Infinitus String Trio Educational Residency
Infinitus performed at two schools, Windsor School in Windsor, VT and Mascoma Valley Regional High School in Canaan, NH. John, Alex, and Anthony engaged students with listening games, rhythm activities, and even took suggestions from the audience. The school concerts included classical standards like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, original compositions, video game music, and popular songs. With this variety of styles they introduced concepts like theme and variation, extended techniques, and dynamics.
Students in UVMC’s Advanced Performance String Ensembles (APSE) had the chance to work with the
Copyright ©2019 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy
With the help of grants from the New Hamsphire State Council on the Arts and the Seaton Trust, UVMC partnered with Lebanon Opera House to bring Infinitus String Trio to the Upper Valley for an educational residency.
trio before they arrived in Lebanon. Infinitus arranged a mash-up of the fiddle tune Drowsy Maggie and the Rocky theme for the teen ensemble, and coached them via video chat and then in Lebanon dress rehearsals. APSE joined Infinitus on stage for their two Lebanon Opera House Performances, in the morning for a school audience and in the evening for the public.
Infinitus taught a Hip Hop Workshop–a first for UVMC!–for ages 10-16, teaching some history about the genre and coaching them through how to create their own rhythm and poetry. The three musicians, who while not on tour maintain their own teaching studios, sat down with UVMC faculty to talk through about using contemporary techniques with their students.
This educational residency is supported in part by a grant from the NH State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, and a grant from the Seaton Trust.
What did students think about the Infinitus residency?
“When it comes to classical music, before Infinitus I used to think it was kinda a closed box, like there was only really one way to do classical music….and now I think, there’s a lot more you can do with classical music then I once thought.”
“When it comes to classical music, before Infinitus I used to think it was all old-timey type things with little room for much more creativity….and now I think, there is a lot of creative opportunity. These people really showed off their skills and a lot you can do with these instruments.”
