WEEKEND MUSING:
A SAFE SPACE TO CREATE

Over the past year, much of my pleasure working at Usdan has been collaborating with a brilliant emerging playwright and writer named Nicole Martinez. This week, I am passing the mic to Nicole who has been thoughtfully researching the impact of the pandemic and quarantine on Usdan’s long-term partner community - the young musicians from the Brentwood High School.

Remember her name: I saw Nicole Martinez’s new play And What Grew There workshopped in December, and it convinced me that Nicole is a talent to watch.

- Lauren Brandt Schloss, Executive Director

Dear Usdan community: 

As a kid, I never was able to go to summer camp. In the time I’ve worked alongside Usdan, I’ve been able to experience firsthand how important this camp is to the students who attend and their families. Campers are always eager to share with newcomers everything from their favorite spots on campus to the best ice cream flavors passed out every afternoon. I’ve witnessed how much of an integral presence this community plays in their lives - camp serves as a place of adventure, serenity, and growth. 

Even as an independent adult working from home, I’ve found it difficult to cope with the quarantine. I’m sure it must be more difficult for children. Right now, without the opportunity to stick to their school routines, practices, or rehearsals, students may feel untethered and lonely without their peers. Perhaps that’s one of the many reasons why the wish that Usdan can open this summer seems like such an exciting and important possibility. 

At Usdan, we are proud to be able to cultivate a nurturing environment where students of diverse backgrounds and experiences can collaborate inside and outside of the classroom. Some of you may know about Usdan’s long-standing partnership with Brentwood High School and music educators Christina Helbock and Kelly Hillard. Every summer, we work alongside these respected and beloved music educators to recruit talented Brentwood musicians to attend Usdan on scholarship. As we continue to monitor this uncertain situation, we wanted to touch base with our Brentwood partners to see how students from communities and schools with fewer resources were dealing with these unprecedented changes. 

I was able to speak with Christina Helbock and our discussion confirmed that performing arts classes in lower-income schools like Brentwood are struggling to catch up with the radical shift to online school. Most of Christina’s students do not have instruments at home. They are not only losing valuable practice time, they are also missing the nurturing, collaborative community of playing in an orchestra or band with their peers. Christina honestly admitted what she thought was lost in online teaching: 

     So many vital things are lost in this scenario.​ A lot of times, the most rewarding aspects of being a teacher isn’t when you’re actively teaching, but sometimes the kids like to just come into your classroom, sit there, and do work quietly. Or they ask for your advice about how to handle a situation with a peer or with personal home stuff. It is so upsetting that I can’t be there for my kids now.

Like many educators, Christina feels she is missing out on the “most rewarding aspect of teaching” - cultivating a safe space for her students. As someone who can still name the high school teachers that irrevocably changed my life for the better, I deeply empathize with Christina’s desire to be there for her students again. 

We believe this summer will be a critical moment to provide opportunities for our Brentwood musicians to play their instruments, collaborate with peers, and socialize. If Usdan is able to open, above all, we want to ensure all our students have a space as special as Christina’s classroom - a safe, healing space to create art. 

     ...I think it would be so important to be at a place like Usdan. I would like to have as many of my students there as possible. Usdan is a safe space for these kids, just how I like to view my classroom as a safe space for these kids to learn and grow. - Christina Helbock

This weekend, I encourage you to think with your own children about the value and purpose summer camp holds in your lives. Please share them with us by replying to this email.

Sending warmth and well wishes, 

Nicole Martinez

Christina Helbock, Kelly Hillard, Brentwood alumni and campers at the 2019 Usdan Gala 

Now more than ever we are using Amazon to get essentials. Did you know you could support Usdan by doing your usual shopping on Amazon Smile? Simply choose "Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts" as your supporting non-profit and Amazon will donate .5% of your order to the camp. 

Looking for resources to stay creatively engaged at home with your children?