A Farewell and Appreciation

We want to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Ashley and Jaime who will be leaving their positions at the Newport String Project this fall. Their beautiful contributions to the Newport String Project have sealed their places in the ever-expanding NSP family. We are so fortunate to have worked alongside these two very special musicians who enabled us to launch the very first quartet-in-residence at the Newport String Project. The impact of their work and presence will be felt at NSP for many years to come. As they each embark on exciting new chapters of their professional journeys, we send them our love and support and look forward to visits from them in the future!

In addition to launching NSP's very first preschool music class at the MLK Center, Jaime enabled us to offer cello lessons for the first time, designing an exciting curriculum for budding cellists. Jaime will no doubt continue to bring her creativity to her new role at the Meadowbrook Waldorf School. This year, Jaime will also be expanding her teaching practice at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School and the Moses Brown school and will be performing with ensembles across the New England region.

With an ever thoughtful approach to her teaching and her students, Ashley brought so much to our educational programs last year. She also played a key role in piloting a new strand of concerts which saw NSP collaborate with local community meals, bringing music to audiences affected by food and housing insecurity. In June, Ashley accepted the MusicWorks Network Fellow position at our parent organization Community MusicWorks. This role will see Ashley visiting youth mentoring and social justice programs across the country. In addition to gathering new practices from these programs, she will be piloting youth workshops that explore the intersection of music, cultural identity and wellbeing.

Thank you, Jaime and Ashley!