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Nueva Stories

Every now and then we post interesting stories about Nueva and its Alums. If you have one, please email it to Matt.

This story comes from Lynne Greene: During the summer after our daughter's freshmen year in high school, she was still best friends with her lifelong Nueva friends. She invited her three best friends from Nueva to visit us on vacation. Each girl got off the plane with something creative and new to share with the others; a silk screening kit, a bag of recycled material from SCRAP in SF, and a sewing machine.

The four girls spent the week learning skills that none had ever tried before. They laid out the fabric, silk screened their own designs to create new fabric, figured out how to make an original pattern for clothing they designed themselves (yes, applied math was fully discussed), and then taught themselves to sew their own clothes. They were, and still are, simply amazing, talented can-do and will-do creative kids. Typically Nuevan!

As icing on the experiential cake, they sang in four part harmony while working together. They called a local restaurant that had an open mic night and asked if they could perform. They were told no, but decided to arrive in their new clothing and ask again. When they came up to the stage, the audience was clearly viewing them as young teens who had no business interrupting their evening entertainment. By the end of the first song, there was a hush over the crowd. They were awestruck at their talent and maturity. They sang several songs and left the stage to wild applause. The owner of the restaurant asked them to return again.

It is in juxtaposition to our next group of visiting friends that the Nueva influence on these girls was so clearly shown. A few weeks later, two new high school friends came to stay with us. As they came down the airport corridor to meet us, they were already plugged in to their iPods and texting on their cell phones. When asked about what to do during their stay, they wanted to go rent a video. They were both smart, nice girls, but the spark and gusto and creative life-force of the Nueva group was nowhere to be found.

Nueva Stories
Monday, 06 September 2010
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The Yehudi Menuhin-Helen Dowling 2010 Competition for Young Musicians Print E-mail
COMPETITION
Date: Sunday, January 17, 2010
Categories:
Piano, ages 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14
Strings, ages 9-11 and 12-14

AWARDS
Individual winner awards of $100 will be given in all categories.
All contestants will receive a certificate of participation.
All awardees will perform on Friday, March 5, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. in the Nueva Ballroom as part of the Nueva Concert Series.
Awards will be presented at that time, with a reception to follow.

RULES:

  1. All contestants should be prepared to perform two contrasting pieces;
    1. Piano: one must be from the baroque or classical period (approximately 1750-1825).
    2. Strings: one must be from the baroque or classical period.
  2. Music must be memorized. Music scores will be presented to the judges (photocopies are not allowed due to copyright restrictions).
  3. Eight minute total time limit per contestant. If combined pieces are longer than eight minutes, please play excerpts. One piece must be played in its entirety. Students may be disqualified if the time limit is exceeded.
  4. Contestants will be identified numerically.
  5. Piano contestants: no concertos.
  6. String players must provide their own accompanist who is not a relative or teacher as this is a closed competition to the general public.
  7. Current Nueva students are not eligible to compete.
  8. All decisions of the judges will be final.
  9. All judge's comments will be mailed directly to the contestant's teacher.
  10. By entering this competition, contestants agree to be available on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. to perform, should they be one of the awardees.

For further information contact: Geoffrey Gallegos at (650) 350-4610 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Click here for secure registration. Registration must be completed by Friday, December 18. Contestants will be notified of their audition time at least one week in advance of the competition.