From September 2016 to August 2018, Mass Cultural Council and The Klarman Family Foundation (KFF) piloted a two-year program focused on music educators and teaching artists from across Massachusetts. The goal of the META Fellowship Program is to strengthen the youth music training pathway by enhancing the practice of music educators/teaching artists and their impact on youth, and developing stronger connections between music educators/teaching artists and greater awareness of the resources available to benefit the youth they serve.
52 individuals participated over the course of the two-year fellowship and 43 completed the full two years. Over the past four years, BMP has served as a proud partner in this program, nominating a total of 4 of our Teaching Artists to take part in this fellowship. This year, Celia Zhang and Maureen Heflinger are representing BMP and we took a moment to hear about one of their META Fellowship projects.
"This year through the META Fellowship, my team and I have created the idea of forming an online blog/community centered on the idea of mindfulness/awareness and the many kinds of interpretations that can involve when teaching and learning about music with students. The mindfulness aspect can involve bodily awareness, emotional interpretation, and also be an outlet for students when they feel disengaged, allowing them to identify their thoughts and feelings, so that teachers can help create safe spaces for sharing. Over the summer, I’m aiming to gather more research and anecdotes related to mindfulness situations with teachers, students and parents, and begin compiling materials for our site. " - Celia Zhang, Villa-Lobos Orchestra Director