ABOUTUS
FOUNDERSANDHISTORY
The Tutti Ensemble was first conceptualized by then-junior Music Therapy major Tara Kelly and junior Music Education major Jessica Velardi in the spring of 2015. Tara and Jess sought to create a music program for students with unique learning abilities. Soon after its conception, Tara and Jess mobilized to seek out and recruit the first ever Tutti rehearsal assistants and Tutti program advisor at the Tutti Ensemble’s premiere location, Marywood University. The first Tutti rehearsal assistants consisted of Music Therapy and Music Education majors from the class of 2017 and 2018: (see early programs from concert 2015 and 2016). The first semester of instruction for The Tutti Ensemble at Marywood University began in the fall semester of 2015. A year’s worth of hard work and dedication culminated in the first Tutti Concert Series: November, 2015 and April, 2016!
Although Tutti was gaining momentum, Tara and Jess knew that more people needed to be involved, not only on stage in the learning environment, but also offstage in the planning. Many more Music Therapy and Music Education students wanted to be involved in The Tutti Ensemble for the 2016 - 2017 academic school year, however, not all were able to offer their time and assistance in the learning environment. Inspired by the suggestion of Katherine McGrath, Tara and Jess created the Tutti ambassadors. This behind-the-scenes group of men and women would be in charge of all the offstage work required for planning weekly rehearsals as well as the concerts. With the addition of the Tutti Ambassadors in combination with a team of hand-selected rehearsal assistants and newly enrolled/returning students, The Tutti Ensemble kicked off the fall semester of 2016. Another year’s worth of hard work and dedication meant a second consecutive successful concert season: November, 2016 and April, 2017! In addition to celebrating a wonderful year full of music and fellowship, our founders had other cause to celebrate, graduation! In the spring semester of 2017, Tara and Jess passed off the reins for the very first time to Music Therapy majors Nicole Polara and Kelsey Tucker.
A year was all it took to know that The Tutti Ensemble had been left in excellent hands, and we had yet a third consecutive successful concert season: November, 2017, and April, 2019. Although Tutti was gaining more momentum, Tara and Jess knew that even more people needed to be involved in Tutti if it were to expand and gain further support for our mission. Thus, Tara and Jess sought out an executive team: CEO Tara Kelly, COO Jess Velardi, CFO Mollie Host, and CSO Tricia Caiati. With the Executive Board in place, The Tutti Ensemble started working to expand its horizons, reach new people, and begin the journey of working towards becoming a non-profit organization.
In the spring semester of 2018, the board hand-selected its next rehearsal directors for the 2018 - 2019 academic school year: Music Education major, Taylor Morgan, and Music Therapy major, Spencer Cole. With new rehearsal directors brought new board members and a new board configuration: CEO Tara Kelly, COO Nicole Polara, CFO Mollie Host, CSO Tricia Caiati, Rehearsal Director Trainer Jess Velardi, Project Manager Kelsey Tucker, and PR and Marketing Manager Kelsey Esselman. With new management came new partnership for sponsorship through Robert M. Sides Family Music Center and Music and Arts Inc. Throughout 2018 - 2019, our new rehearsal directors led our students through our fourth successful concert season: November, 2018, and April, 2019.
In the spring of 2019, The Tutti Ensemble officially became a non-profit organization! We look forward to a new and exciting year by “creating more opportunities to make the world sound better.”
WHO
The Tutte Ensemble is a program for students, primarily youth, adolescence, and young adults with unique learning abilities. The Tutti Ensemble is student centered. Students are surrounded by an immediate community of rehearsal assistants, who are surrounded by rehearsal directors, who are surrounded by a program advisor and fellow faculty members, who are surrounded by executive board members, who are surrounded by the greater community at large. This scaffolding provides our students with the opportunity to create in Tutti relationships! With every layer, The Tutti Ensemble upholds itself on a staff of professional and unbiased individuals who work together to support and set good examples for our students as well as for one another. In doing so, we are able to set and meet high expectations both as better musicians and as better people.
