creativity, and compassion. Lessons that they will take with them well into high school and well into adulthood.
What is something people don’t know about you?
I’m a proud First generation American citizen born of New Zealand born parents. I am very proud of my New Zealand heritage! and I still have family there!
Soirée Success
The Third Annual Global Arts Soirée was a night to remember!
The evening was a sweet coming together of arts supporters, and we are still on cloud nine! Congratulations and thank you to the students who performed beautifully, to the parents for encouraging their children’s love of music, to the Global Arts staff for running such a smooth event, to our event sponsors for supporting such a fabulous evening, the incredible musicians who played throughout the evening, Aaron Rappaport for taking these wonderful photos, and to the Maxwell House for hosting us once again! All proceeds from the evening allow us to purchase musical instruments, teaching supplies, and allow us to pay our teaching staff sustainable salaries. We hope to see you again next year!
Concert Visits
Global Arts Families were invited to spend a morning at the beautiful Ford Theater, where they enjoyed music and dance performances by Caña Dulce y Caña Brava. Before the concert, students participated in various activities, including dance lessons and arts and crafts. Additionally, families visited Walt Disney Concert Hall to hear the incredible LA Master Chorale! What a wonderful month of concert experiences!
Student Updates
Our favorite moments at Global Arts are the moments where we see the joy on a students face when they meet their instrument for the first time! This fall, three new instrumental classes have been paired with their instruments and are learning their first songs as an group! The older classes have been working together in orchestra and are beginning a new arrangement of Ode to Joy! We can’t wait to share our music at the winter concert on December 6th!
Class Updates
Global Arts students are making incredible progress as the first month of programming comes to a close. The new class of violin students have graduated from their cardboard box violins to their real instruments, and the new winds and brass students have been assigned to their instruments after weeks of meeting each instrument and finding their perfect match!
General music students are hard at work learning the rudiments of music, and our advanced instrumentalists are preparing to wow Soirée attendees in a few short weeks! This month has been jam packed with music making and we are so excited by all the energy!
Meet the Mentors!
This year, the mentorship program is being lead by our new Community Coordinator, Blake! Student mentors help support new students two days a week, and meet with Blake to learn how to show up for and have a positive impact on their peers. We are so proud of the roll our students are taking in leading the new students, and can’t wait to see what they accomplish this fall!
Soirée Sponsor Spotlight
Founded by two friends, Argaux is a wine club whose mission is to inspire and connect people from all walks of life through food & wine. This incredible company will be supplying wines for our Third Annual Global Arts Soirée! Even better, they will be curating wines based on our menu! Don’t miss out on your opportunity to trying their incredible wines, and support keeping music education free for students in Pico Union!
Impact Report 2024
The first week of fall programming was very special. We met new students starting their journey at Global Arts, and reunited with our returning students, who were excited to get back to learning!
When we launched in 2020, the program held 4 class sessions a week. Now, we’re up to 22 weekly sessions and growing. What does that translate to? More youth served, increased hours for students to learn and make music, expanded class options, welcoming younger students, and a stronger youth community.
All of this was possible thanks to supporters like you!!
Check out our 2024 Impact Report for a detailed look at Global Arts’ growth and to see where we are headed!
Hollywood Bowl Night
What a fabulous evening under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl! This was our second year seeing a performance with our students at the iconic venue, and we are so grateful we can provide this opportunity to our wonderful community of young musicians! Thank you to the LA Phil for supporting our students and families and creating these memories.
Soirée Sponsor Spotlight
Meet Zimmitti Music Group! ZMG is a second-generation team that provides music production services for feature films. A female-owned business with over thirty years of experience, ZMG contracts the most skillful and experienced session musicians in the industry, manages composer scoring packages & music production budgets, and liaises closely with leading vocal contractors, scoring engineers, orchestrators, music preparation teams, and recording studios. We are so grateful that this incredible company is supporting our 3rd Annual Global Arts Soirée.
Back To School
As summer comes to a close, Global Arts is gearing up to return to campus. We are looking forward to seeing all of the young musicians who are returning to the program, and to continue working on developing new musical skills! This fall, we are excited to share that we are starting new instrumental group classes for beginner violins, winds, and brass, as well as a new general music class. We love meeting new students as they start their journey as musicians with us! Other exciting things coming to Global Arts this fall include a new line up of activities for student mentors, musicianship classes with Mr. Matt, a new string ensemble, and a full orchestral ensemble! This year is going to be full of new adventures and many new musical moments!
PD Week
Faculty and staff gathered this week to prepare for the new school year. The teachers discussed best practices for classroom management, created a list of core values for the organization, and got to know each other on a deeper level through team building activities. The full staff came together to talk through fall programming and upcoming events. Gathering together as an organization is always special, what a week!
Soirée Tickets Are On Sale!
We are excited to announce the venue of the Third Annual Global Arts Soirée. The Maxwell House in Pasadena is a gorgeous historic property and we can’t wait to gather with our wonderful community of supporters there on October 10th! The night will be filled with live music, silent auction, dancing, and lively conversation. Join us as we raise funds to support the next generation of musicians in Pico Union, this will be a night to remember!
