Learn 24

DC Strings Workshop operates from the belief that all people, particularly young people,  should experience the joy of music, and access to quality music instruction.

The DC Strings team advocates at the local, state, and national level for public and charter schools to develop strong music programs and works with community partners to expand access to high-quality music programs, particularly in underserved areas.

Each summer, with generous support from the Deputy Mayor of Education,  DC Strings facilitates three unique virtual music camps for children ages 5 to 16 throughout the Washington, DC. This special camp is called Learn 24. 

Reaching approximately 50 students in each session, the Summer Camp offers an intensive six-week program with a broad curriculum that gives each child the chance to try a variety of instruments—piano, strings and percussion—to determine which best suits them. Pre-pandemic, DC Strings led music programming with DC Parks and Recreation serving more than 200 students through four-weeks of instruction. 

The Music Camps bring children together from communities all over the DC area to bond over the love of music and forge friendships that can last a lifetime. To confront any existing trauma, students also participate in group therapy focused on addressing the impact of adverse events and building resilience. This program seeks to use music as a bridge to equip students with new tools to process and safely heal from these experiences. 

Recognizing that most schools in the DC Public School System have not prioritized or cannot afford to have a dedicated teacher on staff, DC Strings Workshop also reaches youth and others through masterclasses, private lessons, workshops, presentations, and performances. Each year, DC Strings Workshop provides free instruments to students and underwrites thousands of private lessons.

DC Strings changing the community through musical representation, education and inspiration

Founded in 2017, DC Strings Workshop brings the love of classical and other music to all parts of the Washington, DC region and to people of all ages.

 Highlighting the beauty and diversity that exists in classical music, DC Strings Workshop realizes its mission to share and present music to communities that often are overlooked through a mix of performances, education, and dynamic masterclasses and workshops.

DC Strings Workshop is led by renowned musicians, educators, and artistic administrators and draws on a diverse group of talented musicians to bring the beauty of classical music to communities throughout the Washington, DC region. 

DC Strings engages diverse audiences, supplies instruments and music education to deserving students, and exposes students and adults alike to music by underrepresented women and people of color. 

Partnerships throughout the region include those with the Anacostia Business Improvement District, DC Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Public Schools, The Kennedy Center and WPFW 89.3 FM, among many others. 

As DC Strings Workshop continues to bring the love of classical and other music forms to diverse communities and individuals throughout the DC region, we need your philanthropic support to help us to continue this important work.

Through our programs:

  • DCSW serves and reaches +200 young people annually and provide lessons, instruments, and instruction to youth throughout the city with a focus on youth East of the River;
  • Has presented over +50 concerts of the orchestra and various ensembles in neighborhood churches, schools, community centers, and public libraries reaching over 10,000 people annually;
  • Uses the power of our voice to speak up and speak out about the lack of quality music education programs in DC Public Schools  As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation is fully tax-deductible. Thank you for your support and being a part of our community. 

DC Strings instrumental in music education through virtual Learn 24 summer camp

DC Strings Workshop (DCSW) is committed to bringing music education, outreach, and supporting stronger music programs in public and charter schools, especially in underserved areas of the District. 

Each summer, with generous support from the Deputy Mayor of Education through Learn24,  DC Strings facilitates three unique virtual music camps for children ages 5 to 16 throughout Washington, DC. 

Reaching approximately 50 students in each session, the summer camp offers an intensive six-week program with a broad curriculum that gives each child the chance to try a variety of instruments—piano, strings, and percussion—to determine which best suits them. 

Pre-pandemic, DC Strings led music programming with DC Parks and Recreation serving more than 200 students through four weeks of instruction. 

The music camps bring children together from communities all over the DC area to bond over the love of music and forge friendships that can last a lifetime. To confront any existing trauma, students also participate in group therapy focused on addressing the impact of adverse events and building resilience. 

This program seeks to use music as a bridge to equip students with new tools to process and safely heal from these experiences. 

Recognizing that most schools in the DC Public School System have not prioritized or cannot afford to have a dedicated teacher on staff, DC Strings Workshop also reaches youth and others through masterclasses, private lessons, workshops, presentations, and performances. 

DCSW reaches young audiences through – master classes, private lessons, workshops, presentations, and performances. To-date DC Strings Workshop has donated over 20 instruments to students in need and paid for over $10,000 of private lessons. 

Healing Notes: DC Strings provides comfort during the pandemic

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and civil and social unrest, DC Strings served as a force for calm and support, operating from the belief that music is a unifying and positive outlet for the entire community. 

