Nu Deco Imagination
Nu Deco Ensemble’s educational programs are designed to nurture a passion for orchestral music in young people with a goal of providing innovative orchestral music in a setting that is appropriate to their age and musical proficiency. These no-cost programs include a series of concerts for K-12 students; in-school workshops and masterclasses across Miami-Dade County for middle and high school students to learn from NDE artistic directors and musicians; and our youth ensemble for 7th-12th graders, Nu Deco NXT.
NDE education concerts encourage imagination and creativity through musical topics such as rhythm, melody, musical genres and styles, and world music, and features guest artist collaborations to explore all genres of music. Past guest artists have included Robert Glasper, JP Saxe, Masego, Anthony Hamilton, Tank and the Bangas, Wyclef Jean, Andrew Bird, and Emily King.
Our 2024-25 live streamed education performance dates are December 12, 2024 and April 25, 2024. Performances will take place 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM EST. Sign up below for your school’s spot!
DIGITAL EDUCATION VIDEOS & RESOURCE GUIDES
We are committed to engaging and providing students in Miami-Dade and across the globe with high-quality performances and our hope is that these educational videos and resources will provide students with an opportunity to continue to engage with the orchestra.
The following Nu Deco Ensemble performances utilize our cinematically filmed live concert recordings and have been modified for K-12 learners. These resources cover various musical subjects including an in-depth look at the creative process behind several of our special collaborations with guest artists and living composers across musical genres.
Accompanying the performances are study guides that explore musical concepts from the video in greater detail as well as quizzes based on academic level. These study guides fulfill the State of Florida’s CPALMS Standards and NAfME National Music Standards. If you have any comments or would like to share any examples of your students using these resources, please email us at info@nu-deco.org.
Please note that this concert and accompanying resources are intended for and available only to K-12 educators. An email affiliated with an educational institution will be required to access this performance.
About The Performance
The orchestra is such an incredible vehicle for artistic expression – one that can highlight certain details such as musical depth and sonic colors, and bring out various elements of music in new and unexpected ways. ‘Collaborations’ is aimed at showcasing the creative process behind several of our special collaborations with guest artists.
Featuring artists Ben Folds, Cimafunk, José James, Kishi Bashi, Magda, Tanner Porter, and Time For Three, each unit is complete with performance recording, study guides that explores some of the musical concepts from the video in greater detail, as well as post-concert quizzes based on academic level.
About The Performance
This performance features living composers Jessica Meyer, Mason Bates, Aaron Lebos, Sam Hyken, Holly Harrison, and Paul Dooley. These composers are a voice for society and produce music that is relevant, fresh, and that infuse many of the sounds, instruments, and genres of today. We hope that you can learn a little bit about them while being taken on a musical journey with Nu Deco.
Accompanying the performance recording is a study guide that explores some of the musical concepts from the video in greater detail as well as post-concert quizzes based on academic level.
PAST LIVE STREAM PERFORMANCES
All of the previous education live stream performances from the past seasons are available for educators and include a digital program and concert quiz.
Please note that the following concerts and accompanying resources are intended for and available only to K-12 educators. An email affiliated with an educational institution will be required to access this performance.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Musical Visions ft. Estelle
About The Performance
A celebration of music’s enduring power to connect and inspire! We will explore the transformative power of music, highlighting (and demonstrating!) how different genres, eras, and styles can come together to create a unique and inspiring experience. Nu Deco will explore connections through storytelling, fairy tales, and life stories that paint pictures in ALL styles of music – from classical, to contemporary and popular, and even original compositions written by Miami Dade County High School students! We will illustrate the universality of music as a language that transcends time, cultures, and boundaries. Through multiple genres and styles, this show will celebrate how we not only can all connect together but be inspired by harmonies across time.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Harmony Unleashed ft. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Emily King, and Durand Jones
About The Performance
Join Nu Deco Ensemble for an interactive educational performance for K-12 students LIVE from the Adrienne Arsht Center! From cherished classical masterpieces to contemporary hits and collaborations, this program celebrates the beauty of music through the lens of harmony. Tune in to explore how Rihanna captivates audiences with emotionally charged songs and how Maurice Ravel tells stories and evokes certain moods through music. Throughout the program, we will be joined by three special guests: multi-instrumentalist composer Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Emily King, and soulful vocalist Durand Jones.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Journeys of Exploration and Connection ft. Andrew Bird
About The Performance
Join Nu Deco Ensemble for an interactive educational performance for K-12 students LIVE from the Adrienne Arsht Center! Journeys of Exploration and Connection offers a unique perspective on exploration, whether through physical travel, cultural exploration, or inner journeys. We’ll begin with the music of renowned American composer Leonard Bernstein, who is widely known for his work on “West Side Story” and his ability to capture the vibrancy of urban life.
We’ll also perform music by the iconic rock band the Grateful Dead, who explore themes of community, freedom, and life’s journey in their music. At the end, we will be joined by multi-instrumentalist and singer Andrew Bird, whose songs take us on a journey into our feelings and thoughts.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Musical Heroes ft. Will Liverman and St. Paul & The Broken Bones
About The Performance
Discover the impact and enduring influence of some of the greatest musical icons. This performance celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, triumph over adversity, and the transformative power of music.
