Rebekah Hou, a student at the Cleveland Music Institute, played a short piece on her harp.
“Wow, that’s beautiful,” said an elementary scholar from Anton Grdina.
“Where does the sound come from in the harp?” asked a scholar from Breakthrough Willard.
Scholars from both sites were recently up close with several musicians and artists at East Cleveland Public Library for the second annual Celebrate Valentine’s Day, presented by ChamberFest Cleveland.
At the instrument petting zoo, scholars picked up guitars and violins, learning directly from musicians who welcomed every question and encouraged them to try something new. For many scholars, it was their first time holding an instrument.
Scholars worked with artists from Art House, Inc., using handprints to create paintings of self-love. At writing tables, mentors from Lake Erie Ink and Poetry Free Cleveland helped scholars turn simple sentences into poetry. Scholars left with books provided by the Kids’ Book Bank.
ChamberFest Cleveland’s Executive Director, Jessica Peek Sherwood, shared why access is so important. “I really like – especially for youth, but really for everybody – to have up-close experiences with not just music, but all the arts,” she said. “One of my favorite things is having performances where kids can actually see the musicians create the sound and have the chance to talk with them.”
We are grateful to ChamberFest Cleveland for giving our scholars and the community this hands-on experience, to East Cleveland Public Library for hosting, and to each partner who helped create an afternoon where scholars could explore new interests and see new and creative possibilities.