During this critical time, the musicians of DC Strings tuned and polished their instruments and continued to play in uncertain times.  

 The organization hosted more than seven concerts in-person and outdoors, as well as virtual performances, to help communities cope with stress, isolation, and anxiety. 

Additionally, DC Strings safely trained more than 150 youth through private lessons, masterclasses, and group therapy. 

DC Strings convened critical conversations with musicians, artists, educators, and social activists to discuss the future of music education, the orchestra as an institution, and how to create more inclusive environments.

For many of the musicians, it was also a healing source. 

“After almost 30 years of playing, I’m as grateful as ever for the gift of music!,” said violinist Mijin Paik. “During the pandemic, in particular, being able to play music safely was a real saving grace for me and my sanity.”

Founded in 2017, DC Strings Workshop brings the love of classical and other music to all parts of the Washington, DC region and to people of all ages. Highlighting the beauty and diversity that exists in classical music, DC Strings Workshop realizes its mission to share and present music to communities that often are overlooked through a mix of performances, education and dynamic masterclasses and workshops.

Mayor Bowser Awards $2.9 Million in Grants to Community Organizations Providing Summer Programming for District Youth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 18, 2021

Funds Will Help 2,200 District Youth Access Summer Programming

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser awarded $2.92 million to 38 community-based organizations that will support more than 2,200 District youth with access to quality summer programming. The funding will be awarded from the Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes (OST Office). The grant funding will support summer programming in areas including academics, arts, athletics, dance, cooking, financial literacy, mentoring, music, social emotional support, STEM, and much more. Organizations will follow all safety and health protocols set by health officials and provide in-person programming at DC Public Schools and public charter school sites as well as at other locations throughout Washington, DC. 

“After a challenging year, it’s more important than ever that this summer we offer our youth a chance to learn new skills, explore opportunities, and have fun with their peers in safe and healthy environments,” said Mayor Bowser. “These community-based organizations have strong partnerships with our families and youth and build on the critical work being done during the school year. With their partnership, we will continue to provide young Washingtonians with access to programs that not only get them ready for their future academic endeavors, but also equip them for life beyond the classroom.”  

Since October 2017, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) and the OST Office have worked to improve the quality of out-of-school time (OST) programs by administering workshops that improve the skills of youth development professionals, supporting capacity building within organizations, and working to enhance program and implementation to youth serving organizations in the District. The OST Office leads the Learn24 network, which consists of OST programs, government agencies, the Commission on Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes, the Institute for Youth Development, and other key stakeholders that are committed to ensuring all District youth have access to a quality OST program. 

 The following organizations will receive funding during Summer 2021: 

  1. Amala Lives

  2. Arts for Our Children, Inc

  3. Beta Omega Social Services Inc

  4. Capital City Public Charter School

  5. Children’s Defense Fund

  6. City Gate Inc*

  7. Dance Institute of Washington (The)

  8. Dance Makers, Inc

  9. DC Strings Workshop

  10. Do The Write Thing Foundation of DC

  11. EnventU

  12. Exodus Treatment Center

  13. Faith for the City, Inc*

  14. For Love of Children

  15. FRESHFARM

  16. Friendship Public Charter School

  17. George Washington University*

  18. Healthy Living Inc

  19. Horizons Greater Washington

  20. Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute

  21. International Association of Human Values*

  22. Life Pieces To Masterpieces*

  23. Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region*

  24. Mentors of Minorities in Education, Inc

  25. Multicultural Career Intern Program

  26. National Center for Children and Families

  27. Neighborhood Associates Corporation*

  28. One Common Unity

  29. Progressive Life Center*

  30. Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation*

  31. Swaliga Foundation

  32. Tech Turn Up

  33. Thurgood Marshall Academy

  34. Tumaini DC, Inc *

  35. Tutoring Cafe

  36. Two Rivers Public Charter School

  37. Words Beats and Life, Inc

  38. Young Men’s Christian Association of Metropolitan Washington

*new grantee 

DC residents can support afterschool and summer programs this tax season by making a Contribution to Taxpayer Support for Afterschool Programs for At-Risk Students on their individual income tax form under the contributions section on Schedule U part II, line 2. These funds will support grants to help bring safe and meaningful opportunities to District youth beyond the normal school day. 

