Cherry blossoms and warm breezes are the hallmarks many people
imagine when they hear the word spring. But for four local high
school students, the word conjures up visions of a different kind:
the playful textures of the second movement of Antonio
Vivaldi’s
”
The Four Seasons,
”
for instance, or the colorful beat of Scott Joplin’s
”
Maple Leaf Rag.
”
Cherry blossoms and warm breezes are the hallmarks many people imagine when they hear the word spring. But for four local high school students, the word conjures up visions of a different kind: the playful textures of the second movement of Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” for instance, or the colorful beat of Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag.”
For the KALM Quartet, spring has been in season for a few months.
After a successful debut in December, the four friends and string players have been preparing for their next concert, a benefit Saturday for the California Youth Symphony and San Jose Youth Symphony.
The performance will include a variety of lively-yet-soothing compositions well suited for spring – everything from the first movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “K.387” to the Beatles’ “When I’m 64.”
The quartet, which formed in the fall, is named for the first letter of each musicians’ name: Kimia Ghaderi, a violinist and freshman at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill; Andrew Wisneski, a violinist and sophomore at Live Oak; Lindsay McIntosh, a viola player and senior at San Benito High School and Maura Cuffie, a cellist and freshman at Notre Dame High School in San Jose.
The quartet members went to school at Martin Murphy Middle School in South San Jose and have remained in contact largely due to their musical endeavors.
Cuffie and McIntosh played in the South Valley Youth Symphony through 2003, and McIntosh and Ghaderi play in the San Jose Youth Symphony.
Ghaderi also plays in the California Youth Symphony, along with Wisneski. The group is managed by Kimia’s mother, Gaylis Ghaderi.
Several local venues enjoyed the quartet during the holiday season, including Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy and Pacific Manor, a nursing home in Morgan Hill.
While the quartet’s first concert playlist consisted of more traditional holiday tunes, the spring lineup shakes things up a bit – something the musicians said they’re enjoying.
“The music is a lot more varied,” said McIntosh, who will travel to Spain to tour with the San Jose Youth Symphony after graduating in June. “We have a fiddle tune, an oldies song, a rag and then some more traditional, classical pieces. It’s been fun but challenging, trying to put together such a diverse program.”
The concert is expected to raise at least $500 for each organization, Gaylis Ghaderi said. The Morgan Hill mom took on the responsibility of managing – and chauffeuring – the quartet out of her determination to see more South Valley youth find enjoyment in music, she said.
“My daughter had been wishing to play in a quartet for more than a year. Because there are no orchestra strings programs anywhere, in any of the South Valley, and there are no other string quartet training groups, I pretty much had to help my daughter make her own opportunities,” she said. “This is the kind of thing a lot of people committed to the importance of music do for their children.”
The group hopes to make the concerts a regular occurrence, whether for purposes of fundraising or simply to entertain, said Kimia Ghaderi, the quartet’s founder. The group has been pleasantly surprised at the level of support the community has shown, she said.
“I realize now that string quartet music can be more innovative than I thought. When the quartet was first forming, I never thought that people would have such an enthusiastic response,” she said. “The most important thing I’ve learned is that the best thing you can do when you have an idea is put it into action, no matter how many doubts you have. I was unsure about the success the quartet would have when it first formed, but now I am extremely glad we came together.”
Eleanor Villareal, chief development officer for Rebekah Children’s Services in Gilroy, said the quartet’s December performance for the organization’s Festival of Trees event was well received, both by the adult audience and the kids, whom the quartet encouraged to touch the instruments and feel the strings’ vibrations.
“I thought they were absolutely delightful,” Villareal said. “They added a lot of class and really set the ambiance for the event. Having that group there, playing their lovely music, set a classy tone.”
If you go
The KALM Quartet will perform from 6pm to 6:45pm Saturday at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, 17000 Monterey Road. Tickets are free, and donations are encouraged. All proceeds will benefit the California Youth Symphony and San Jose Youth Symphony. For tickets, e-mail ka*********@***il.com.