Music Buddy Spotlight
Meet Jeff and Alyssa! They have been part of our Music Buddies program for three years, hear what they have to say about their experience:
What do you like about being a Music Buddy? “We always look forward to receiving his postcards and hearing about the new and exciting things he’s learning.Our buddy is enthusiastic about sharing the incredible artists Global Arts brings in to work with the students and the songs he’s been working on.”
Why did you decide to become a Music Buddy? “Global Arts is comprised of a dedicated and supportive staff who are deeply committed to their students. We’re continually amazed by the opportunities they provide and are proud to play a small role in making them possible. We chose to become music buddies after witnessing Jackie and Emily’s passion for starting a music program that supports the whole child, offering a safe, caring environment where kids feel a sense of belonging. Among the organizations we support, we can’t think of any better than Global Arts at making a difference in their community!”
Welcome Nigel!
We are so excited to welcome Nigel Deane (they/them) as viola faculty!
Nigel Deane is a Los Angeles-based musician and educator. They have an extensive background as a composer, producer, and electronic musician, and as an orchestral, ensemble/band, and solo violinist/violist, for organizations including Wild Up, Monday Evening Concerts, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, and Opera Povera. They have been working as a solo artist and with their band Fig and the Wasp to play by combining electronics, improvisation, experimentalism, orchestral composition, and songwriting into music that is accessible and forward-thinking. As a music teacher, Nigel is working to develop new pedagogical methods, formats, and materials to integrate their research of pedagogy that bring joy and cultural relevance into music education.
Welcome Blake!
We are also excited to welcome Blake Trejo (they/she) as Program Assistant and Community Coordinator. Blake is a first-generation Guatemalan immigrant dedicated to supporting underserved communities through arts education. They earned a degree in English and a minor in Education from UC Berkeley and have recently returned to Los Angeles, where they were raised. Blake was introduced to music at age 10 through the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra, YOLA @ HOLA, and subsequently played the French horn for over a decade under the mentorship of Jackie and Emily. After seeing the impact music made on their life, Blake developed a deep passion for making arts education accessible to communities of color.
Blake’s commitment to community service began with their role as a scholar-in-residence at YOLA @ HOLA. In addition to their work in music, Blake is dedicated to fostering safe and inclusive environments in higher education for immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities. While studying at Berkeley, Blake served as an Administrative Assistant at the Gender Equity Resource Center, where they collaborated with various student organizations to develop safe spaces and events for minority students.
Now back in Los Angeles, Blake is enthusiastic about advancing their advocacy work and building connections through Global Arts.
Outside of work, Blake enjoys spending time with family, cooking, and cuddling with their pets Fito and Rico.
Third Annual Global Arts Soirée
We are excited to share the date for the Third Annual Global Arts Soiree, happening October 10th, 2024. Join us to celebrate arts education and LA’s next generation of young musicians. This fundraiser is in support of providing free instruments, instruction, and community to the deserving youth of LA’s Pico Union neighborhood. This spectacular evening will feature live music, drinks, appetizers, and a silent auction. Purchase your tickets today, and make an impact on the lives of these young musicians!
Summer Camp Success
Summer classes have wrapped up at Global Arts, and we are still buzzing from four great weeks of programming. Between guest visitors and performances, creative workshops, Orff ensemble, orchestra, and group instrumental classes, students were kept very busy!
We are so proud of all the exciting and new experiences our students participated in. We are also grateful to Vini and Jess, who joined our faculty for the summer and supported our students with their incredible energy and expertise. As we look forward to the new school year starting in September, we can’t wait to see the students again, and continue this journey into the fall!
Book Club for Parents
Our incredible Parent Coordinator, Viviana, has been bringing Global Arts parents together for a very memorable book club this summer! Parents coming together is always special, and allows friendships and connections to form that can be challenging to form during the regular hustle and bustle of daily life.
We are grateful to Viviana for creating this space for our parents, we can’t wait to see what they read next!
Music Buddies
Are you interested in supporting Global Arts students in their musical journey? Become a Music Buddy! Music Buddies is our monthly giving program with 100% of every dollar going directly towards funding a student’s music education.
For only $25 a month you will cover the cost of a student’s classes, and you will receive a postcard throughout the year directly from your buddy! This summer, our goal is to add 14 Buddies to our program. Click here to learn more and sign up!
Summer Workshops
We have been visited by some incredible artists at Global Arts this past week. Both worked with students on musical creativity, writing music, and exploring artistry. Oskar Cartaya visited us once again, and led a very inspiring workshop on improvisation as a large ensemble. Rose Morris worked with students on songwriting, helping the students work together to create a completely original song. We can’t wait to see how these fabulous workshops inspire the students in the coming year.
David Silverman Visit
Summer classes at Global Arts are in full swing, and we are so lucky to have been visited by the legendary David Silverman! David is an animator, storyboard artist, and director best known for his work on The Simpsons, which he’s been part of since the very beginning. In addition to sharing his storyboard process with us, he told us about how music comes into play in his work. The brass students were extra excited to learn that he plays the tuba!
David, thank you for spending time with Global Arts. We hope to see you again soon!
