Adam Unsworth, is the Head of the Brass Department within our Curtis Summer Music Program. We took the time to get to know him and his musical career. 

What is the Most Memorable Part of Your Career?

Playing great concerts all over the world as a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Recording sessions with great jazz and classical musicians.

What do you tell your young music students about preparing for a competition or performance?

Mostly that being a great musician is a long term project.  Much of the gains you make come from the preparation, the performance itself is just the icing on the cake.  If you always prepare your best, over time you will become the player you want to be.

How has teaching music changed since you were a young student or first started teaching?

Technology has greatly changed the way people view and listen to music.  On the upside it has made music more accessible that ever before.  On the downside it has made it so accessible that students sometimes have less of an investment in it.  I still strongly encourage anyone interested in a career in music to hear professionals play in live concert situations as often as possible. 

Are there other composers/artists you feel a special affinity for and whose music you like to play and record? Who are they?

I am a big fan of many 20th Century and contemporary composers.  Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Ligeti  and Varese are some of my favorites.  Now I spend a lot of time and effort commissioning new works for horn by composers I find interesting.  I currently am working on a CD recording project of pieces since I have commissioned since leaving Philadelphia and taking the teaching position at Michigan.  Composers on this recording will be Ukrainian-born pianist/composer Catherine Likhuta, New York based Kirk Nurock, jazz trumpter David Ballou, Director of Electroacoustic music at Cornell University Kevin Ernste, and jazz saxophonist Les Thimmig.  I listen and play a lot of jazz, and have recorded two jazz records highlighting my own compositions.  I have another recording coming soon horn jazz horn and chamber orchestra, where I play with some of my former Philadelphia Orchestra colleagues.

Was there pressure for you to become professional?

No.  My parents were both music teachers and understood the challenges of the field.  They encouraged us to follow our passions, but also knew it how difficult it is become a successful professional. In the end, all I cared about was music, so I'm fortunate it all worked out.

What is your favorite thing about the Curtis Institute of Music?

I didn't go to Curtis, but have read a lot about the history of the institution.  I think it's fascinating how many incredible musicians have graced this historic building!

What instrument do you play?

Horn

Rapid Fire Favorites;

When I was 16……I wanted to play in an orchestra.  I also enjoyed playing high school basketball and electric bass in jazz bands.

Favorite things about Philadelphia? The great history of the city and the great orchestra.

Favorite interest besides music? Revolutionary and Civil war history

Favorite Book? American Sphinx by John Ellis

Favorite TV Show? The Office

What are you listening to on your iPod? Don't have one.  Still prefer CDs.   I am currently listening to a lot of jazz trumpeter Kenny Wheeler.

Emma Hamm attended Julian Krinsky School of Tennis around the age of eight years old. At that time, she began working with Tennis Director, Arvind Aravindhan. By the age of eleven, she was good enough to compete in local USTA (United States Tennis Associations) tournaments. Arvind says that Emma followed her mother, Norma, and older brother, Drew, by playing tennis early on. Her mother is still an avid tennis player who participates in the DelTri women's league.

However, tennis wasn't the only sport Emma excelled in! Emma became interested in basketball, soccer and golf. She was keeping active all year by playing these sports. In high school she was a standout high school athlete in tennis, basketball and lacrosse.                                                                                                                               

In the latest issue of U.S. Lacrosse Magazine, Emma was featured on the cover. The article states that when "Emma's middle school softball teammates found out she was quitting, they were desperate to convince her otherwise. So they found her new lacrosse stick and they tried to break it." Emma recalls when she fell in love with lacrosse and made it known there would be no more softball. 

Emma is a Redshirt Senior playing Lacrosse at Duke University. Prior to playing Lacrosse at Duke, she was a member of the Under-19 National Team that won the World Championship. She heads into the 2012 season after her best year where she recorded career highs in goals, assists, and shots. Emma led the Duke Blue Devils with 51 goals and 70 draw controls in 2011. 

Arvind notes that Emma was always a gifted athlete and her focus helped get her to the successful lacrosse player she is today. Arvind also adds that tennis served as a good background for her hand, eye coordination and excellent footwork. 

