We are so delighted to return to Broadway Elementary School for another season of Elemental @ Broadway!
With so many new students joining our afterschool choir and orchestra programs on campus, we thought it would be fun for you to learn a little more about our Elemental @ Broadway program directors!
For instance…did you know that one of our program directors is also a Broadway parent? Learn more about Broadway Strings Director Fang Fang Xu, Broadway Orchestra Director Diane Rosenthal, and Broadway Singers/Broadway Chorus Director Kelly Adams in our short & sweet interviews below!
Elemental Music: How old were you when you started learning music?
Fang Fang Xu: I was 5 and half when I started playing the cello.
Diane Rosenthal: I was 7 when I started playing the violin in a Suzuki program at my public elementary school in Illinois.
Kelly Adams: I auditioned for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music "preparatory program" when I was 9 years old, just after moving from Hawaii to California.
EM: What do you love about orchestra/choir?
FX: I love the orchestra because of the variety of types of music we can play together, ranging from the Baroque period to the very present! Of course also getting to hang out with friends in the orchestra and collaborate is extremely rewarding.
DR: Being a part of a musical ensemble is like no other experience. I love that it is both individual and collaborative. I love that the collaboration creates a work of art that is different every time.
KA: I love the sound of voices singing together, and working as "one voice" to create something beautiful. The voice is a vulnerable instrument, and allowing ourselves to share music through something so personal is an act of courage.
EM: What do you like to do when you're not teaching or performing?
FX: I enjoy watching movies with my family, eating out and traveling.
DR: When I am not teaching or performing, I love to read, be outside (especially near the water!), cook, and spend time with my family.
KA: I love to bake cakes, cookies, pies - with my two daughters as my sous chefs!
EM: What are you most looking forward to about working with the Broadway students?
FX: Since I am also a parent of a 4th grader at Broadway, it is so exciting to see kids her age discover music and learn instruments together. The friendships they have for each other and joy is contagious. I feel lucky to be able to experience their enthusiasm first hand.
DR: I am so excited to work with the Broadway Orchestra students! I can’t wait to meet all the different personalities of the students and see how they come together as an ensemble.
KA: I love teaching music to bilingual students - they pick up lyrics and melody so quickly! Also, there are very few schools I've worked at where the enthusiasm for music is as high as it is at Broadway. It's beautiful to rehearse with students who are excited to be there :)
Visit give.elementalmusic.org/donations to make a gift in support of our Elemental @ Broadway programs!