Events / News

Summer 2011
  
Secret Project! Maestro School of Music is developing a new website that will help musicians recover or locate lost or stolen instruments. Keep tuned!
  
May 2011- On Stage! Cherry Chase Strings Spring Concert
  
Cherry Chase Strings, an afterschool program at Cherry Chase Elementary School in Sunnyvale, CA, is a program determined to defy the odds of the continuing trend of music and arts education cutbacks. The program has remained strong for the past 9 years with 2010/2011 enrollment topping 50 young violin students! Ms. Scoby has directed the three levels of strings classes for the past 7 years. "It continues to amaze me how supportive the parents (we call them Strings Co-chairs) are with this program. I'm very grateful for all the time and talent they put in every week to make it happen. I think we have an excellent model for a successful program that could be shared with other schools where fine arts budgets have been or are being cut. There IS a way to keep music in the schools!," says Ms. Scoby. In order not to miss a beat, this year's concert venue was coordinated with another Sunnyvale school, Bishop Elementary as Cherry Chase's multi-purpose building is under construction. The students loved being on a real stage with genuine theatre seating at Bishop. They played a nice collection of classical and fiddle tunes -- Suzuki pieces, Can Can, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and Flop-Eared Mule, ending the concert with with a timely piece from the newest Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

April 2010 - 5th Annual MSM Recital
  
This year the weather was perfect for Maestro School of Music's 4th Annual Recital at Skyland Church in the Santa Cruz Mountains. MSM students were nicely prepared, sharing their hard work with remarkable talent! The variety of music for both piano and violin was impressive, including everything from Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach concertos to Ragtime and Boogie Blues. The recital ended brilliantly with performances of the Saint-Saens Introduction to Rondo and Capriccioso on violin and Chopin's Polonaise in C# Major and Scriabin's Prelude in B Major on piano by former student and now award-winning pianist and violinist, Erica Buonanno. This year we were also privileged to have a professional photographer take photos of the individual students as well as of the entire MSM student clan. What a great way to cherish the memories of each student's musical education along with their certificates of accomplishment.
  

Photos courtesy of Signature Images, Inc.  www.signature-images.com

May 2010 - Cherry Chase Elementary Spring Concert Rocks!
  
With so many cutbacks in music and the arts, it is comforting to know that the Strings program at Cherry Chase Elementary remains one of steadiest after-school music programs in the Silicon Valley! This is the 6th year that Ms. Scoby has taught the program. There are three levels of classes, Strings 1, 2 and 3/4 that meet every week at the school. The classes perform two concerts a year as well as for school assemblies. At year's concert Strings 1 students played classic Suzuki songs; Strings 2 played some favorite fiddle tunes and contemporary favorites like Star Wars and Open Arms by Journey, and Strings 3/4 played Across the Stars and Smooth by Santana. These classes are rockin'!
  

April 2010 - 4th Annual MSM Recital
  
Maestro School of Music's 4th Annual Recital took place on a very pleasant Sunday, April 25th at Skyland Church in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains. This year nearly all of Ms. Scoby's 30 private students participated. Seeing the progress these kids have made in a year was inspiring. Their talent and willingness to perform always surprises the audience of parents, grandparents, friends and local community supporters. Many students had their pieces well memorized. There seemed to be a lot of duets this year which are a great tool to improve ear training and rhythm as well as to build long-lasting friendships. Everyone received a special award for his or her special or individual talent. Special guest performer, award-winning pianist, 15-year old Erica Buonnano, played the Mendelsohn Rondo and Capriccio at intermission…everyone was awed by her talent! We are already looking forward to the next recital in 2011!
  
To view all the pictures from the recital, visit our Picasa Web album here.

Fall 2009 / Spring 2010
Maestro School of Music Students Join Local High School and Youth Orchestras
  
It's been an exciting year for Maestro School of Music students who took on the additional challenge of playing in an orchestra. We are so proud of these students! Learning how play as an ensemble with different instruments with the ultimate goal of making great music together is one of the best experiences they can have. It develops their ear training, rhythm, and reading music as they take on a much higher level of playing. It can also lead to life-long friendships! MSM would like to congratulate Danielle Platt, Aviv Ben-Dashan and Helena Fravala for their extra commitment in playing with these orchestras.

April 2009 Recital

Maestro School of Music's 3rd Annual Recital on April 25th was a wonderful showcase of young talent and their love of music. The day was perfect -- the weather was cool and there was that certain beautiful aura of the Santa Cruz Mountains shedding wonderful light on the many students who participated. Piano students diligently prepared their music and were excited to play on the new Kimball Bosendorfer grand piano in Whitaker Hall at Skyland Church. Violin students playing with pianist John Wetherill enjoyed having live piano accompaniments to their pieces. The recital highlighted outstanding performances by 14-year old violinist and pianist, Erica Buonnano, a great inspiration to her peers. We could call this the best recital to date...but there are so many more to go and we can't help but look forward to these as well!

To view all the pictures from the recital, visit our Picasa Web album here.

December 2008 - Skyland Church Piano Acquisition Celebration!

