by musicconservatory | May 26, 2022 | News
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The Music Conservatory of Westchester is holding its 21st Annual Golf & Tennis Classic and Gala at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase on Monday, June 27, 2022. Enjoy a day of golf or tennis followed by an evening of cocktails, an exclusive auction, and an awards dinner including legendary honorees and performances by well-known Broadway rising stars!
The 21st annual fundraiser enables the Conservatory to continue its mission of providing musical access and opportunities through our Scholarship Program for qualifying students, Music Therapy Program for children and adults with disabilities, and Healing Our Heroes music therapy program for U.S. military veterans.
This will be a day and evening you won’t want to miss! Tony Award winner Santino Fontana, (Tootsie) and the voice of Prince Hans in Disney’s Frozen, will emcee the event celebrating the incredible careers of the recipients of this year’s awards:
- Career Achievement and Community Leadership Award: Joe and Ali Torre. They are two distinguished honorees. Joe Torre is a nine-time Major League Baseball All-Star and was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Off the field, he and his wife Ali preside over the Safe at Home Foundation which provides healing services to youth who have been exposed to domestic violence and abuse.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Tovah Feldshuh. She is a six-time Emmy & Tony nominee and has been awarded three honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters. Her body of work includes the stage, (Yentl, Golda’s Balcony, & Pippin.) On the screen, (she recently completed Armageddon Time opposite Anthony Hopkins, and television, Law & Order, The Walking Dead, and HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage.
- Visionary Award: John Patrick Shanley. He is a gifted writer whose work is performed extensively around the world. His credits include Doubt for which he won both the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize, and Moonstruck for which he received both the Writers Guild of America Award and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
- Distinguished Achievement in the Arts and Music Education Award: Victoria Clark. She is a Tony Award-winning actor, in The Light in the Piazza, Cinderella, Sister Act. She is also a master teacher in the U.S. and abroad dedicated to the training of the next generation of performing artists.
The evening will also be highlighted with performances from talented Broadway professionals; Nicole Fernandez-Coffaro, Mia Pinero, and Ruby Shadley.
Additionally, you can support our online auction! Check out the exciting items/experiences we have for all at The Bidding For Good Fundraising Auction, including island vacations, opera tickets, sporting events and much more! New auction items are added daily, so be sure to check back often and get your bids in early.
To purchase tickets for the gala portion of the event, or purchase golf and tennis sponsorships, please click here.
Any questions about the event should be directed to Aishling Quinn, Music Conservatory of Westchester’s Development Officer at www.aishling@musiced.org
Thank you in advance for supporting your community music school!
by musicconservatory | May 12, 2022 | News
Going once, going twice, Sold! As part of The Music Conservatory of Westchester’s 21st Annual Golf & Tennis Classic, being held on Monday, June 27, 2022, the Bidding For Good Auction 2022 is now live! We opened bidding on Monday, April 18 and we are happy to report that we are off to a great start! Check out some of the spectacular items that could be yours:
- Palm Island Resort and Spa: Enjoy an exclusive, 135-acre private island hideaway of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the Palm Island Resort & Spa for seven (7) nights of exclusive private island accommodations for up to two (2) rooms double occupancy. The resort offers five (5) dazzling white sand beaches, sumptuous dining, non-motorized water sports, nature trails, tennis, a fitness center, a free-form swimming pool with a waterfall, and a spa. This award-winning world-class resort is set in pure paradise where tranquility reigns and an unforgettable experience of a lifetime is inevitable.
- Metropolitan Opera Tickets: Enjoy a night at the opera with two (2) tickets to see the performance of Idomeneo on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 7:00 pm at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Mozart’s operatic retelling of this ancient story is set in Crete around 1200 BC, and is full of powerful emotions, as people struggle to do what they are bound to by duty over what their own heart’s desire.
- Bombas Socks: Experience the most comfortably designed socks with a $250 gift certificate from Bombas.
- The Rock Club: Reach new heights with a one (1) hour private family climbing adventure for five (5) with an instructor at The Rock Club located at Pine Brook Fitness in New Rochelle, NY. Founded in 2007, The Rock Club was the first of its kind and continues to be the premier rock-climbing gym in the New York area with a 40-foot climbing wall with terrain ranging from easy to extreme, providing a fun and challenging experience for climbers of all levels. The Rock Club has about 80 climbing stations with over 200 individual routes that are continuously changed so there are always new obstacles to conquer.