Majoring in Architecture to the public's eye meant you would seek a career in building or designing. These days an education in Architecture trains you for a wide variety of options. Over the course of your architectural education you will have gathered skills such as drawing, computer-aided design, and project management skills. You will also be fortunate enough to learn principles from various subjects pertaining to design elements. Focusing on architecture can lead you to interests such as graphics, photography, and industrial design.

With that background, think of all the careers you could pursue;

-Design Architect

-3D Visualizers

-Space Planner

-City Planning

-Product Design

-Interior Designers

-Park Ranger or Manager

-Project Architect

Check out the field of Architecture this summer at Penn! 

Amy Yang, pianist, was just named our Program Director at the Curtis Institute of Music High School Music Program. We talked with her to get to know her better and also hear some valuable advice she could offer to musicians.

What is the most memorable part of Your career?
There are many highlight performances on which I think back with fondness. One particular one is sharing the stage (and piano) with Richard Goode in Schumann’s Bilder aus Osten (for one piano, four-hands) at the Marlboro Music Festival in 2009. It was an incredible privilege (and slightly surreal experience!) making music next to someone whose recordings, teaching, and performances profoundly shaped my musical development.

What do you tell your young music students about preparing for a competition or performance?
Work extremely hard at sculpting an interpretation of the piece that’s meticulously studied but also uniquely your own and play it with great conviction, rapture, poetry and unrelenting beauty!

What do you think is the most important part of teaching music?
I think the best teachers impart four things to the student:

1. affirmation that his/her inner creative world can be tremendously colorful, powerful, and real.
2. the thirst to be inquisitive, independent and dynamic thinkers. 
3. intelligent and bold interpretive skills in knowing how to read scores and markings;
4. kinesthetic knowledge to help the student translate from the aural to the physical realm at the instrument. 

(A really fine teacher also inspires the student to be curious about other art forms too!) I’m not sure how teaching music has changed, but perhaps since musicology expanded as a field of study, there’s more emphasis on “doing the right thing” in the score.

Are there other composers/artists you feel a special affinity for and whose music you like to play and record? Who are they?

I love so much great music written in so many different times and styles, but if I had to pick my “desert island” composers, they would be Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. Out of these mighty six, I feel a great affinity to Schumann and actually founded The Schumann Project, a large-scale project that aims to present his major solo piano, chamber, and vocal works in a mega-cycle.

Was there pressure for you to become professional?
No. My choice in choosing a career in music has been fully supported by my family and I’m extremely grateful for the sacrifices they made. My family is full of musicians, in fact: my grandfather was a choral conductor; my father is a composer; and mother, a soprano.

What is your favorite thing about the Curtis Institute of Music?
Its incredible lineage of legendary musicians who sought for truth and beauty in their music-making! And its equally incredible current body of visionary musicians taking that torch and lighting it in wonderful places not afore dreamed of.

What instrument do you play?
Piano!! I love playing the piano and wouldn’t trade my life as a musician for anything else. I also have a classical guitar and love their repertoire.

