Student performers shine at Fiddle-and-Fa-La-La-Fest
More than 300 students from six El Sistema-inspired music-instruction programs across New Jersey dazzled family, friends and audience members at El Sistema New Jersey Alliance’s second annual Fiddle-and-Fa-La-La-Fest at NJPAC in Newark on Saturday, June 6.
The student musicians of NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project), the Paterson Music Project, Sister Cities Girlchoir, Sonic Explorations, Union City Music Project and El Sistema—Trenton each performed a featured piece before combining for a special finale—a mash-up of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Check out video and photos from the inspiring performance!
#FiddleandFaLaLaFest is on! @NJSOchamps and students from six El Sistema NJ Alliance programs are performing at @NJPAC!
— New Jersey Symphony (@NJSymphony) June 6, 2015
What happens when six #ElSistemaNJ programs come together for a Beethoven/Bob Marley mashup? Magic.Bravo to NJSO...
Posted by New Jersey Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, June 6, 2015
.@NJSOchamps playing "Pepperoni Pizza Rock" at #FiddleandFaLaLaFest #ElSistemaNJ pic.twitter.com/J73jRjdX9g
— New Jersey Symphony (@NJSymphony) June 6, 2015
NJSO CHAMPS rocked "Pepperoni Pizza Rock" at #ElSistemaNJ's #FiddleandFaLaLaFest today at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)!
Posted by New Jersey Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, June 6, 2015
Fiddle & Fa-La-La Fest w/ @NJSymphony & @NJPAC! Go @NJSOchamps @PMPElSistema & El Sistema NJ! @ElSistemaUSA pic.twitter.com/dfDFEJC7hY
— Audra Fuhr (@SoundsLikeAudra) June 6, 2015
The El Sistema New Jersey Alliance formed in 2014 through the collective efforts of five New Jersey programs inspired by the vision of Venezuela’s El Sistema. Now comprising six El Sistema-inspired programs across the Garden State, the Alliance’s mission is to provide collaborative instruction, performance opportunities and professional development training that empowers participating families to come together in a statewide musical community.
This season, the Alliance has expanded the collaboration last June’s Fiddle-and-Fa-La-La-Fest began. The programs presented the inaugural El Sistema New Jersey Week—a festival of free concerts in each program’s local community—in November 2014. The Alliance will pilot a summer camp at the Princeton-Blairstown Center for more than 70 students July 30–August 1, made possible in part by the Dodge Foundation grant.
RELATED: NJ El Sistema programs to perform Fiddle-and-Fa-La-La-Fest
The performance was made possible in part by the Alliance’s Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation grant.