 

District residents can locate OST programs and resources for youth and youth-serving organizations throughout the District at Learn24.dc.gov

 

###

 

Social Media: 

Mayor Bowser Twitter: @MayorBowser 

Mayor Bowser Instagram: @Mayor_Bowser 

Mayor Bowser Facebook: facebook.com/MayorMurielBowser 

Mayor Bowser Website: mayor.dc.gov 

Mayor Bowser YouTube: https://www.bit.ly/eomvideos  

(WTOP): DC Strings Workshop honors Black History Month, COVID-19 victims


wtopnews-.png

By: Jason Fraley | @JFrayWTOP

It was founded five years ago as a nonprofit to highlight diversity in classical music.

On Saturday, D.C. Strings Workshop marks Black History Month in a virtual concert.

“The theme of the concert is Black History Month and also commemorating the loss [from COVID-19],” Founder and Artistic Director Andrew Lee told WTOP. “February is a month of love for a lot of people, but this has been a really challenging year.”

That includes Black Lives Matter protests last summer to the U.S. Capitol riot.

“It’s a real reckoning,” Lee said. “We’re seeing it everywhere, from corporate America to artistic institutions. We have to decide what kind of country we’re going to be. Are we a country where privilege and race is going to continue to divide us? … Or are we going to create new pathways of opportunities? Are we going to reckon with our past?”

Saturday’s show will feature “Across the Calm Waters” by Ahmed Alabaca.

“It’s a very cerebral piece to commemorate people who have passed,” Lee said. “COVID-19 has ravaged our lives. We see it in our programs with the number of kids talking about losing a loved one. There is a very palatable sense of the trauma we’re all collectively experiencing. This piece perfectly encapsulates that but with hope.”

The program also features “Adoration” by Black composer Florence Price.

“She came up in the 1930s and ’40s,” Lee said. “For many African Americans at the time, it was very hard having their work performed by white orchestras for white audiences, but she’s heralded as driving the conversation and interweaving various melodies that everyone has now come to appreciate.”

Music Director Dr. Juan Gallastegui leads a group of talented location musicians.

“A lot of our musicians are retired Army or Air Force band folks,” Lee said. “We have a number of educators in public, charter and private schools. Then we have some amateurs who love music, maybe they were music majors in college and they have other careers now, but they still perform music at a high level.”

What started in churches and schools on Capitol Hill soon expanded to Anacostia.

“Since COVID, we’ve had a lot of virtual programming,” Lee said. “We’ve found a way to practice, rehearse and perform outside safely. We’ve had a number of concerts outside in amphitheaters, on the water in Alexandria with a mix of music, whether it’s classical, jazz, even go-go concerts. We believe in an eclectic palette of music.”

It’s all part of a “mighty mission” to diversify music opportunities in the nation’s capital.

“We’re an orchestra of musicians that believes in bringing music to all parts of our city, particularly underserved areas through our various ensemble, orchestra and music education programs,” Lee said. “Many kids in D.C. do not have the opportunity to study an instrument or they’re not able to afford private lessons or the cost of an instrument, so we really stand in the gap for those kids.”

Free tickets are available, but the suggested donation price is $20.

Learn more about the concert on the D.C. Strings website.

WTOP Interview

2020 DC Strings Orchestra Announces Appointment of Dr. Juan A. Gallastegui as Conductor & Music Director

Media Contact: Jane Goey

janegoeypr@gmail.com 

www.dcstrings.org; info@dcstrings.org 


Dr. Juan A. Gallastegui, conducts the DC Strings Orchestra 5th Season OpenerHarbour Square, SW DC - Saturday, September 26, 2020Photography: Imagine Photography DC

Dr. Juan A. Gallastegui, conducts the DC Strings Orchestra 5th Season Opener

Harbour Square, SW DC – Saturday, September 26, 2020

Photography: Imagine Photography DC

2020 DC Strings Orchestra Announces Appointment of Dr. Juan A. Gallastegui as Conductor & Music Director

Orchestra Kicks Off 5th Season With A Physically Distanced Performance in Southwest DC

Washington, DC, (October 8, 2020)— DC Strings Orchestra a program of DC Strings Workshop announces the appointment of DC-region musical conductor Dr. Juan A. Gallastegui to lead the DC Strings Orchestra. Embarking on its 5th Season, the orchestra has performed 40 concerts to the joy of audiences throughout the region since its founding in 2016. Performance highlights include the orchestra making its Kennedy Center debut as part of the opening of the REACH festival in September 2019, partnerships with The National Park Service and dozens of Messiah and holiday performances in Anacostia and Capitol Hill neighborhoods.