One World Observatory: Experience breathtaking 360 panoramic views of New York City with four (4) adult standard reserved tickets to One World Observatory. Positioned on top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, on levels 100, 101, and 102 of the 1,776-foot tall One World Trade Center building, One World Observatory provides unique, panoramic views of New York City, its most iconic sites, and surrounding waters.
These are just a few of this year’s auction items. New items are being added daily, so be sure to check back often at The Bidding For Good Fundraising Auction. Remember, your donation enables the Conservatory to continue its mission of providing musical access and opportunities through our Scholarship Program for qualifying students, Music Therapy Program for children and adults with disabilities, and Healing Our Heroes music therapy program for U.S. military veterans.
To learn more and purchase tickets for the gala portion of the event, or purchase golf and tennis sponsorships, please click here.
Any questions about the event should be directed to Aishling Quinn, Music Conservatory of Westchester’s Development Officer at www.aishling@musiced.org
by musicconservatory | Apr 28, 2022 | News
To Frances Caldwell’s former piano students and their families, as well as her former colleagues from the MCW: Please join us for a memorial service in honor of Frances (details below).
Memorial Service for Frances Caldwell
Saturday, May 14, 2022, 1:00 pm
Scarsdale Congregational Church, 1 Heathcote Rd., Scarsdale, NY, 10583
Streaming: The service will also be streamed online, and we will post the link to this page, a few days ahead of the service.
Please note: If you plan to join us in person, please send an email to the Caldwell family at caldwell.family.rsvp@gmail.com. You are also invited to send a written remembrance to that email address, if you would like it to be read at the service
by aspire | Jan 24, 2022 | News
The rapid transmission of the omicron Covid variant, as well as updated public health recommendations, have led us to make some adjustments to our Covid guidelines. We ask that every member of the Conservatory community follow all guidelines and requirements.
Recitals:
In-person recitals may take place in the Recital Hall under the following conditions:
- The recital must be pre-approved by the Dean’s Office.
- Maximum capacity in the Recital Hall is 45 people.
- Everyone, including performers, must wear a mask covering the nose and mouth at all times. N95 or KN95 masks are strongly recommended
- Voice students are required to wear an N95, KN95, or singer’s mask.
- Woodwind and brass students should use appropriate safety equipment (instrument bags or bell covers).
Covid Symptoms or Exposure:
If you have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, stay home for five days following your exposure. Take a Covid test on Day 5. If you have no symptoms and your test is negative, you may return to MCW. Free Covid tests are available here: https://www.covidtests.gov.
If you or a family member are experiencing any symptoms of Covid, do not attend lessons or classes at the Conservatory for at least 5 days and take a Covid PCR test. Test results may take 1 to 5 days. If you have a positive test result, you may return to MCW when you have been symptom-free and fever-free for an additional 5 days.
If someone who has been in the Conservatory building subsequently tests positive for Covid, we will follow NYS health guidelines for notification of exposure.
Masks:
Everyone age two or older must wear a mask over your nose and mouth at all times in all spaces within our facilities, including studios, classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms. N95 and KN95 masks offer the best protection; surgical masks are the next best choice, and cloth masks offer the least protection.
Students who cannot wear a mask for medical or other reasons may not take classes in the building but may continue with online instruction.
Social Distancing: Please respect social distancing in public spaces and within studios.
Other Precautions: Please observe existing building entrance and exit guidelines, as well as single-use rest room guideline. Soap and paper towels are available in all rest rooms. Hand sanitizer is available at the front desk.
Vaccines:
As per the CDC, we strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated. Conservatory employees are now required to be fully vaccinated in order to teach/work in the building.
by aspire | Oct 20, 2021 | News
Sentinel Builders LLC, a full-service general contracting and construction management firm with a strong portfolio of education, healthcare, corporate interiors, and retail projects, will celebrate the groundbreaking of a transformative project for the Music Conservatory of Westchester.
The project will bridge traditional music education with 21st-century technology-based innovation. The expansion will focus on 3,500 square feet of unfinished space on the lower level of the Conservatory building, which will be converted into five exciting new teaching spaces:
- Digital Piano Lab with keyboard/computer stations
- Professional-level Recording Studio with both audio and video feeds networked to the school’s Recital Hall
- Relocated Percussion Studio equipped for jazz and rock bands, percussion lessons, and networked to the Recording Studio.
- Large Rehearsal Studio suitable for music, theater, and dance instruction.
