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PrintBehind the music at Barthelmes Conservatory
The downtown music school provides a haven for musicians of all abilities to hone their craft.
Eight minutes after he pressed the first ivory key, an audience of his parents, teachers and peers were moved, so touched by what they heard that they rose to their feet.
Few young teenagers experience a standing ovation, but 14-year-old Drew Crane, an Inola High School freshman, will remember his forever.
The moment followed Crane’s performance of the technically challenging piece “Rondo” by Mendelssohn at a recent Barthelmes Conservatory recital.
“Playing just takes me to a different world every time I sit down at the piano,” he says. “Someone once told me (that) when I play, it’s like the music owns me.”
Crane, a fifth-year Music School student at Barthelmes, credits his education at Tulsa’s first and only music conservatory for allowing him to fully develop his talent at such an early age.
“Most kids, anywhere they live, do not get this opportunity,” he says. “It’s hard to find a school like this and get a scholarship before college. It’s a blessing. If I didn’t have Music School, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Barthelmes Conservatory was founded in 2001 as a small pilot program housed at the University Methodist Church. Just nine years later, the organization is now a 501(c)(3) employing 32 faculty members and serving more than 850 students ages 3 months to 89 years.
“Becoming a successful arts organization is not just about building an organization and reaching more people,” says Aida Aydinyan, executive director of Barthelmes Conservatory. “It is working with and through similar-minded (arts) organizations to create more impact than we could achieve alone.”
Conservatory partners include the Barthelmes Foundation, which supports the organization financially to ensure merit scholarships; Tulsa Public Schools; Tulsa Community Foundation; Oklahoma Arts Council; Chamber Music Tulsa; Tulsa Symphony Orchestra; and Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa.
Core programs of the conservatory include the Music School, Music Center, early childhood program and satellite talent development.
Music School is a college-preparatory musical program that provides comprehensive, diversified training in instrument lessons, music theory, music literature, ear training and chamber ensembles. The school accepts students on the basis of musical aptitude, and all students are awarded full-tuition scholarships.
Currently, 50 students attend the school, many traveling from surrounding communities and a few from as far away as Kansas, Okla., more than an hour’s drive from the conservatory in downtown Tulsa. Most students average five to six hours in sessions per week, making the commitment to Music School one that involves a student’s entire family.
Aydinyan says families make the time because of the school’s many benefits.
“It’s an important thing that the students are among their peers,” Aydinyan says. “Gifted students find a social and cultural oasis here in addition to their training.”
In addition to community partners, Aydinyan praises the instructors for the school’s success.
“Our teachers are not just teachers; they are mentors,” she says. “Every one of them is here because it’s their calling. It’s not for money or recognition; it’s because they love what they do.”
Tatyana Lantos is one of these instructors. She has been teaching piano at Barthelmes since 2005.
“I feel at home here,” she says. “Here, I am able to share a more advanced knowledge with young students.”
The Conservatory Music Center, another core program, is an open division designed for community members of all ages — from amateur to professional — who want to pursue music education. Through the center, students can take individual and group lessons in everything from piano and violin to guitar and voice.
Pam Carter, 59, is a student at the Music Center and a board member of Chamber Music Tulsa. The conservatory and its mission are what first intrigued her.
“It’s very disappointing that funding is cut in arts and music education when all the evidence points the other direction,” Carter says.
Multiple studies prove that children who are involved in the arts have better school attendance, are more likely to graduate, more likely to attend college and have better self-esteem, Carter says. She also says a direct correlation exists between music students and higher math scores, which lead to better SAT scores.
After becoming involved with Barthelmes through Chamber Music Tulsa, Carter began taking piano lessons at the center. She says playing gives her a sense of calm, and she believes the conservatory is successful because of its instructors and Aydinyan’s leadership.
Barthelmes’ other core programs aim to bring music directly to young people. The early childhood music program, Music Together, was created for children ages 0-5 and their parents and emphasizes building the bond between child and parent through music. Currently, the conservatory offers this program to 100 families.
In addition to the early childhood program, Barthelmes offers in-school courses at 11 elementary and middle schools, the majority of which are in the Tulsa Public Schools district. Students at these schools receive weekly or bi-weekly instrumental classes to which they may not otherwise have access. Following a year of instruction, the students have the opportunity to perform at least once at the school or in the community.
“As we look to the future, we hope to continue expanding our educational reach and ensuring … exposure to the arts as a critical part of a complete education,” Aydinyan says. “It is our obligation to share the fruits of this creative community with the world outside the conservatory walls.”
