On December 11th, 2024, a Music For Mental Health event was held in New York City. Thank you to musicians Thomas Jackson and Sam Cronin for bringing their artistry. Thank you to Frances Green, a specialist at the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) for being our guest speaker. https://naminycmetro.org

Thank you to Deputy Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, Miosotis Munoz, for attending and connecting with us as well. https://www.nyc.gov/site/immigrants/index.page

Thank you also to New York Quality Strings for generously sponsoring the event as well as New York Live Arts for providing fiscal sponsorship for our non-profit efforts.

To write those words after 4 years of working for this organization to succeed is an affirmation that it is going in the right direction.

I have learned that starting an impactful non-profit from scratch is no walk in the park. I now understand that it is better to build slowly than expand rapidly. That it is all about connecting with individuals of good moral character. 

Finally, this organization has now raised enough funds to provide one instrument scholarship. Keep an eye out for our 2025 mission statement soon.

For the ultimate goal is to BOTH host free community events AND make a non-profit talent education program. One event at a time. One scholarship at a time. One lesson at a time. One day at a time. 

Quality over quantity,

J.S

Let’s start a conversation. Comment in your own language.

To translate a comment, copy and paste it into ChatGpt (link below) and ask it to translate to any language you want.

https://chatgpt.com

Suzuki Program.

Still waiting for the right opportunity to start and build a good violin program. One that is community centered and puts music mastery at the forefront, with the Suzuki Method philosophies as the North Star to follow, for this method is proven to be extremely effective, when set up correctly. 

Please do reach out if you’d like to be a part of building this sort of music program that can truly impact lives for the better. 

Email: Balanceworldmusic@gmail.com

I’ve yet to find the right opportunity for this, here in New York, but I know the time will come.

There is so much non-musical knowledge too, knowledge for life, to be learned from mastering a musical instrument.

My goal is to pass this baton to the next generation, with the most precision as possible.

ESL.

I have primarily been working in ESL schools, where I have been learning about this sector. I’m overwhelmed, yet excited, about the powerful resources educators now have access to. Translation, especially, has evolved with the introduction of artificial intelligence. 

True cross-collaboration between professional sectors is such a valuable ingredient for a harmonious world. We have so much to learn from each other. Bringing both artificial intelligence and the arts into the ESL classroom have become missions. To best serve.

Education Documentary.

The topic will be the realities of Education. That is all for now.

KeyTones Comment Section.

Hoping to also end 2024 with the addition of a translatable comment section. To truly start building a universal online community. Stay tuned for when that drops.

For those reading, take care, take a deep breath, and dream on.

-J.S

Occurring at the end of May 2024, a musical performance will be held at an ESL language school for its community to enjoy.

Musicians will bring their unique musical voices to the language classroom. We will focus on the connections between language and music in this interdisciplinary session.

It means that not only will language learners enjoy the sound of live music, but this sponsorship will also gift an instrument to a student looking to start their own musical journey. To find their own musical voice.

A trifecta of joy for musicians, language learners, and a future musician.

A deep gratitude goes out to my incredible colleagues for helping make this happen.

Artists doing quality work, collaborating with professionals with a shared common goal, can change the world.

Stay tuned,

J.S

A poem about adding the dimension of math when studying violin scales with Keytones .

So the math beneath rhythm is now generated into an addition question.

Making it a resource with a bigger scope.

So what it means to play becomes a visual, numerical display.

Based on the metaphorical question,

If sound is at the top of the iceberg of music, is math keeping it afloat?

-J.S

Hopefully this helps Keytones find the right corner of the internet.

They’re virtual, not representing the reality of real practice.

For advanced string players, not absolute beginners.

Not a listening game, but a literal visual meaning of first position.

A practice tool, not entertainment.

Continuous polishing is ongoing.

And I do not profess to know everything, so I am always open to conversation.

-J.S

Some recent brainstorms,

What do I need to do to best serve people?

How can I be most accountable so I never deceive the reality of the service I’m providing? 

So I always know what adjustments to make.

So I am organized with the tasks at hand and never overwhelmed by them.

All in service of others. Not solely in service of myself. 

These are challenges I will spend my life pondering over, although I have made some progress on them recently.

I wanted to write here to provide a service update. It is March of 2024.

This year has been service in the form of KeyTones, the note reading game, which will act as a way to simplify the note reading process for beginner string players. Find the catalog here. https://balanceworldmusic.org/2023-2024/

ALSO

Soon will be genuine service in the form of a concert series to put on live music performances in support of local featured artists who will collaborate on stage. 