- Additional Music Therapy Studio to accommodate a growing enrollment of students with disabilities.
Executive Director of the Music Conservatory of Westchester, Jean Newton, said, ” this is the final phase of the adaptive reuse of this building to create dynamic and innovative learning spaces for the next generation of music students” and the Board of Trustees issued a statement. “students will be rewarded with a state-of-the-art facility that is unique in Westchester County.”
Upon completing the project, MCW will become the first music conservatory in Westchester County to provide pre-college training in Sound Engineering and Studio Composition, preparing high school students for college programs and future career paths.
Ryan Jennings, President of Sentinel Builders, said, “we are looking forward to mirroring the mission of MCW, which is to provide the extraordinary benefits of music to everyone in Westchester and the surrounding communities. This new space will make that mission easier to accomplish.”
Groundbreaking will take place on Friday, November 5, 2021 at 11am, and construction is expected to be completed and open in the Spring of 2022.
For further details, visit us online:
https://musicconservatory.org/support-us/legacy-
by aspire | Sep 15, 2021 | News
The Conservatory building opened on Monday September 13th for private lessons and group classes. We are watching the course of the Delta variant and we are committed to do everything feasible to help ensure the safety of our students, faculty, families and staff.
Please note that we expect to offer most instrumental lessons both onsite and online. Faculty and students may choose the learning option that best meets their needs and preferences. Depending on the status of the pandemic, we do plan to offer onsite woodwind, brass and voice lessons using available safety precautions that have been developed in the past year, including instrument bell covers/bags and special masks, in addition to larger-size classrooms, good ventilation, and social distancing.
Vaccinations
- All individuals who have received the Covid-19 vaccination will still be subject to all safety guidelines within the Conservatory building.
- Full Vaccinations are required for all woodwind, brass and voice students age 12 and above, as these instrument lessons may not allow for wearing a mask.
- Full Vaccinations are also required for students age 12 and above who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons.
- For students who cannot wear a mask and are not vaccinated, we offer remote lessons.
The following guidelines remain in place:
- All persons must enter the building at the 216 Central Ave. main entrances, with the exception of individuals requiring the use of the side entrance passenger elevator.
- All persons entering the building must wear a mask that fully covers the mouth & nose, regardless of vaccination status. Masks must remain in place for the entire time you are in the building. Please do not forget to bring your mask with you. The Conservatory will have a supply of masks at a staffed table in the main lobby for emergency situations.
- All persons entering the building will stop at the staffed table in the main lobby for a temperature check. Anyone with a temperature of 99.9 degrees or higher will not be permitted to enter the building.
- Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available at the main entrance and in designated public areas.
- Elevators will be accessible only for physically challenged individuals, senior citizens, and those with baby carriages. No more than two people at a time may occupy the elevator.
- Interior hallway and staircase directional signs must be followed. You may access the second floor via the main lobby staircase. To exit the building, use the back staircase to access the side door to the parking lot. Traffic flow will be clearly marked.
- Lessons will take place only in designated studios large enough for social distancing.
- Pianos used for teaching will have the keyboards wiped down with isopropyl alcohol by the teacher in between each lesson.
- The teacher will open the studio door for student entrance and exit. Students should not touch door handles.
- Hallway and lobby seating will be available as follows: sofas are to be used only by family groups. Socially distanced individual seating will be available for all others. Chairs may not be moved from their designated positions.
- One adult may accompany a student into the building, escort the student to their teacher’s studio, and wait in designated lobby/hallway areas. A sibling may accompany the adult and must wear a mask and remain supervised at all times.
- Rest rooms designated for use by students and accompanying parents/caregivers will be clearly marked with signage and are limited to one person at a time; exterior door Occupied/ Unoccupied signage is posted.
- Should it be brought to our attention that someone who has been in the Conservatory building has tested positive for Covid, the Conservatory will follow CDC guidelines for notification and quarantine.
Cleaning Procedures
- Rest rooms and all high-touch surfaces (door handles, stair handrails, elevator panels, etc) are cleaned daily with disinfecting solution.
- Floors in public areas are vacuumed daily.
- The Conservatory’s HVAC ventilation system, located on the roof of the building, pulls a constant supply of fresh air circulated to every room. HVAC units are regularly cleaned and maintained, and have had recommended Merv air filters installed.
- The Conservatory has several portable air purifiers which are deployed as needed for specific lessons, classes, and performances.
