Bell came to rehearse with about 30 students on Wednesday in preparation for their performance together on May 7 at the annual Education Through Music (ETM) Gala.
The Gala will help raise money for the ETM program, which all the kids are enrolled in. ETM is a non-profit organization that gives music instruction to children in disadvantaged schools and neighborhoods. It serves more than 9,000 students at 20 schools throughout New York City.
The children, some as young as eight, sat quietly in their school uniforms as they waited for their conductor’s signal. With the wave of a hand, they broke out into Yankee Doodle—the song they'll be playing with Bell at the Gala.
Bell listened for a moment before joining their ensemble. Once they wrapped up and took a bow, Bell took up his violin again to play his own rendition of Yankee Doodle. Bell wrote an enhanced version of the song for a performance for President Barack Obama and the First Lady on February 11.
He began slowly and moved into an elaborate melody, displaying the skills that can only be mastered after many years of practice. The kids were in awe.
“What is music? It’s not just about learning where to put your fingers and moving the bow, right?” asked Bell as he finished his piece and began taking questions from the classroom.
“Music is about expression and it’s about emotions. This all comes from the heart,” Bell said.