WHERE
The Tutti Ensemble premiere location is at Marywood University at Marywood University. Rehearsals currently take place at the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts located at 2300 Adams Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
As The Tutti Ensemble continues to extend its reach, it is our goal to take The Tutti Ensemble to new colleges and universities with programs for Music Therapy and Music Education. It is also our goal to one day extend The Tutti Ensemble’s reach to the public school arena.
WHEN
Tutti students meet for rehearsal once a week for one hour each week. The time frame for rehearsal is determined by the Tutti Executive Board based on the needs of each Tutti program at various locations. As a result, the time of rehearsal will vary from location to location. Currently, The Tutti Ensemble at Marywood meets for rehearsal every Monday from 3:30 - 4:30 pm.
WHAT
Weekly rehearsals consist of icebreakers, one-on-one sessions, small group sessions, large group ensemble time, and guest performance time. During icebreakers, students are taught to do the following: develop meaningful relationships between Tutti students, rehearsal assistants, and rehearsal directors; orient to “Tutti Time” in the here and now; develop communication and socialization skills and comfort level in the group; develop confidence to speak/perform in a group setting; and experience working as a team. During one-on-one sessions, students are paired with one Music Therapy Rehearsal Assistant and one Music Education Rehearsal Assistant for instruction that is specific to learning instrument techniques and reading Tutti musical notation. This time is tailored specifically to each Tutti student’s needs with personalized instruction and individualized interventions. One-on-one sessions also allow Tutti students the opportunity to build close relationships and improve individually while providing rehearsal assistants the opportunity to accurately assess the individual needs of each student before transitioning to small group and large group instruction. During small group instruction, rehearsal directors present new information; Tutti students apply new knowledge; and Tutti students connect to past concepts. During large group instruction, rehearsal directors review new information learned during small group instruction; students participate in ensemble practice; and students benefit from extended practice of concepts. To conclude each rehearsal, there is usually a collegiate or professional guest performer who plays the same instrument as at least one Tutti students currently enrolled in The Tutti Ensemble. Weekly rehearsals culminate in two annual performances: one fall concert in November, and one spring concert in April.
WHY
Since its creation, The Tutti Ensemble has been “Creating opportunities to make the world sound better!” Come join the movement!
HOW
During the first week of rehearsal, each Tutti student will participate in an instrument petting zoo where they get to select a new instrument to play, continue on the same instrument, or switch to a different instrument. The first rehearsal also marks the beginning of new partnerships. Each Tutti student is paired with one Music Therapy Rehearsal Assistant and one Music Education Rehearsal Assistant. Throughout the semester, the role of each Music Education Rehearsal Assistant is to teach the Tutti student proper instrumental technique which includes but is not limited to posture, breath support, playing position, hand position, embouchure formation, fingerings, etc. In addition to teaching instrument technique, it is also the role of each music educator to teach his or her Tutti student how to read Tutti music notation. Throughout the semester, the role of each Music Therapy Rehearsal Assistant is to create and apply appropriate adaptations to the Tutti student’s instrument and music as needed. The music therapist should also be able to collaborate with the music educator to create and apply appropriate adaptations to teaching techniques. In addition to creating and applying appropriate adaptations, it is also the role of the music therapist to be aware of how social surroundings affect student learning and to help create the best circumstances possible for the current social surroundings. Both the music therapist and the music educator are fully aware of the goals/needs of each student and utilize good communication, brainstorming, and open-mindedness between one another during and outside of rehearsal.
During weekly rehearsals, each Tutti student participates in instruction led by the rehearsal directors. During small group instruction, students are split into two small groups (approximately 4 - 6 students with his or her rehearsal assistants), and learn hands-on learning activities pertaining to various music concepts which include, but are not limited to the following: Tutti notation, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, tempo vs. dynamics, rests, repeat signs, fermatas, how to follow the conductor, musical independence, melodies by ear or recall, note names on the staff, time signatures, key signatures, and more! These concepts are taught in such a way as to engage visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learners implementing gross motor skills without the use of an instrument (aside from body percussion) and music. During small group instruction, isolated concepts are then taught in the context of the ensemble. At this time, students must transition from using primarily gross motor skills to using primarily fine motor skills when playing an instrument.