Inside Sony Pictures
Last week, our students got a special sneak peek into television scoring thanks to our friends at the Zimmitti Music Group!
Five lucky Global Arts students and their parents went to the historic Barbra Streisand Scoring Stage at Sony Picture Studios in Culver City. The students watched a group of LA’s top recording musicians track the score to Star Trek: Lower Decks, led by the incredible Chris Westlake! We are so full of awe and gratitude, what an inspiring opportunity to go boldly where no Global Arts student has gone before!
Hollywood Bowl Visit
Our friend Alex Iles created an opportunity for a very lucky Global Arts student to see Lion King Live at the Hollywood Bowl! Alex is an incredible trombonist who is so generous with his support for Global Arts. Giving young musicians the opportunity to experience live music is something that these students will carry with them for life. Thank you so much Alex!
Global Arts Statistics!
Check out these Global Arts Stats!
- 82% of students report that being able to play an instrument helps them feel proud of themselves.
- What do Global Arts students like most about the program? Their teachers!
- 90% of parents say that Global Arts has made a positive impact on their child’s development this school year.
- 96% of parents say that they think their child will stay in Global Arts through high school.
Brewery Bash!
The first ever Sounds on Tap was a smashing success, thank you to all who made the event such a hit! We were so happy to see so many familiar faces, and make so many new friends. Our wonderful community gathered under the stars for an evening of live music, provided by some of the top musicians in LA! Trivia was a special highlight of the evening, it was amazing to see the creative team names everyone came up with, and to hand out incredible prizes from local businesses to the winners. Nona Rosa Pizza kept the crowd full of delicious pizza with their incredible wood-fired brick oven. Because of this event, we are able to continue to provide our students with free instruments and lessons. We are so grateful to our community of supporters, we hope to see you again next year!
Live Music Adventure
Two Global Arts students and their families were able to attend a fun evening of music at Zipper Concert Hall. Alessandro Martire and the Orchid Quartet performed an evening of beautiful music and we are so grateful for the tickets they provided! Live music experiences are so inspiring!
Spring Concert
As the 2024 school year comes to a close, Global Arts held another fabulous end of year Spring Concert to showcase all the amazing work the young musicians did this year. This was the best concert yet! Mr. Matt’s general music class shared their first ever performance, singing beautifully and playing percussion instruments, and the new Orff ensemble played Ode to Joy and featured a student soloist and all the instrumental classes were spectacular. This year, students took on more ownership of the concert, by acting as MC’s throughout the event, creating and designing decorations for the stage, and acting as stage and sound crew! This put a new level of excitement into the event. Thank you to all the parents, staff, faculty, students, and supporters that made this special day possible. Days like these are what this program is all about!
LLS Symphony Concert
Thank you so much LLS Symphony for donating tickets to Global Arts. Our students and families had a blast at the Million Dollar Theater! Hearing live music is so inspiring and important when learning a musical instrument and we are so grateful we can connect our students to these experiences!
Community Serenade
Stories of Program Impact-
“I hate being sick. The good part is I get to stay home from school, but the bad part is I also have to stay home from Global Arts. I love music class and hate missing it.” -Alejandro, Age 11
Bob Baker Day, 2024
Global Arts had a fabulous time performing at the infamous Bob Baker Day in the LA State Historic Park, Chinatown. Students helped kick off the event, serenading the crowds as a parade of puppets, marionettes, dragons, and community members celebrated the start of the day. The winds and brass students played heroic wind ensemble music, and the violin classes wished Bob Baker a happy 100th birthday by presenting a medley of Las Mañanitas and Happy Birthday! We love sharing music with the community, it is always such a special experience. Thank you to Bob Baker Marionette Theater for hosting an incredible day for the city of Los Angeles!
Cafe Concert Fun!
This month we presented our first Cafe Concert for the community, and it was so fun! Thank you Syrinx Reed Quintet for performing for our students and families. They played a fun assortment of music, everyone had such a great time listening and learning at With Love Market and Cafe. We are so grateful to Classical Crossroads for providing the funding to make this event possible. We love live music!
Parent Workshops
Our fabulous Parent Coordinator, Viviana, has been hosting parent workshops for the parents of Global Arts. This month’s workshop was titled “Refreshments and Reflections: How to Navigate Your Emotions in an Assertive Way” and the parents discussed different ways to navigate different emotions. Thank you Viviana for all you do for the parents and families of Global Arts, we look forward to the next workshop!
Community Serenade
Stories of Community Impact-
“He is opening up as an individual and creatively opening his mind to a new world of possibilities. His character has changed and the fact that programs like these exist are the reason children in low income homes have the same opportunities to grow and learn different cultures and artists.” -Global Arts parent
Sounds on Tap: A Global Arts Fundraiser
On May 20th, Global Arts is hosting its first ever spring fundraising event: Sounds on Tap! Sounds on Tap is a community fundraising event, focused on raising money to provide free music education for the students of Global Arts. Spend an evening with friends, enjoy live music, sip on drinks, taste delicious pizza, and test your knowledge in a game of trivia, all while creating access to free music education for young musicians in the Pico Union neighborhood!