Rapid Fire Favorites;
When I was 16…
I was in a rigorously academic high school so my days were challenged in terms of finding the right balance between practicing and managing schoolwork. However, I’m grateful for the education I received, especially in subjects like English, algebra, biology, and geography (such fun to color in maps of African countries!).  Having said that, there were classes in which I strayed from excelling. 9am gym classes, for example, with its floor exercise routines are tucked in the “banished memories” department.
People would be surprised to know…
I’m cultivating an interest in gardening. My Father is an avid gardener on the side and his place is a haven for fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers. I recently planted some garlic and scallions into a flower pot, and lo and behold, they are flourishing on my windowsill, ready to garnish my next stir fry!
Favorite things about Philadelphia?
The warmth of its people.  The artwork in The Barnes Museum. Riding my bike around the Schuylkill River Trail.
Favorite place to eat in Philadelphia?
Lots to name. If you enjoy Korean food, I recommend a steaming bowl of galbi tang from Miga. For frozen treats, go to Yogurino and Capogiro.
Favorite thing to do besides music?
I’m inclined towards the visual arts so love to draw, paint, go to museums, read art history, and take photos with my Canon DSLR. Recently, I purchased an iPad, which has proved a handy travel companion for sketching intriguing neighbors while I’m on the road.  Beware of the next time you are in my vicinity, when my web-surfing countenance behind the iPad may be camouflaging a sketcher quickly trying to capture your lovely presence! To see some art, go to www.amyjyang.com.
Favorite Movie?
So many! Il Postino, Paris Je T’aime, Dreams (Kurosawa), To Live, Raise the Red Lantern, Farewell My Concubine, Children of Paradise, Fanny and Alexander, Autumn Sonata, My Life as a Dog, Encounters at the End of the World, Frida, Pan’s Labyrinth, Butterfly, Babette’s Feast, The Hours, Volver, The Skin I Live In, etc.
Favorite Book?
I have a few at the moment: To Live by Yu Hua, Difficult Loves by Italo Calvino, Robert Schumann: Herald of a “New Poetic Age” by John Daverio, Lost and Found by Shaun Tan, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks, and On Photography by Susan Sontag. My favorites of all time are Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke and Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Kandinsky, and I really admire the poetic creations of Mary Oliver, Dickinson, Shakespeare, Li-Young Lee, Yeats, Neruda, and Franz Wright.
Favorite TV Show?
I don’t have a TV (by choice) but if I were to acquire one, I think I could be found glued to the finely culled programs on PBS.
What are you listening to on your iPod?
Annie Fischer’s Schumann, Mengelberg’s Brahms, Claude Frank’s Beethoven sonatas, Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert, Glenn Gould’s Siegfried-Idyll, Guarneri Quartet’s third movement of Beethoven’s Op. 135, Rachmaninoff Vespers, Julian Bream, and some Josh Ritter, Jobim, Django Reinhardt, Billie Holiday, and 60-Second Mind podcasts.

Law and Business go hand-in-hand. Many students want to go into the business world. There are also a ton of students who are entering the "start-up world" in which you'll most likely need to learn and understand the key drivers behind businesses and the decision making process.

This question was brought up in Quora discussing the value of a law degree (or just law knowledge) for entrepreneurs. 

Here are some quotes from the answers;

"Legal training can be very useful for entrepreneurs."

"If you're a lawyer and you're going to be an entrepreneur, you need to constantly check your risk aversion instincts."

"I have a law degree and found it to be useful in understanding legal issues, regulation, as well as policy and policymaking."

There are certainly stances on both positions, but having a foundation of Law as an entrepreneur will most likely help you in the business world.  

The Artistic Director at Curtis Institute High School Summer Program is Musical Composer, David Ludwig. We got to know David and hear about his musical career along with a few fast facts about him. 

JKCP: What is the Most Memorable Part of Your Career?

DL: My first big premiere was at Carnegie Hall when I was just in my early 20's. I had won a competition with the New York Youth Symphony and got to write an orchestral work for them. What a dream it was to sit in those boxes and hear my piece there! And then I got my first press review afterwards in the New York Times. Luckily, it was positive!

JKCP: What do you tell your young music students about preparing for a competition or performance?

​DL: Well for an instrumentalist, I would say practice practice practice! And then second, never enter a competition that you aren't setting out to win. For a composer, I would say to mail in your score and then do your best to forget about it. Bartok once said "competitions are for horses!" I love that quote, but there's a lot to gain from learning to create success for yourself as a young musician.

JKCP: How has teaching music changed since you were a young student or first started teaching?

DL: Classical music instruction in many ways hasn't changed since people first started teaching musical techniques to each other. It is, in its most basic form, like the old medieval guild system where the master would closely instruct the apprentice. So much has indeed changed—you can videotape and record lessons now, we can stream master classes all over the world. But no one has yet figured out how to replace the simple and elegant interaction of teacher and student.

JKCP: Are there other composers/artists you feel a special affinity for and whose music you like to play and record? Who are they?

DL: A lot of composers will tell you that it's certain pieces that do it for them more than the full body of repertoire of individual composers. I love lots of pieces by a lot of different composers! Maybe I'll try to figure out what they all have in common some day…

​​JKCP: Was there pressure for you to become professional?