“I am absolutely thrilled to join the DC Strings Orchestra family and thank the leadership and musicians for the trust they have placed in me,” said Dr. Juan A. Gallastegui, Music Director & Conductor of DC Strings Orchestra. “I look forward to working with these talented musicians to reach new communities and build the next generation of young musicians.”

“Dr.  Juan is a longtime friend of DC Strings and we are humbled by his deep commitment to music-making and rapport with the musician,” said Andrew M. Lee, Artistic/Executive Director of DC Strings Workshop. “As our country battles the pandemic, we will look to Dr. Juan to help our musicians connect with the community and other musicians to inspire, hope, and heal from the pain that is affecting so many members of our community.”

ABOUT DC STRINGS WORKSHOPDC Strings Workshop (DC Strings) hosts a dynamic and versatile orchestra, “DC Strings” consisting of musicians committed to bringing music to all areas of the DMV, particularly underserved communities. With a mission to celebrate and recognize the contributions of musicians, conductors, composers, women and people of color to the genre of classical music, the orchestra and various ensembles have presented over 50 concerts since the organization’s founding in 2016. Partnerships include collaborations with area music schools and other civic organizations to attract thousands of patrons in every quadrant of the city.

The orchestra made it’s debut at The Kennedy Center as part of the opening of THE REACH in September 2019, under the baton of Maesta Jeri Lynn Johnson. This past year DC Strings celebrated an annual tradition of presenting +7 of Handel’s beloved Messiah program throughout the city. Performances included in Anacostia, Capitol Hill, Tenleytown and numerous other civic venues in the region.

A Ward-8 based community non-profit organization, DC Strings takes pride in presenting meaningful and challenging orchestra works that rival the programming of large, fully professional orchestras. DC Strings Workshop offers a number of programs for youth, providing instruments, lessons and masterclasses for young people who want to learn how to master an instrument. 

Our members have performed at official National Park Service events, museums, churches, schools and corporate/civic events. Visit www.dcstrings.org for more information or send us an email: info@dcstrings.org 

www.dcstrings.org – promotional images available upon request

All DC Strings events are postponed until further notice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2020

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE:

All DC Strings events are postponed until further notice

In the wake of COVID-19-related D.C. State of Emergency, DC Strings Workshop postpones all workshops, concerts and events through March 31


Screen Shot 2020-02-02 at 7.19.06 AM.png

 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – You are a vital part of our community of musicians and friends, and your safety at our events is our highest priority. Like you, we are concerned about the spread and impact of COVID-19. Concurrent with the Mayor’s Declaration of a State of Emergency for the District of Columbia—and our desire to ensure the health of our musicians, artists, educators, concert attendees and youth—our staff, and the Board of Directors have made the difficult decision to postpone all concerts, rehearsals and in-person workshops and events until further notice.

Below are some of the immediate events that are immediately affected:

  • March 14: National Park Service Performance (NW DC)

  • March 20: An Evening with Bach (SW DC)

  • March 22: Orchestra Concert in Tenleytown (NW DC)

  • Ongoing recreation and library workshops and classes

Stay tuned here for regular updates on the impact of COVID-19 on our programming and consider supporting the artists, musicians and educators that power our programs and this work during this challenging time.

Carr-Petrova DC Residency (September 12-13, 2019)

Molly Carr (viola) and Anna Petrova (piano) joined DC Strings Workshop Artistic Director Andrew Lee, in several public school residencies in the DMV region. In the residency, Carr-Petrova heard from student performers, the orchestra and other ensembles. They discussed their approach to practicing, inspiration and importance behind the music and tips for all.

The residency took them to Hammond Middle School in Alexandria, VA where they worked with middle school orchestra students. This beginner orchestra class featured a performance of students in the orchestra and ways to strengthen technique through fun exercises, with and without the instrument!

There also was a petting zoo at an elementary school (HD COOKE) in Washington, DC.

The program concluded with a residency and masterclass at the Duke Ellington School – Friday September 13th from 2pm – 4:30pm.

String and piano students performed for the artists and received feedback to improve their performance, technique and approach.

A sampling of some student Performers:

Jonah Hwang: Transcendental Etude No. 4, “Mazeppa” by Franz Liszt

Amiri Nash: Moment Musicaux, Op.16, No, 4 by Sergei Rachmaninoff

James Williams: Sonata No.11, Op.22, in B Flat Major by L.V. Beethoven


IMG_2369.JPG


IMG_2403.JPG


IMG_2400.JPG