Located at Benny Boy Brewing: 1821 Daly St, Los Angeles, CA 90031.
The event begins at 6pm. Your ticket purchase includes one drink provided by Benny Boy, with proceeds going towards Global Arts. Nonna Rosa Pizza will be available for purchase. Don’t miss your chance to taste this locally-made, Jersey style pizza, crafted in a wood fired oven right on-site!
Trivia will start at 7pm with an additional suggested donation of $10 per person.
Gather your team together, prizes will be announced leading up to the event!
**This is a 21 and up event, and unfortunately we cannot accommodate children at this location, as it is an active brewery!
Click here for tickets and more information!
Wholesoul Library Concert
We had a very special visit from Wholesoul String Quartet! We loved hearing these amazing musicians perform their original arrangements of our favorite songs, with a sprinkle of Classical music mixed in as well. It is always inspiring to hear how incredible string players can come together and create such a great atmosphere for our students. We hope you’ll come back and see us soon!
Visit to Disney Hall
Thanks to the generosity of our friends at the LA Phil, we brought 60 members of the Global Arts community to a fabulous concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The evening of chamber music was a perfect concert of our students to see their own instruments being played in such an intimate musical setting.
A visit from Josh Groban!
Global Arts got a truly memorable visit from acclaimed singer and actor Josh Groban! Josh Groban founded Find Your Light Foundation, an organization dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to experience a quality arts education. Global Arts is a lucky recipient of a grant award from FYLF, and we were so happy when they reached out about visiting a day of programming to see what kind of impact Global Arts is having through the arts! Josh, his parents, as well as FYLF Executive Director Jeffrey Dollinger spent the afternoon visiting classes, meeting students, and chatting with staff. We are so grateful to all that Josh does to promote the arts, and we are so moved by the generous support of his organization. Thank you FYLF!
Free Community Concert
Mark your calendars for April 13th, you won’t want to miss the first ever Global Arts Cafe Concert! Thanks to a grant through Classical Crossroads, we are teaming up with the Syrinx Reed Quintet to bring an hour long live musical performance to the community at With Love Cafe in Pico Union. Join us Saturday April 13th from 4-5pm for a fun afternoon of music. This concert is FREE and open to all!
Zimmitti Music Group Visit
In another outstanding library concert, ZMG brought the incredible composer Ré Olunuga to speak with our students about his compositional process. Ré is the composer of a new Disney + series, Iwájú, and it was so fun to see clips from the show and hear how the music was created to impact the mood of each scene! With him, Brian Kilgore demonstrated how to play various West African percussion instruments, and Aiko Jimena performed a few cues on her violin. Thank you so much to Whitney Martin for bringing this stellar group to our campus, we had a great time!
Interlochen Arts Academy Visit
Yesterday we had a fun visit from a touring group of songwriters from Interlochen Arts Academy! The young musicians, who are just a few years older than Global Arts students, shared many beautiful original songs. It was inspiring to see the ways young people are using their musical passions to create their own unique art! Global Arts students expressed their excitement at hearing young people perform for them, and we can’t wait to see what these incredible students do next. Thanks so much for visiting us Interlochen Arts!
Recent Grant Awards
This month, we are excited to share that we have been awarding two very exciting grants! The Find Your Light Foundation, an incredible organization founded by Josh Groban, has awarded us a grant to support our orchestral program. Additionally, The D’Addario Foundation has awarded us funding to continue to support our music classes and includes a generous donation of music supplies. Because of organizations like these, we are able to continue to support our community of young musicians, thank you!
Parent Workshop Series
This month, our Parent Coordinator, Viviana, hosted the first workshop specifically for the parents of Global Arts. The group gathered at With Love Cafe, just down the street from our teaching site, and discussed topics on how to regulate cortisol, promote oxytocin, and live a healthful lifestyle! This will be the first of many workshops to come. Future workshops will include topics on how to manage emotions, practicing empathy, mindfulness, and developing habits that lead to happiness!
We love to see our community come together to connect and grow, thank you for your work Viviana!
Library Concerts are BACK!
We are very excited to bring back our popular Library Concert Series this Spring. This week we kicked off the series with a wonderful concert! Christian Cruz, a former student of staff member Jackie DesRosier, brought a brass quintet made up of fellow UCLA students, and performed classics from movie music to argentine tango for over 40 Global Arts students. It was beautiful to see the next generation of performers pass on their love of music to the budding musicians in Pico-Union. In March, we will be joined once again by the Zimmitti Music Group, and in April we will have a very special visit from the genre-bending string quartet, Wholesoul. We are so grateful we can experience such incredible live music right on campus.
Playground Opening
Congratulations to our partners at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy for opening an incredible new Green Schoolyard with Trust for Public Land! Our students performed at the opening ceremony and it was such a joyous moment for students, families, staff and the Pico-Union community. We love to see new green spaces for our students to enjoy!
New Class Underway
We are so excited to welcome a new group of 3rd graders to Global Arts for an exciting new class with Matt. These students are learning to play Orff instruments, the fundamentals of note reading, and music theory skills. In addition to this class, our advanced students started a new ensemble experience this week. It is so exciting hearing the students from winds, brass, and violin classes come together to make music, we can’t wait to see all the new things they accomplish together!
