A new weekly African Drumming class led by Hochstein instructor Adrianne Santucci at Baden Street Settlement is part of a new collaboration between The Hochstein School, Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance (JAACA), and Garth Fagan Dance.
Discussions of a partnership between Hochstein and JAACA began in 2021 as a bridge between our two organizations and histories. The School’s first location was in the Hochstein family home on Joseph Avenue. JAACA is working on creating a new Center for the Performing and Visual Arts in the Joseph Avenue neighborhood. While that’s still in process, JAACA started “drop-in” classes, like this one at Baden Street Settlement.
JAACA Executive Director David J. Pacific explains that JAACA created their KeyBank Rising Stars program in 2022 to invite “children and families from in and around Joseph Avenue to engage with our programming and programming partners, including Hochstein and Garth Fagan Dance.”
And this is actually not the first time Hochstein has held activities at the Baden Street Settlement. Hochstein and Baden Street have a long history dating back more than 100 years!
Starting in the late 19th century, middle-class reformers established settlement houses to help European immigrants in large American cities. Initially called the Social Settlement of Rochester, what is now known as the Baden Street Settlement was established in 1901 and moved to its current location the following year. Their activities included helping new arrivals adjust to American life, taking care of children in the settlement’s nursery and kindergarten, and running a dispensary staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses.
The David Hochstein Memorial Music School (now The Hochstein School) was established on January 2, 1920, just down the street from the Baden Street Settlement. From the same “settlement house” origins, Hochstein had a mission from the very beginning to provide people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities with access to excellent music (and later dance) education.
The first annual Hochstein recital was held on June 29, 1920 at what is now the Baden Street Settlement and included individual performances on violin and piano, a demonstration by students in the music theory class, and performances by small chamber groups.
According to a note in the program, as of that month, there were 330 students enrolled at Hochstein – with a waiting list of 110 – and a staff of 12 teachers. Individual lessons were given in piano and violin at a charge of 25 cents per half-hour.
The lesson rate has changed since then, but one thing hasn’t changed – Hochstein still provides scholarships and tuition assistance to students in need. Find out more about Hochstein’s Tuition Assistance program at https://hochstein.org/Registration/Tuition-Assistance-Need-Based-Scholarships.
To find out more about the African Drumming class as part of JAACA’s KeyBank Rising Stars program, visit https://www.josephavearts.org/events.