DL: I come from a musical family, so there was pressure for me not to become a professional musician! But even before I realized it when I was very young, it was somehow something that I had to do. People make music a part of their lives in many different ways; I am fortunate to make a professional life out of mine!

JKCP: What is your favorite thing about the Curtis Institute of Music?

DL: Curtis is a family, and I love that. The facilities are incredible, and the history is as rich as any school, but it's the people that make the place truly unique.

JKCP: What instrument do you play?

DL: I played a lot of instruments growing up, but none very well! I was lucky to do that though, because I think that gave me a feel for many different kinds of playing.

Rapid Fire Favorites;

When I was 16…… I lived in New York City and went to high school. Every day was an adventure!

People would be surprised to know…. I was on my college varsity bowling team for all of one day.

Favorite things about Philadelphia? I love that it's in a way a small town, with neighborhoods and familiar faces, but it's also a major East Coast city, with an incredibly diverse cultural life.

Favorite place to eat in Philadelphia? It's pricey, but on special days I go to Morimoto—the restaurant of the Iron Chef!

Favorite thing to do besides music? Listening to baseball on the radio…Go Phils!

Favorite Movie? The Fifth Element

Favorite Book? The Great Gatsby

Favorite TV Show? Battlestar Galactica! Nothing else compares…

What are you listening to on your iPod? "Mille Regrets" by Josquin Des Pres, "Someone I Used to Know," Gotye, "Zou bi Zou bi Zou," Gillian Hills, Beethoven "Les Adieux" Sonata 

Any student in high school will tell you that applying for college is a very important, long, and tricky process.The earlier you start preparing, the easier it will be when the time comes. With these five easy tricks, you will become an application superstar.

1. Enroll in challenging classes and take them seriously

We all know that hard classes can be, well, difficult. However, colleges also know this and will reward you for challenging yourself. The level of coursework and your GPA (Grade Point Average) is important. Honors and AP (advance placement) classes, generally, add extra points to your GPA, so you may get an extra boost. Beginning in freshman or sophomore year, take the most challenging classes you can and do your best. Seek outside tutoring (often available free from older students) on difficult subjects. 

2. Get involved outside the classroom

Show that you have passions outside of school. Whether it's sports, music, drama, debate, community service, or other school clubs, select  2-3 extracurriculars that interest you. Don't join every club you come in contact with. Instead, focus on a few that demonstrate your interest and work towards leadership positions. Show the admissions team that you have leadership qualities.

3. Prepare for the SAT or the ACT early

Your score on these tests matter, so take the time to prepare early in your junior year. You can take these tests as many times as you want, so start early incase you may want to retake them. You can study review books or attend review sessions to help improve your score. Give yourself time to take the tests more than once to improve your score before senior year. 

4. Research colleges and universities

There are almost 3000 colleges and universities in the US, so you can find a school that is a perfect fit for you. Take time to research the details of different schools online. Schools vary by size, location, specialties, student body, and cost. Many offer generous financial aid and scholarships. If you are able, try to drive or fly to visit schools that interest you. Get a feel for the campus and meet current faculty and students.

5. Choose summer experiences that highlight your interest

Use your summer breaks during high school wisely. Look for summer jobs, programs, classes, or camps that demonstrate your interest and give you experience in your areas of interest. JKCP offers programs in many different areas, from sports to fashion design to cooking to Model UN. They even offer internships for high school students.

These five easy steps can help you find and gain admissions to the college of your dreams! Happy hunting!

Amanda

We sat down and asked Music Conductor Petko Dimitrov from our Curtis Institute High School Summer Music Program.  

JKCP: What is the Most Memorable Part of Your Career?

PD: It is a concert with Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra in Avery Fisher Hall, playing Capriccio Espagnol by Rimsky-Korsakov. The kids were fantastic and really nailed it!

JKCP: What do you tell your young music students about preparing for a competition or performance?

​PD: No fear. I know that this is hard, but it's music after all.

JKCP: Are there other composers/artists you feel a special affinity for and whose music you like to play and record? Who are they?

PD: They are still a lot. I haven't had the chance to reduce the number yet. Maybe in the years to come I will go down to less than 100. I like rock and jazz music very much in addition to classical.