Welcome Alexis
We are thrilled to welcome Alexis Silva to our team as our new Program Assistant! Alexis recently graduated with a degree in music and a minor in English from UC Davis. He worked in his university’s arboretum as an ambassador where he discovered he enjoyed working in community outreach and being outdoors. He is excited to be back in L.A. working alongside his former teachers, Ms. Emily and Ms. Jackie! During his free time he also enjoys reading and writing short stories and poetry about every-day life and going out on walks. Alexis has been integral to getting our new classes off the ground smoothly and in his short time volunteering with us he’s created systems that are sustainable and effective. Welcome to the team!
Thank you Guitar Center Music Foundation
We are grateful to have received several donated instruments for our general music class from The Guitar Center Music Foundation. It is a joy to see our new class make music right from their first day of class, and we couldn’t do it without these wonderful donated instruments.
New Faculty Announcement!
We are delighted to share some big news as we start off 2024: Matt Brundrett will be joining our faculty as our first General Music Teacher!!!
Matt received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Percussion Performance from the New School University in 2001. He received his K-12 music education teaching certificate from Brooklyn College in 2013. He has been teaching in the classroom for the non-profit Education Through Music – Los Angeles since 2014. Throughout his teaching career Matt has also been a regular contributing performer to the diverse music scenes in both New York, Los Angeles and around the country. He is level 2 certified in the music teaching methodologies from Orff Schulwerk and Kodaly which he uses at his current position as a TK-8th grade general music teacher at Castelar Elementary School, one of Los Angeles Unified School District’s oldest dual language immersion elementary programs established in 1882. He is excited to work with the students at Global Arts!
Welcome to the team Matt!
The Season of Giving Begins!
This month, we have had several wonderful donations to Global Arts that have created some wonderful experiences for our Global Arts community!
Thanks to our friends at the Zimmitti Music Group, our student Jose and his family were given tickets to see The Nightmare Before Christmas Live at the Hollywood Bowl! Jose is a budding violinist and seeing this live experience was very inspiring for him.
Global Arts board member Ana Paola took two Global Arts families for a fun day to Disneyland, where together they explored the park, went on rides, and took an animation class. The families had a wonderful day laughing, building memories, and spending time together.
We are so grateful to our community of supporters making these events possible for our students and families!
Recent Visitors to Global Arts
This month we have been lucky to have several guests visit our students at Global Arts!
The incredible trombone player and studio musician Alex Iles worked with our trombone students on basics of sound, slide technique, and gave the students a performance of an etude he is working on. Our students were wowed and impressed by his improvisation skills and tone.
We also welcomed back our friends from Remainders Creative Reuse for a workshop of mask making. Our students had a blast creating unique masks from recycled materials, it is so much fun to explore new ways to express creativity!
We were lucky to receive a visit from a professional trombone player from Venezuela, Pedro Carrero! He performed for the winds and brass students, and shared his experiences with the students about his life as a professional musician. The students were very excited to show him what they can do on their instruments.
Thank you all for your visits!
LA Phil Grant Recipient
Global Arts is pleased to announce we have been awarded a Partners in Music Learning Grant through the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
This grant is a regranting initiative of the LA Phil’s YOLA National program, supporting creative youth development and music programs in regions across the U.S. Global Arts is one of 17 organizations across the U.S. to receive the Partners in Music Learning funding this year. Grant funds will support capacity building and programming, as well as increase youth access to music learning opportunities.
This initiative will also build on a national music educator cohort, providing grantee organizations with a platform for shared learning and to
support each other in deepening their existing programs and impact beyond the grant period.
Made possible through the support of an anonymous donor, Partners in Music Learning allows YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to support organizations in select regions across the U.S. to help unite, galvanize, and advance creative youth development and music programs. Global Arts is one of just 20 organizations across the country to be awarded this funding this year.
Thank you, LA Phil, for your support!
Visiting Sounds Academy
Jackie and Emily spent some quality time visiting The Sounds Academy in Phoenix this week. Visiting and learning from other organizations is a great way for us to expand our knowledge on best teaching and organizational practices.
The directors visited strings classes, guitar lessons, and piano harmony classes, and had a sit down with the organization’s founder and teachers to learn more about what goes into running this particular program.
Thank you so much Sounds Academy for showing us your program!
What a night!
Our goal for the Second Annual Soirée was to raise $43,000, and you helped us reach it! And because we were able to meet our goal, we will be able to start a new class of ukulele students in January.
All of the money raised through ticket sales, silent auction proceeds, and your donations will allow us to purchase supplies and instruments for our students, as well as allow us to pay our teachers a sustainable salary. We couldn’t be more grateful to you, our community.
Thank you to the musicians who performed, Alejandro Briceño, Yonathan Gavidia, Abelardo Bolaño, and Saul Bolaño. Shout out to all of our teachers, staff, and volunteers, for pulling off the work of a team of 20 in just a few hours!
And a very special thank you to all of the parents of Global Arts, for supporting the students, bringing them to the event on a school night, and being the incredible people that you are.
Stay tuned for more information about next year’s Soirée!