This performance features Emmy award-winning Southern soul band St. Paul & The Broken Bones and GRAMMY award-winning baritone and composer Will Liverman, plus the music of Tchaikovsky and the symphonic reimagination of music by Tina Turner.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Symphonic Metamorphosis ft. Derrick Hodge & Allen Stone
About The Performance
Take a journey through the evolution of music to the present day! This performance explores the rich tapestry of jazz, R&B, and other genres, revealing how composers and artists often draw inspiration from the past while pushing the boundaries of music. Featuring soul and R&B artist Allen Stone and two-time GRAMMY award-winning bassist and composer Derrick Hodge, plus the music of Paul Hindemith and the symphonic reimagination of music by Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Life, Love, Literature ft. Monsieur Periné
About The Performance
This performance explores three of the most defining and influential sources of inspiration found throughout music – life, love, and literature – and composers’ ability to create music that evokes powerful emotions and experiences and brings stories to life. Featuring Latin GRAMMY award-winning artists Monsieur Periné plus the music of Sergei Prokofiev, an original work by our ensemble musicians, and the symphonic reimagination of the music by The Beatles.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Diversions ft. Lawrence
About The Performance
This performance explores the ways in which music elevates our lives through joy, humor, amusement, and awe, and how composers and artists represent this in their music! Featuring the soul-pop duo Lawrence plus the music of Jacques Ibert, Jessica Meyer, and the symphonic reimaginations of the music by Stevie Wonder.
Nu Deco Imagination:
The Magical Motif ft. Wyclef Jean
About The Performance
Embark on a journey with the orchestra to discover one of the fundamental building blocks of music – the motif! Featuring GRAMMY award-winning artist Wyclef Jean plus the music of George Gershwin, William Grant Still, Sam Hyken, and the symphonic reimaginations of the music by Michael Jackson, we will explore the construction of ideas and thematic elements throughout music.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Streams of Influence
About The Performance
This performance explores the key sources of musical influences from the Old and New World and their musically rich traditions that have profoundly shaped and characterized American popular music. Featuring American composers George Gershwin, Jessie Montgomery, and Nick Omiccioli plus the symphonic reimagination of the music by Marvin Gaye.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Movers & Shakers ft. Robert Glasper
About The Performance
This performance celebrates Black composers who have influenced and elevated the musical world. Featuring GRAMMY and Emmy award-winning artist Robert Glasper plus the music of Duke Ellington, Valerie Coleman, George Walker, and the symphonic reimaginations of the music by The Weeknd and James Brown, the orchestra will journey through musical styles from around the world.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Landscapes in Motion ft. Madison Cunningham
About The Performance
Featuring GRAMMY-nominated artist Madison Cunningham plus the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, Valgeir Sigurðsson, and the symphonic reimaginations of the music by Pink Floyd, the orchestra travels from the prairies of America to the tundras of Iceland and beyond.
Nu Deco Imagination:
The Evolution of Modern Music ft. JP Saxe
About The Performance
This performance explores innovations in music by modern and contemporary composers. Featuring GRAMMY-nominated artist JP Saxe plus the music of Béla Bartók, Erich Korngold, and the symphonic reimaginations of the music by Radiohead, the orchestra will take a journey through the transformation of music from the past 100 years.
Nu Deco Imagination:
Sacred Earth ft. Masego
About The Performance
Featuring a dynamic collaboration with singer-songwriter Masego plus a multimedia work by Chris Rogerson and National Geographic photographer Keith Ladzinski, the orchestra will explore the many beautiful ways that music imitates and embodies our lives and environment. The performance will also include symphonic reimaginations of the music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Ray Charles.
Nu Deco Imagination:
A Crown Forgotten ft. Anthony Hamilton
About The Performance
This performance is all about celebrating African American composers and their contributions to all forms of music. Featuring Anthony Hamilton and The Hamiltones plus the music of Carlos Simon and the symphonic reimaginations of the music by Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, and the Isley Brothers, the orchestra explores how the activism, creativity, and courage of these artists have transformed the musical landscape.
About The Performance
Featuring Tank and the Bangas plus the music of Antonín Dvořák, Jessie Montgomery, Jessica Meyer, and symphonic reimaginations of the music of Dr. Dre, this performance explores how different cultures have influenced the music of the New World, especially music in the United States.
About The Performance
This performance explores how composers often draw inspiration from the world around them in creating their compositions. Featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, Valerie Coleman, Nina Simone, Anemoia, and symphonic reimaginations of the music of Earth, Wind & Fire.
About The Performance
This performance explores how the music composers create can be influenced by their surroundings and by traveling to new places. This performance features the music of Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, The Beach Boys, and newly composed works by living composers.
About The Performance
Through the reimaginations of holiday classics, rock-inspired music, and newly composed works by living composers, this performance explores the magic of melody in music. Nu Deco Ensemble demonstrates how melody is the very essence of music and how feelings can be expressed through melody.
About The Performance
This performance features both newly created and signature works of Nu Deco Ensemble and demonstrates how rhythm is not just the foundation of all music, but of life itself. Through classical music traditions, jazz influences, and popular music forms, Nu Deco presents how rhythm is the unifying factor that both connects and distinguishes different genres of music.