JKCP: Was there pressure for you to become professional? 

​PD: No

​JKCP: What is your favorite thing about the Curtis Institute of Music?

PD: It is pure music ground.

JKCP: What instrument do you play?

PD: Piano

When I was 16……I was so much into soccer and had no idea that I would be a musician one day.

People would be surprised to know….Maybe the above

Favorite things about Philadelphia? It is sunny and calm.

Favorite place to eat in Philadelphia? Aki – it is a sushi restaurant on Walnut Street

Favorite thing to besides music? Watching movies and TV Shows with my wife.

Favorite Movie? Amadeus

Favorite Book? The Master and Margarita 

Favorite TV Show? Seinfeld

What are you listening to on your iPod? I don't have one.

What are the Weekend Trips?

Now that's a truly exciting aspect of the Krinsky Experience. Our weekend trips include major East Coast destinations like New York City, Washington, D.C., the New Jersey beaches and others. You can find out more about our weekend trips in our blog series entitled The Cities, The Theme Parks and The Adventures. 

We also have Sunday trips which could include; Philadelphia Zoo, Adventure Aquarium, local sporting events, museum visits, The Franklin Institute, shopping and more.

Do they cost anything extra?

Some of our programs are all inclusive while others include the ($200) weekend trip fee. 

How do they work?

At least two trips will be offered each Saturday. You choose one. The weekend trips above are the Saturday and Sunday trips. On Saturday, we can leave as early as 9 AM and return as late as 11 PM. On Sunday, we will have a later start so you can sleep in, enjoy brunch and leave around noon time while returning late afternoon around 5 PM.

What are the evening activities?

On-Campus activities include; casino night, dance party, games night, talent show, campus olympics, outdoor movie/video night, karaoke and pizza party, and double dare.

Off-Campus activities could be a trip to the IMAX movie theater, a night out to see fireworks, a night of bowling, shopping at the King of Prussia Mall, concerts and coffee houses, beat street dancing and a theater or comedy club.

Do we have a choice in the evening activities we participate?

Most likely nights will be designed around specific evening activities with some choices. The activities will vary depending on your age and the campus you are on.

Emily Threinen will be a conductor with our Curtis Institute High School Summer Music Program. We talked with Emily and got to know her and her musical career better.

What is the Most Memorable Part of Your Career?

Conducting a suite from Carmina Burana with all instrumentalists and choral students at Harding High School (my first teaching position in Minnesota) at my farewell concert.  I had left to pursue graduate work in conducting.

What do you tell your young music students about preparing for a competition or performance?

Although the final product is very important, it is the process that matters most. If you are working hard, try to trust your preparation and your musical voice.

How has teaching music changed since you were a young student or first started teaching?

Resources of all types are much more accessible and thus, the role of instruction is influenced in all ways.  What can a teacher provide to a student that the internet or equipment cannot? 

Also, the question of "Will this degree get me a job?" seems to be a bigger priority than pursing music for edification, curiosity, and passionate desire.

Are there other composers/artists you feel a special affinity for and whose music you like to play and record? Who are they?

• Wolfgang Mozart
• Richard Strauss
• Igor Stravinsky
• Arnold Schoenberg
• Paul Hindemith
• Michael Colgrass
• Joseph Schwantner

Was there pressure for you to become professional?

No, I am the only musician in my family.

What is your favorite thing about the Curtis Institute of Music?

Its unrelenting commitment to outstanding musicianship.

What instrument do you play?

Clarinet

Rapid Fire Favorites:

When I was 16……People would be surprised to know….I worked the night shift 6 days a week at Burger King in my hometown to pay for my clarinet and lessons.

Favorite things about Philadelphia? The musical outlets, shopping, and the food.

Favorite place to eat in Philadelphia? Too many to pick just one.

Favorite thing to do besides music? Outdoor activities of all kinds.  Family cabin in northern Minnesota is my haven.

Favorite Movies? Goonies, Silence of the Lambs, and Up

Favorite Book? Any/all by Malcolm Gladwell

Favorite TV Show? Seinfeld

What are you listening to on your iPod? French voices: Messiaen, Milhaud, Gounod, Varese, and Edith Piaf