“Last December, patrons at one Mattapan post office received a pleasant surprise,” writes Zoë Madonna in Friday’s (4/14) Boston Globe. “The Sumner Quartet, one of two string quartets affiliated with the Roslindale-based music education program musiConnects, made a stop on its ‘errands tour,’ bringing pop-up concerts to unexpected places around the neighborhood…. MusiConnects offers not just free performances but also free education, giving children from underserved Boston neighborhoods in kindergarten through grade 8 a sustainable pathway to learning music… The organization was founded 10 years ago by New England Conservatory alumnus Betsy Hinkle, who teaches violin as a member of the Boston Public Quartet…. Consistency is crucial to both educating children and maintaining good relationships within the community, said musiConnects parent and board member Monique Burks…. ‘The message is that we’ll stick with you if you stick with us,’ Hinkle explained…. In May, musiConnects plans more free performances around Mattapan. And at a 10th anniversary celebration, May 18 at the Boston Nature Center, local restaurants will provide food and drinks, and musiConnects educators and students both past and present will perform.”
Posted April 19, 2017