The venue will be in New York City. The start date will be in early May, and the goal will be to run monthly throughout the summer. Stay tuned for details.

A lesson program can be created from this, too. If each concert receives 10 donations of $25, then an instrument will be donated to a family’s home and a member of that family will receive weekly lessons to learn how to master that instrument. 

That is the goal.

Genuinely, to pioneer a service that supports artists, creates a great music education program, and passes music mastery along to the next generation.

J.S

While in the eyes of storms, music, I hope, will be a form of inner-peace.

And during the sunlight, when it’s time to shine, melody and harmony will help nurture a sense of self-expression.

An inward safety precaution for the bad times and an expressive outlet for the good.

To be a musician is an invaluable gift to have during life’s whirlwinds.

And it is up to teachers to provide that gift for the next generation.

A lofty responsibility it is to be an educator of music.

Being this has taught me about the education ecosystem that includes lightning that strikes many in the form of a learning disadvantage.

KeyTones hopes to catch this lightning in a bottle and deflect it towards a brighter musical future.

It hopes to make music fundamentals fun for all.

It is a teaching tool for teachers, a learning tool for learners, and a resource to better weather the storms of life.

Mobile-friendly versions are on the way.

I will write about it throughout the year. 

I will never let money affect the equality of its access. 

Please do enjoy it throughout the seasons of your 2024 and I would love to hear your thoughts about it.

More soon. Stay tuned,

-J.S

This year, I will continue working in charter school settings. It’s an honor to have opportunities to do such meaningful work.

I am grateful for these opportunities, but that does not stop my personal mission of creating a program in New York City.

Long Ago was when I began thinking about a charter school violin program, specifically. One that works. One that innovates. One that puts learning over profit.

So, I wanted to answer these questions to clear up a common misconception that the Suzuki Method cannot be added to a variety of curriculums. 

Is it accessible for group classes? Say, in a charter school setting?

Yes!

The group class is the foundational component. This is where student musicians inspire and motivate each other. Everyone has the opportunity to shape the sound of a true musical ensemble together. Everyone learns core ensemble skills together. Everyone aims for excellent musicianship together. A sense of community is prioritized.

Is the expectation of mastery too high of an expectation?

No!

Any child can master the violin. A natural ability and an environment full of music are the ingredients for violin mastery. A skillful teacher can help children develop zero bad technical habits. All children have the ability to express a full ringing tone. The pieces in the Suzuki repertoire are designed to pace the skill development needed for mastery, starting from the absolute beginning. The repertoire has been analyzed and proven effective for decades.

Does it take enormous family support?

No.

What is needed is consistent practice at home. Reminders from parents to practice are nice, and adult guidance is needed for very young ages, but not necessary when there are students who have desires within themselves to learn. I hope to ignite this desire and passion for students so they become independent learners at home.

Does it value reading notes?

Yes!

In fact, there are so many professional musicians who started with Suzuki Method and they read notes for a living. Suzuki Method does not ignore the dots on the page. Reading notes is taught, but learning music naturally, by ear, is taught first. It is identical to native language learning. It is very effective to learn by listening to others first, while reading is taught along the way.

Are Suzuki teachers adaptive?

Yes. And the label of Suzuki teacher does not define our entire being. The method is simply an analytical tool we use that works. I know tons of Suzuki teachers who incorporate other method books and philosophies into their classrooms.

I am not just a Suzuki teacher. I am a collaborator.

For those wanting to know about this endeavor, lets talk. Reach out by emailing.

Balanceworldmusic@gmail.com

-J.S

The profound musician Jon Batiste recently wrote in a New York Times article, 

“I am not who you think I am”

It got me thinking about how musicians are so misunderstood and way under-valued. 

Those who love music, like myself, know good and well the value musicians provide. The value we have to shape cultures and convey universal emotions.

Those who do not believe in musical value are not bad people. It makes sense why they would not believe in things like donated instruments, quality lessons, and collaborative musical exchange programs.

But I hope non-music lovers do understand this,

The value of music is not what you think it is. It is what you can build around it.

We can work together to create,

Concerts that provide resources for under-privileged communities.

Galas that raise money for medical research.

Performances that help small businesses. 

The problems music can help fix are endless.

I will always believe that being a musician is both a personal journey for life and a way to be a shining light for others. I know this to be true.

But let us remember that there is also opportunity to create noble pursuits, fighting for causes everyone believes in, around musical atmospheres.

-J.S