‘From the Top’ Continues to Wow

I discovered PBS-TV’s From the Top, the show that features interviews with and performances by the next generation of classical music stars, while flipping through channels one lazy weekend afternoon a few years ago. I was hooked from the first moment I tuned in. I began recording every episode. After awhile though, the busyness of life got in the way, and I stopped recording the shows. I’d still catch them now and then though, and always enjoyed them thoroughly.

One night recently I dragged my weary bones into the car to do some last-minute, late-night grocery shopping. Feeling completely zapped of energy and out of it, I tuned into KQED, the San Francisco PBS station, and heard the familiar voice of From the Top’s host, pianist Christopher O’Riley. (From the Top has been an NPR radio show since 2000 and became a PBS-TV show in 2006.) He was interviewing 10-year-old violinist Yaegy Park, one of this year’s recipients of the show’s Jack Kent Cooke young-artist award. Park is one of 25 performers who will receive a $10,000 scholarship to further her musical studies. O’Reilly—who serves as accompanist, coach, and interviewer—is humorous, relaxed, and has a great rapport with the kids on the show. In addition to many classical albums, in 2003 O’Reilly released an album of his own arrangements of tunes by rock band Radiohead, which gives him extra cool points in my book.

From the Top has something to offer music teachers, students, and enthusiasts alike. The show, which was conceived by and is produced by faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music, has always been committed to education. Teachers can visit the show’s website fromthetop.org, and get MENC-approved lesson plans and other activities. Kids can go there to read “fun factoids”’ and follow the reports of the show’s teen roving reporters. From the Top even partnered with Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, (mhschool.com) to create the Spotlight on Music textbook series based on the stories from the show. The show’s educational outreach program takes its young performers out into the community, where they perform in schools, community centers, and arts organizations all over the United States.

For string enthusiasts of all ages, there’s never any shortage of strings coverage on the show. In my last listen, I heard Trio Con Brio, a group of 11-to 12-year-olds who study at the NEC’s prep school playing a movement from Beethoven’s piano trio, Op 1. Simply amazing. Next, I heard 17-year-old cellist Ben Lash play a patriotic romp for cello and piano by American composer Lukas Foss. You can go to the website and listen to episodes from past radio shows and watch videos of performance from past TV episodes.

After listening to the show for only a few minutes, I was immediately drawn in. Hearing the young players talk about themselves (Park likes to tell jokes and kick things, though she doesn’t like soccer) is just as entertaining as hearing them perform. Even though they are brilliant, hard-working musicians, it’s encouraging to know that they are also just kids who like to be kids.

If you’re looking to be entertained and to recharge your creative batteries, I highly recommend tuning into From the Top one of these days. For TV and radio schedules, check out your local PBS listings, or visit fromthetop.org and be sure to check out the August issue of Strings Magazine (on newsstands July 14th) in which From the Top's roving radio reporter Caeli Smith contributes an article about the Philadelphia-based community music program Musicopia.