TV Scoring with Chris Westlake
We recently had a very special visit from composer Chris Westlake. Chris visited our third year classes, and walked us through the process for creating music for the animated TV show ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks.’
After showing clips from the show without music, he walked us through his practice for how to create soundscapes to capture the mood, character, and action in a scene through music. It was so cool!
Thanks so much for taking the time to visit us Chris, what a special opportunity for our program!
Countdown to Soirée!
We can’t believe that on Thursday, October 12th, we will be celebrating with our incredible community at the beautiful Maxwell House of Pasadena! This will be a special moment to acknowledge everything the Global Arts community has accomplished over the last year, and to see our community of supporters, students, faculty, staff, and volunteers all in one place.
Here is a little bit of what to expect at the Soirée this year:
We have an incredible assortment of silent auction items for you to bid on this year, such as museum passes, travel packages, gift certificates, and so much more!
The auction will run online, and will open Tuesday, October 10th at 9:00 AM, and close on Thursday at 9:00 PM. Can’t attend the Soirée in person?
No problem! You can still participate in the silent auction, we just ask that you refrain from bidding on hard to ship items, which are denoted with an asterisk.
Live Music and Dance
We can’t wait for you to hear these incredible musicians at the Soirée!
Guitarist Alejandro Briceño will be performing on the patio for the cocktail hour, and Yonathan Gavidia, cajón and percussion, Abelardo Bolaño, vocals and guitar, and Saul Bolano, keyboard, will bring the energy to the dance floor and perform in the final hours of the Soirée! Not only that, but we will have performances by Global Arts’ VERY OWN student performers from the violin, winds, and brass classes. Make sure your wear your dancing shoes!
Tasty Food and Drink
What’s a party without food and drink? Throughout the evening light Hors D’oeuvres will be served, thanks to our caterers at Four Cafe. There will also be delicious wines, beers, as well as an assortment of nonalcoholic beverages.
Low Ticket Alert!
We are just 3 days out from the event of the season, and we only have 8 tickets left for purchase! Buy your tickets today and support music education for all. All the proceeds from ticket sales and silent auction go towards creating free and sustainable music programming for our students in Pico Union.
Silent Auction Sneak Peak
The Global Arts Soirée will have an incredible assortment of silent auction goodies to bid on.
Auction Items Include:
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- Museum passes to LA landmarks such as The Broad, Skirball Cultural Center, Natural History Museum and more.
- Gift cards to unique bakeries, restaurants, gyms, and shops.
- Travel packages to far off places.
- Experiences in LA from wine country to Legoland.
- Dinner at home with a private chef.
- Music lessons for beginner and advanced students alike.
- Global Arts t-shirts and water bottles!
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To make it even sweeter, all of the proceeds from the auction will go towards keeping our program free and sustainable! Check out the link to see all the auction items and to purchase your Soirée tickets today!!
El Sistema Conference
This week, Global Arts’ directors Emily and Jackie are in Venezuela representing Global Arts at Congreso Mundial El Sistema (El Sistema’s World Conference). They will be there for a week attending workshops, visiting núcleos, seeing concerts, and working side by side with similar programs from around the world. We can’t wait to hear about what they see and learn!
Back to School!
On Wednesday, Global Arts returns to campus to begin another musical school year at Camino Nuevo, and there is a lot to be excited about!
We are welcoming a brand new class of viola students led by Ashley Frith, we had all sixteen slots fill up within one hour! This fall we will also host more performers and guests on campus who will work with and perform for our students. We are planning a visit to the Grammy Museum as well as other musical venues in LA. Additionally, the teaching staff will be taking part in more professional development experiences with new organizations. In September, Jackie and Emily will travel to Venezuela to attend a conference with other educators, and in October, the entire teaching team will travel to Phoenix, AZ for a week of professional development.
We are so excited for this fall and everything it has to offer!
Hollywood Bowl Night
Global Arts’ families, staff, and faculty gathered under the stars to see an incredible concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Chris Thile wowed the audience with virtuosic mandolin playing, and Appalachian Spring rang out as crickets chirped in the background. It was magical to gather together in such a historical musical environment, and spend time with each other.
Thank you LA Phil, for providing tickets, we had a great night!
Second Annual Global Arts Soirée
Join us for a joyful celebration on Thursday, October 12th at the beautiful Maxwell House of Pasadena! We will enjoy an evening of lively music, drinks, light fare, a silent auction, and wonderful conversation in support of music education in the Pico Union Neighborhood. Come celebrate everything the Global Arts community has accomplished over the last year and support our effort to raise funds for the new school year.
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
Global Arts was recently awarded a grant from the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund! The DSYF’s mission is to support organizations in Los Angeles that provide direct services and experiences to underserved children and youth so that they may gain values, skills, and confidence to achieve their potential. By awarding Global Arts an operational grant, DSYF is allowing us to be better able to serve our communities by creating sustainable salaries for Global Arts staff and faculty. Thank you DSYF!!
Summer Camp Recap
We just wrapped our summer program. This was our first time offering summer classes at Camino Nuevo, and while it flew by, we were wowed by just how much learning we could fit into four weeks.
