When: Sunday, May 17, at 2:30PM

Where: Stage #1, near the corner of Cedar Street and Arroyo Avenue, in San Carlos

For more information: http://www.sancarloshometowndays.com/docs/HTDProgram09.pdf

Come on down and join us as we “Celebrate Home” at the San Carlos Home Town Days festival. We’ll perform favorite violin music AND special country fiddle tunes to match the festivities.

The Music Within Us violinists, ages 3 to 10, will perform as an ensemble and share with you their passion for music and learning.

Come and be inspired, entertained, and enchanted!

Interested in witnessing The Music Within Us community in action? Come and watch our Saturday morning repertoire class on Saturday, May 16, 2009!

When: 9:30AM – 10:00AM Class observation #1

10:15AM – 10:45AM Class observation #2

*You are welcome to stay for either one or both classes. Parents AND children are invited to attend.

Where: 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite 150, Mountain View, CA 94043

Suite 150 is located in the rear of the complex. Las Muchachas Restaurant is in the front.

Enrollment for 2009-2010 is currently by waiting list only. Attendees at the Open House will be contacted regarding a parent informational seminar and the application process for the waiting list.

You’re invited to come and see The Music Within Us violin performing group at Stanford Shopping Center, just in time for the arrival of the Easter Bunny! Following the performance, there will be a children’s fashion show and an appearance by the E.B. himself.

When: Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 2:00PM

Where: Stanford Shopping Center Pavilion (outside Macy’s), Palo Alto, CA

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Enjoy the sweet sounds of strings presented by our students, ages 3 to 9 years. Sure to delight audiences of all ages!

It’s time to go deep. What are the lessons of living that are most essential to pass on? How are we serving as living examples of the values we most want our children to remember about us?

Join us for a free screening of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s new movie, Ambition to Meaning: Finding Your Life’s Purpose (click on link to view the trailer).

Date: Monday, March 2, 2009

Location: The Music Within Us, 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite 150, Mountain View, CA 94043

This event is offered for free and is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

The film is an illuminating, thought-provoking exploration of the spiritual journey of life, featuring Dr. Wayne Dyer as himself, and several character-driven stories to illustrate his messages, set in beautiful Monterrey, California.

If you are curious about the spiritual path, or the search for greater meaning in our everyday lives, or even if you are a skeptic, this will be a stimulating evening for you!

Read on for a blurb from your host for the evening, Lisa Chu.

I founded The Music Within Us almost five years ago based on the belief that music training can positively impact all aspects of children’s lives and empower them to reach their highest potential in any field. As I’ve grown through the process of starting and building this learning community, it has become my teacher in so many ways.

I have affirmed my original belief that every child has unknowable, limitless potential within them from the moment of birth. I have discovered that the empowerment of parents with the insight, awareness and tools to support a nurturing environment for their children’s development is potentially the greatest gift we can offer the next generation. I have confirmed that I am myself a lifelong learner, constant in my commitment to pursuing my own highest potential in each season of life.  Even as the community evolves and pushes me to think differently about the path ahead, I strive to incorporate all of my life’s experiences in my teaching and to help illuminate greater possibilities for each learner in The Music Within Us community. This event is the first of its kind hosted by The Music Within Us, and we open our learning circle to you!

Sincerely,

Lisa Chu, M.D., Founder & Executive Director, The Music Within Us

We submitted an entry in the well-publicized recording contest sponsored by world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Participants from around the world were invited to submit an original recording of variations to the traditional Christmas hymn, “Dona Nobis Pacem” (Bring Us Peace). We composed and performed live our own variations of this piece, and our recording is posted here (see user name “Lisa C.”).

Now, the world gets to vote! And you can too. Spread the word, tell your friends, go to the site and listen to our variations! Vote for your favorite! Note that at this link there is a handy “Vote” button right next to the name of each entrant, making it easy to cast your vote. The winner gets a chance to record with Yo-Yo Ma himself! Close to 400 entries were submitted, but to make it easy, you only have to listen to ours (ours is in the 2nd to last row, middle column of this page)….

The deadline for casting all votes is JANUARY 10, 2009, at 9:00AM PST!

Regardless of how you decide to vote, please tell us what you think of our recording.

Happy New Year! May 2009 bring all of us peace…

Our group’s next public performance will take place on Saturday, December 13, at 2:00PM, at Bloomingdales in the Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA.

We will perform on the FIRST FLOOR of the store.

We hope you’ll join us for a memorable performance of our traditional repertoire, along with special holiday music!

Come visit us and learn more about enrollment opportunities for the coming year!

When: Saturday, October 18, 2008, at 10:00AM

Where: 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite 150, Mountain View, CA

Schedule:

10:15AM – 11:30AM   Observe repertoire class in session
11:30AM – 11:45AM   Q&A with students and parents from The Music Within Us program
11:45AM – 12:00PM    Tour the studio
12:00PM – 1:00PM    Repertoire class continues (optional for observers)

Parents AND children are encouraged to attend the Open House.

Please RSVP with your name, your child’s name and birthdate, if you plan to attend. Thank you!

An informational seminar for parents interested in enrollment opportunities for the coming year will take place on MONDAY, October 27, 2008, at 7:00PM – 8:00PM. This seminar is designed for parents ONLY. You will hear more about the teaching philosophy and the commitment level expected in this program, as well as learn details about the application and enrollment process. Attendance at the Open House is highly recommended before attending the seminar. If you are unable to attend the Open House but would like to explore enrollment, please call (650) 325-2194.

We are excited to announce that we will be performing at the 37th annual Art & Wine Festival in downtown Mountain View. Our group will appear on the Microsoft Community Stage in the Kids’ Park, located in the Wells Fargo parking lot at the corner of Church & Castro Streets, on Sunday, September 7, 2008, from 1:00PM to 2:00PM.

For more information on all the performing groups and a full schedule for the weekend, please visit the Festival website.

In a few short weeks, 26 of our students will be traveling to Chicago to perform as guests in the 33rd annual spring concert of the Betty Haag Academy at Orchestra Hall, home of the Chicago Symphony.

The concert is at 1:00pm on Sunday, April 27, 2008. In a remarkable performance that is a violin tour de force and represents the lifelong legacy of Mrs. Betty Haag-Kuhnke, the concert features two hours of violin repertoire, ranging from “See Saw”, the first piece each child learns as a toddler, to Paganini’s “Perpetual Motion” and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, performed by the high school seniors graduating from the program. All of the music is performed by an ensemble of violins, with all age groups performing together. Their teamwork and dedication are showcased in the precision and artistry of their playing. The final piece on the program features approximately 300 violinists, ranging in age from 3 through 17, playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Dr. Chu has performed in thirteen Orchestra Hall concerts while she was a student, and this will be the fourth time her own students will perform as guests of Mrs. Betty Haag-Kuhnke. It is an honor and privilege for all of us to witness and to be a part of this truly amazing legacy.

Here is our group photo from last year:

And a photo of all three hundred violinists on the concert stage:

We are all hoping that American Airlines’ round of inspections has quieted down by then…wish us luck!

We will be performing at 4:00PM on Sunday, March 9, 2008, at

Christ Episcopal Church, 815 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA.

The concert is FREE and open to the public.

We hope you can join us!