On December 21st, 2008 Maestro School of Music hosted a free concert, to complete the fundraising of the lovely Kimball Bosendorfer grand piano that is now in place in Whitaker Hall adjacent to Skyland Church. Sterling and Strings Ensemble (Mrs.. Scoby's quartet and friends) along with John Wetherill, a talented pianist and church member, put on a wonderful show of Holiday tunes, including the lively March of the Toys from the Nutcracker Suite. John showed off his talent as a jazz pianist and several solos and duets were performed by Sterling and Strings members. Those who attended participated in a holiday caroling celebration.at the end of the program. Wonderful comments of appreciation by the audience about the quality of the music, the players and the sing-along made this fundraiser all worthwhile. The piano is officially a permanent fixture and a welcome addition for future musical concerts and recitals.

April 2008 Recital

Maestro School of Music's 2nd Annual Recital was truly exceptional. Whitaker hall at Skyland Church was packed with nearly 80 people. This year, to celebrate the continued growth of the school, students, parents and friends were treated to an hour-long pre-recital performance by Sterling and Strings Ensemble in addition to exciting solos by Erica Buonanno (13), a blossoming star on both piano and violin. An announcement was made regarding a fundraiser for a better piano for Skyland Church's Whitaker Hall. Mrs. Scoby's father, Dr. Robert T. Cheatham Jr., initiated the campaign with a generous donation. By Fall of 2009, the church has its grand piano. We can't wait to see students play this piano at next year's recital!

April 2007 Recital

Maestro School of Music held its First Annual Recital for all private piano and violin students in April. Because of the increasing enrollment, we were able to fill Whitaker Hall at Skyland Church. Family, relatives and friends of the students were very supportive. Even community and church members attended. One parent remarked, "It's amazing how calm all the students seem when performing?" We noticed that too! Dana Scoby acknowledged, "it's because the students are enjoying the music and know it well enough so there's no room for stage fright!" The recital opened with Ethan Arns playing America The Beautiful with the audience singing along, and closed with a special presentation of an Award Certificate to each student. Students that participated included: Chris Arns, Ethan Arns, Kate Bloink, Juliana Hennig, Jennifer Jeon, Spencer Lopp, Caroline Martin, Emily McCord, McKenna Morrison, Wolfie Smedt, Dana Tovey, Maria Tovey, Danielle Wallace and David Wallace,

August 2006 Summer Strings Camp

"Maestro School of Music Puts a Happy Ending to Summer with its Summer Strings Camp - a weekend full of music and activities for young musicians ages 8 to 12."

At Maestro School of Music's Summer Strings Camp, students from all over the Silicon valley and Santa Cruz spend the 3-day weekend exploring new music and techniques to expand their violin playing capabilities. They learn to read separate parts and then play them in harmony as duets. They play together as a chamber group, learned new scale and bowing techniques to limber up their fingers and improve speed. They work together in groups to figure out counting and fingerings before playing the songs together. High school and college student camp counselors (also violinists) provide lots of inspiration.

With the idea that learning music can be a fun, rewarding and a relaxing experience, Dana Scoby, founder of Maestro School of Music, explains her concept for her new Summer Strings program. "My objective for this camp is to allow beginning and intermediate students experience music camp with less pressure and at their level of playing. We include a lot of other outdoor activities between the morning and afternoon daily music sessions. The kids really enjoy themselves; they learn new skills, and are completely ready to play their concert at the local mountain church to an appreciative audience."

May 2006 PACO Competition

Several of Ms. Scoby's students have been accepted into local youth orchestras, including PACO and the El Camino Youth Symphony.

We are proud that Erica (11) performed a solo with PACO, the Vivaldi A Minor concerto for violin, in May. This fall three more students will be playing with youth orchestras including one student in the Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony.

September 2005 - New Classes Begin at Loma Elementary and CT English Schools

School has begun and Maestro School of Music is very busy supporting the arts by teaching violin to lots of children in both public and private schools! It's so rewarding knowing that these kids have the opportunity to learn music along with honing their skills on the violin. The support and welcome we've received has been close to overwhelming! In addition to a second year of teaching at Sunnyvale Cherry Chase Elementary (now 50 students, 4 level groups), Maestro School of Music started teaching both elementary and middle school violin classes at Loma Prieta Elementary and CT English Middle Schools in Los Gatos in the Spring of 2006. Ms. Scoby continues to teach at Carden El Encantro School in Santa Cruz has also started a violin program. We're reaching out far and wide and are looking forward to an exciting and successful year.

July 2004 - Dana Scoby Hired as Strings Instructor at Cherry Chase Elementary school

Dana Scoby has officially been hired as the after school strings program teacher for Cherry Chase Elementary school in Sunnyvale, CA for the 2004-2005 school year. Ms. Scoby will teach violin to 3 levels of students, from beginning to intermediate, approximately 40 students in all. She will be responsible for creating the strings program and performances throughout the year, as well as coordinating more advanced players to participate in Sunnyvale middle school music programs. The Cherry Chase violin program, sponsored by the school's well-supported PTA, is a fine example of how involved parents can make such programs happen despite the state's budget cuts in the arts. The strings program has been consistently funded and managed by the PTA for many years.

"I'm delighted to have been chosen to bring the beauty and magic of the violin into the lives of so many young minds," said Ms. Scoby. "Whether or not they become professional violinists, the experience of learning an instrument and having music in their lives will make them more well-rounded individuals now and in their future endeavors as adults. It's a wonderful opportunity."

Photos of Cherry Chase Elementary students, classes, and recitals graciously contributed by Mark Buonnano.