Here are some highlights:
Improvisation 101: Each Tuesday, students participated in improvisation class. The focus of the class was to give students the opportunity to get in touch with their own unique musical voice, while having the opportunity to play alongside students in other classes. Students created new pieces of music, played theater games, and explored new sounds on their instruments!
Masterclass: We were lucky to host four outstanding performances and masterclasses this summer. Micah Wright, Erm Navarro, Michelle Elliott Rearick, and Olivia and Dale Breidenthal visited and performed, and students from the winds, brass, and violin classes got the opportunity to play for them. This was the first time many of our students experienced a masterclass!
Community Workshops: On Thursdays, Global Arts held weekly Community Workshops for students. Classes consisted of acting with Angelo Pagan, composition with Oskar Cartaya, dancing with Natalie Avakian, and an exciting crafting day with Remainders Creative Reuse, and our own parent coordinator Viviana! These workshops provided students an opportunity to explore other outlets for creativity, while building strong friendships and connections among students.
Summer Programming Begins
We are one week into our summer programming, and what a week it has been!
On Tuesday, students learned the basics of improvisation, including skills required to think on their feet, be creative, and play and work together as a group. Games are pulled from popular theater games that have been adapted for musical settings.
On Wednesday, Micah Wright, a clarinetist, performed for the students on a variety of instruments, and led our first masterclass at Global Arts. Four students from the winds class took turns performing and getting feedback from Micah, while the other students created a supportive environment. We have three more masterclasses scheduled throughout the summer, giving each instrument group a chance to be in the spotlight!
Thursday, students worked with Grammy-nominated performing artist Oskar Cartaya to create a brand new piece of music. This was especially meaningful, as this was the first time students played together in a large ensemble. The piece was called “Art from the Heart,” and featured each instrument family. You can see the full performance on our Instagram page!
Staff Planning Week
In June, Global Arts staff came together for a week of professional development and fall planning. The staff spent time creating core values for the organization, setting goals, and mapping out professional development sessions for the next school year.
The goal of the week was to determine the strengths of each staff member, and find ways to utilize each unique perspective and set of experiences moving forward. We are excited about our line of up PD sessions happening this fall, led by each staff member. We feel it is important to capitalize on what strengths each Teaching Artist brings to our classrooms each day!
Volunteer Spotlight
We are so lucky to have two incredible volunteers like Viviana and Dean to keep our organization running smoothly! Thanks to their hard work, we have been able to grow so much this year.
Vivana has been working with parents to help shape the program to fit their needs and vision. She leads parent workshops and informational meetings, and will also be teaching a painting class this summer for our students!
Dean has been supporting us with all of our student and mentorship needs. He works with student mentors to show them the best way to be effective leaders in the classroom, and helps with the many moving parts in day to day programming.
We are so grateful for you both!
Summer Programming
We are excited to share that we are bringing summer programming to our students at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy for the first time! Coming together in the summer provides more opportunities for students to grow as musicians and learn more skills on their instrument.
Programming will run from mid-June to mid-July, and involve ensemble playing, improvisation classes, as well as special guest visitors and performers!
We can’t wait!
Spring Concert Review: A Beautiful Gathering
This year’s Spring Concert was a phenomenal coming together of students, faculty, staff, families, and friends. This was our first time holding the concert indoors, and the concert felt more formal and momentous as a result.
Students performed repertoire that ranged from movie soundtracks to Irish polkas, jazz improvisation to familiar favorites. Teaching artist Ashley Frith sang “Dos Oruguitas,” and “I Lava You,” beautifully with a strong accompaniment from the ukulele classes. In addition to being excellent performers, the students were excellent audience members too, really listening and focusing on each class’s performance.
In just a few short years, Global Arts students have learned how to make music together, work as an ensemble, and perform with thoughtfulness.
Student mentors were also honored for spending their time assisting the beginner classes! Having eight second year students help out with stage crew, assist first year students, and lead by example was very impactful.
The whole community came together to share food and laughter after the performance. We are so grateful to our parent coordinator Viviana for organizing parent volunteers and the potluck, it really felt like a meaningful gathering because of you!
Check out a recording of the livestream on Instagram if you missed it!
Visit from Zimmitti Music Group
In our final Library Concert of the school year, musicians from the Zimmitti Music Group came for a visit.
Music contractor Whitney Martin talked to students about how movies and TV shows are scored, and showed the students video footage from the scoring stages of Hollywood!
The students were then treated to performances of arrangements of music from Super Mario Brothers, Encanto, and West Side Story, first by a brass quintet, then a string quartet.
These musicians have worked on sound tracks for some of the biggest films and TV shows, we were so lucky that they could visit us!
This is a wrap on our first semester of hosting live music for Global Arts students on campus. We can’t wait to see what the fall will bring.
Pico Union Library Performance
Last weekend, students of Global Arts gathered at the Pico Union Library for another awesome opportunity to perform for the community. The Library was hosting a Resource Fair,which brought together local community organizations, Los Angeles poets, and people from all over Pico Union. Our ukulele, winds, brass, and violin students played the songs they are preparing for the Global Arts Spring Concert, and the audience loved their performance! Afterwards the students and teachers were treated to tacos and aguas frescas.
