5 Questions to Ellen Reid (Composer, Co-founder of Luna Composition Lab)
I Care If You Listen, Rebecca Lentjes, 6/12/18
Feature on Face the Music's Performance of works by Anthony Braxton
New York Times, Seth Colter Walls, 6/8/18
This Musician Is Dedicated to Gender Equality in Her Male-Dominated Field
Forbes, MeiMei Fox, 3/22/18 (pdf version)
This Beaverton teen doesn't just play in an orchestra - she also composes for it
The Oregonian/Oregon Live, Brett Campbell, 2/25/18
16-year-old Utah musician - and conductor - heading to New York for prestigious fellowship
The Deseret News, Hailey Dixon, 2/20/18
Feature on Luna Lab Founder Missy Mazzoli
The Washington Post, Anne Midgette, 1/12/18
Paving the Way for a Future of Female Composers
KUSC, Brian Lauritzen, 10/15/17
Best High Schools in New York - Hidden Gems
New York Post, 9/17/17
Meet the Special Music School's New Dean Of Music
Jackson Chen, DNA Info, 9/6/17
New York Elementary and Middle School Rankings
Schooldigger, 9/1/17
Eight top 10 lists from New York City's 2017 state test scores
Chalkbeat, 8/28/17
Students From NYC's Only School for Musically-Gifted Children Show Off Their Talents
CBS New York, CityViews with Sharon Barnes-Waters, 6/21/17
Despite Hearing Loss, Teen Celebrates an Upcoming Performance
NY1 News, Shannan Ferry, 6/9/17
Queens Composer Overcomes Hearing Impairment to Make Beautiful Music
Katie Honan, DNAInfo, 6/7/17
As a child, Michelle David spent hours teaching herself how to play along to the songs that came pre-programmed on her keyboard, which she received as a gift at 7. It didn't take her long to start making up her own songs. Her early obsession with music led her to the Special Music School High School at Kaufman Music Center, the city's only K-12 school for musically-gifted students.
At the Ecstatic Music Festival, “Origami Harvest” offers a jazz-rap-classical mash-up
Seth Coulter Walls, 4Columns, 2/24/17
Happily, since its 2011 founding, the Ecstatic Music Festival has put itself in the realm of its most storied forebears. Its curator, the composer Judd Greenstein, has demonstrated a keenness of taste that does justice to his mission statement.
Song Exploder's Hrishikesh Hirway on the Value of Dissecting a Single Track
Moze Halperin, Flavorwire, 2/13/17
On Thursday night at the Kaufman Music Center’s Ecstatic Music Festival in New York, Hrishikesh Hirway “exploded” Sleigh Bells’ song “I Can Only Stare” in front of a live audience. For those who’ve listened to the One AM Radio frontman’s Song Exploder podcast, you’ll know that the titular blast refers to the weekly hyper-analysis of one artist’s work — by the artists themselves.
Broadway Playhouse: Interactive Musical Theater for NYC Kids
Mona Kayhan, Mommy Poppins, 2/10/17
A trip to Broadway is always a treat, and one I can't wait to enjoy with my son—when he's a little older! Still, this is NYC, so of course there's a great show for everyone. Broadway Playhouse, an NYC institution gently introduces kids ages 4-11 to the fun of Broadway by incorporating interactive elements into each performance, including sing-alongs, games, and even discussions with the actors.
Ecstatic Music Festival Rings in Bang on a Can’s 30th Anniversary
Christian Kriegeskotte, I Care If You Listen, 2/8/17
On Monday, January 9, 2017 within the cozy setting of Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Concert Hall, a number of milestones converged in a single event. The Bang on a Can All-Stars took to the stage to celebrate and kick off its 30th anniversary season, which also marked the opening of the seventh annual Ecstatic Music Festival and a new season of live-streamed concerts co-presented by New Sounds Live on Q2, hosted by resident new music champion John Schaefer.
Op-Ed on Female Composers
Lydia Kontos,Kaufman Music Center Executive Director, The Huffington Post, 2/1/17
It’s clear that this issue [the gender gap in the field of composition] is deeply rooted and its prevalence widespread. So, it’s time to change the tune and do our part to bring women into the spotlight. We can do this by cultivating an environment where they are welcomed, encouraged and empowered, and by investing the resources to grow their talent - as early as possible.
Broadway Playhouse at Merkin Concert Hall offers children an interactive introduction to Broadway Musicals
Ann Brasco,NJ.com/Parental Guidance, 1/29/17
The gifts theatre has to offer can be claimed at an early age. At Merkin Concert Hall in Kaufman Music Center in New York, children are invited to explore their musical passions and strengthen their experience of theatre.
Feature on older adults who take take up music
Joanne Kaufman, New York Times, 1/27/17
Lucy Moses School Assistant Director and Adult Division Coordinator Alicia Andrews is quoted in this feature exploring the growing number of retirees who are returning to the instruments they played during childhood or who taking them up for the first time."
NYC's only K-12 school with music as core subject sees high outcomes.
Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive, 1/17/17
The school's leaders believe intensive music instruction is a direct contributor to academic success. Some of New York City’s highest-performing students spend much of their time studying music. These students attend Special Music School at Kaufman Music Center, a public school founded in 1996 as a public-private partnership.
Bang on a Can Kicks off Ecstatic Music Festival
Robert Leeper, Feast of Music, 1/16/17
Downtown moved uptown last Monday as the Bang on a Can All-Stars Presented the 2017 Bang on a Can People's Commissioning Fund concert. The evening kicked off BoaC’s 30th anniversary season as well the Ecstatic Music Festival to a packed house at the Kaufman Music Center.
A Rare Poetry at the Piano
Roman Markowicz, ConcertoNet, 1/10/17
Andrew Tyson's recital at Merkin Hall was his first solo recital and right out front I might say that it was a revelatory experience.
Beyond Broadway: 5 Places to Catch Shows This Season
Kyle McCarthy, U.S. News & World Report, 12/28/16
Theater@Kaufman Director Sean Hartley weighs in on the best cities for regional theater.
How a Cultural Arts Center Built a High School to Mold Aspiring Artists
Naomi Nix, The 74, 12/15/16
Teaching high school students to expand their musical repertoire isn’t just an elective at the Special Music School, it’s part of its foundation. Through a partnership between the Kaufman Music Center, a New York City-based cultural center that promotes music education and professional performances, and the city’s Department of Education, the school admits musically talented high schoolers and gives them a combination of instrumental instruction and rigorous academics.
MA 30 The Innovators: Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid
Bruce Hodges, Musical America Worldwide, 12/6/16
Among composers, women are still in the minority. To address this issue, in 2016 composers Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid launched the Luna Composition Lab... Working with Kaufman Music Center's Face the Music, a well-regarded youth orchestra that focuses on new works, Luna Lab is a one-year, by-application program that provides opportunities for performance, recording, and one-on-one mentorship and lessons with established female composers.
Lydia Kontos on the future of classical music
Lydia Kontos, Kaufman Music Center Executive Director, The Huffington Post, 11/15/16
Many critics and skeptics have made the bold claim that classical music is dead. It’s true that classical music isn’t what it used to be — but neither is music in general. It isn’t consumed in the same way and its dedicated fan-base is primarily white and old in a country whose population is increasingly neither.
It's Never Too Late to Pick Up a Musical Instrument
Tara Bahrampour, The Washington Post, 11/10/16
Featuring Alicia Andrews, assistant director and adult division manager at the Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center in New York City.
One Expert Tells All: When Is My Child Ready for Music Lessons?
Joanne Van Zuidam, Highlights, 10/28/16
We asked Scott Taylor, program director for the young people’s division at Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center in New York City, what parents should know about music lessons—from what age to start lessons to if it’s ever OK to quit.
Don’t Fall Flat: Put the A in STEM
Lydia Kontos, Kaufman Music Center Executive Director, The Huffington Post, 9/12/16
Some people argue that listening to music while they’re driving, working, exercising or carrying out any regular task helps them focus. By simply hearing music, they experience improvements in their mood or a boost in their productivity. Even in the smallest doses, the impact of music is vast. For students whose minds are expanding and developing, the potency of music is multiplied. However, far too many schools and educators across the United States are still treating music as background noise. Many don’t realize how it can change the tune of our lives.
Music School Cranks Out Geniuses
Selim Algar, New York Post, 8/25/16
They’re hitting an academic high note. Students at a Manhattan public school spend more time practicing their piano and cello than hitting their textbooks — and still manage to drown out the competition in math and English.
First Steps: Picking the Right Dance Genre for Your Child
Samantha Lauriello, New York Family, August 2016
"Chances are, if you think your child is interested in dance, you've already seen them boping, twirling, or leaping across your home. Look at these natural movements for the first signs of the type of dance your child naturally gravitates toward," explains Andrea Redman, an instructor at Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center.
The Summer Slide: Stay In Key With Music
Lydia Kontos, Kaufman Music Center Executive Director, The Huffington Post, 6/20/16
Now that Memorial Day has sailed past us and the end of the school year is in sight, many families are thinking about how to fill the summer days ahead and keep kids engaged at a time when schedules and routines are disrupted. Some proactive parents are also thinking about ways to block the “summer slide” and involve their children in fun educational opportunities while they are out of school - pulling reading lists together with the help of teachers and their local libraries, enrolling kids in various camps or summer programs, and finding creative ways to incorporate learning into everyday activities.
Music Hits A High Note In Education — Finally!
Lydia Kontos, Kaufman Music Center Executive Director, The Huffington Post, 1/19/16
The recent passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is music to my ears. Indeed, for the first time, music is included in national legislation in the definition of what comprises a “well-rounded” education, thereby empowering every state to support music programs in public schools. If our public schools are going to truly help their students reach their full potential, they need to be unified in the view that music is a necessary subject in all of our schools. Educators must now seize this new opportunity to open doors for our students, broaden their reach, enrich their thinking and prepare them for success later in life.
