Third Street Partners

Public School 42: Benjamin Altman School

During Skye Soto Steele's class, see students learn a jazz piece by composer Mary Lou Williams. These fifth-grade students have been studying with Skye for the past three years, every third, fourth, and fifth grader in the school receives violin instruction. 

Skye's approach to teaching violin incorporates students singing melodies before and while playing each piece. This helps students grasp, challenging rhythms and musical concepts, such as the syncopated rhythms we heard students playing yesterday. 

Skye's classes focus on musical concepts, such as dynamics, phrasing, and musical expression, while learning a diverse worldwide music repertoire.

Public School 1: The Alfred E. Smith Elementary School

View teaching artist Jialin Li working with students, age 3–4 (our youngest students served in the Third Street Partners program).

Ms. Li teaches a commonly used "zipper song" called 'Going on a Picnic' which means that each verse of the song incorporates a new lyric selected by the students. This activity focuses on child- initiated learning (as children select different items to bring on the picnic) which promotes independence, self-confidence and is the very first step towards music composition for these young learners.

Children deepened their musical skills in this lesson by incorporating two activity extensions – playing egg shakers (which helps student learn how to keep the beat) and movement (students marching to the beat in the circle also supports the fundamental music skills of keeping a steady beat as well as the development of and gross motor skills).

Ms. Li is fluent in mandarin and incorporates the use of mandarin throughout her lessons with PS 1's bilingual classes.

Public School 2: Meyer London School

Watch Soo Choi's class where students are preparing for their upcoming end-of-year performance. Students review several pieces they had learned throughout the year, including a Florence Price piece (arranged by the Third Street Partners team and performed at Third Street Music School as part of the Women's History Month concert series).

Soo's approach focuses on proper technique (bow hold, posture, etc.) and traditional Suzuki repertoire. The students have been studying with Soo for two years and have elected to take this class (which meets twice weekly after school).