Thank you for having us Pico Union Library, we can’t wait to do it again.
Spring Concert Live Stream: Save The Date
Our students are working hard to prepare for the spring concert! We will be live streaming the concert on our Instagram page for those who would like to see the progress our students have made this year. Be sure to follow us @globalartsla, then make some popcorn, and tune in May 19th at 4pm!
Library Concert Series Update
Last week, Global Arts welcomed Jeff DesRosier (brother of Global Arts Associate Director, Jackie) to the library for a live music experience. He and teaching artist Kate Outterbridge played upbeat Irish songs and tunes, and our students were so excited to hear a new style of music.
Many students were interested to hear about the communal culture of Irish music, and learned about the different time signatures and dances that are commonly heard in the genre. It was also meaningful for the violin students to see their teacher in a formal performance setting, and see what she can do!
We love seeing our students embody new genres in these concerts, stay tuned for more updates about future performances!
CicLAvia Recap
On Sunday, April 16th, Global Arts faculty, staff, and students spent the day soaking in the excitement of CicLAvia. The event closed down the streets of Pico Union to car traffic, and local organizations, pedestrians, and community members took over with bicycles, skates, scooters, and more. Global Arts set up a booth at the Pico Union hub, and were surrounded by wonderful organizations doing great work, like the LA Library, Pico Union Neighborhood Council, Metro, and Los Angeles Eco-Village!
Global Arts students serenaded the cyclists, and performed throughout the event, they were very much appreciated! The violin students performed solos and in pairs, and loved trying out the newest song they learned, Allegro. The winds and brass students had a lot of fun playing duets with their teachers, and even performed in front of the Metro Art Bus!
Staff members met new friends, learned about other organizations in the neighborhood, and Ms. Kate and Ms. Viviana even tried out some roller skates.
Thank you to all who visited us at our booth, we loved meeting you!
Global Arts Student’s Experience Live Music Again!
Last week, Alex Rosales García performed a riveting program for our young musicians at Global Arts. This was the second concert on our brand new Library Concert series, and the students had a blast!
Alex demonstrated how the bassoon works, showed-off the bassoon’s many different sounds and styles, and shared moments from his life as a professional musician in Los Angeles. Many of our students expressed excitement and joy meeting Alex, and we are so happy we get to continue this series next month with a cello performance by Michelle Elliott Rearick.
By bringing a professional musician to campus, our students are learning to engage meaningfully with live music, how to be active listeners, and are more and more inspired to be the best musicians they can be.
CicLAvia Save the Date, Come Say Hi in Pico Union!
We are so excited that CicLAvia will be taking place in Pico Union on April 16th. If you have never been to a CicLAvia event, you won’t want to miss this!
Inspired by Bogotá’s weekly ciclovía, CicLAvia temporarily closes streets to car traffic and opens them to Angelenos to use as a public park. Free for all, CicLAvia connects communities to each other across an expansive city, creating a safe place to bike, walk, skate, roll, and dance through Los Angeles County.
Global Arts will be there from 9am- 2pm, so be sure to stop by our booth and say hello! We will have some special solo and group performances by our students, prizes, and you may even see some of our teachers in rollerblades if you are lucky!
Global Arts Wins D’Addario Foundation Award
We are happy to share that we have been awarded a grant of $2,000 by the D’Addario Foundation. D’Addario is also supplying our program with accessories for our students’ instruments, so that they can sound their best.
D’Addario is committed to providing access to inclusive, engaging music education and annually supports over 200 non-profit organizations. Through monetary and product support, D’Addario serves those who are serving their communities!
Thank you D’Addario for supporting our work!
The Library Concert Series Begins
Our brand new Library Concert Series started with a bang or rather, and oompah, with a visit from Dr. Blake Cooper. For many of our students, this was their first time seeing a live music performance, and most had never seen a tuba played before! Dr. Blake shared a wide variety of arrangements of songs, shared his experiences as a professional musician in Los Angeles, chatted about how to be an expert audience memeber, and even held a mini-clinic on breathing for our winds and brass players. Thank you Dr. Blake! We are looking forward to our next guest, Alex Rosales García, at the end of March!
Global Arts at El Sistema Conference
In March, Jackie, our Associate Director and Brass Teaching Artist, presented two workshops on behalf of the Teaching Artists Teaching Institute at the El Sistema USA conference in Indianapolis. Her sessions focused on classroom management, non verbal communication, and how to effectively build rituals in the classroom.
Jackie worked with teachers and administrators from all over the United States and Canada! In addition to her workshops she enjoyed being able to connect with and learn from others in the music education field.
Welcome to our Newest Class!
In February we welcomed 14 new ukulele students to our program! These students are starting out on ukulele to learn music fundamentals, and will join the Winds and Brass class in the fall. This class is full of excitement and curiosity. They are currently learning F and C chords, as well as the song “Naranja Dulce”!
Awarded Gold Transparency
We’re excited to share that Global Arts as earned a 2-22 Gold Seal of Transparency with Guidestar and Candid! Now, you can support our work with more turst and confidence than ever. Click here to see our profile.