ABOUT

Eastern Standard (horn/tuba/piano trio) has a deeply rooted passion for music and arts education and has established an enduring commitment to creating and delivering interactive outreach programs targeting a broad diversity of audiences. Eastern Standard partnered with composer Robert Litton and the Brandywine School Communities to create a new work which invites participation and create an opportunity for all to contribute to the final product. What Connects Us refers to the power of nature and shared music making in creating connections.

Eastern Standard and Robert Litton visited the schools involved in the project, delivered engaging outreach programs (both via zoom and in person) centering around a variety of musical and nature-based concepts to thestudents, and facilitate their involvement, preparation for and participation in the culminating activity.

From the composer:

“The piece is entitled “A Grand Day Out” and depicts three friends setting off on a nature walk. During their adventure they encounter all sorts of sounds such as birds, wind, and water. The audience is invited to perform these sounds on an instrument or through an artistic expression of their choice.”

Phase 1 of the Project: Composition and coordination of the project commenced in the beginning Spring of 2022 and continued through the Fall of 2022
Phase 2 of the Project: Visits and Rehearsals took place in October and November of 2022
Phase 3 of the Project: Culminating Concerts and Recording took place in November and December of 2022

Eastern Standard and Litton performed "A Grand Day Out" six times with audiences during their tour of DE, PA, and NY, November 14-18, 2022. Elementary, middle and high school students, as well as collegiate audiences, including P.S. DuPont Middle School, and the MELODY program will participate. This project has aided in fostering creative collaborative activities and helped foster the mission of Eastern Standard to create new ways to connect and engage with diverse audiences, and inspired audiences to reimagine music-making.

A new goal for the group is to create active educational outreach and concert opportunities and environments without passive space.

The project was completed successfully in December of 2022. Feedback from program participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting excitement over the upcoming collaborations. Concert performances were recorded live at each school and then edited/mastered as needed. This project will be documented via website and social media in order to create an artifact; the concert performances will be published on the web and available to the public as well as released on Eastern Standard’s third full length album. A short documentary film of the project was also created and will be relased on the album as bonus content.