Local Business Supports Youthful Musicians' Quest for Carnegie Hall
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When she thought about the talented, smiling children of the South Pasadena Strings Program, Ellen Daigle just couldn't resist helping the youthful musicians with their quest to perform at New York's famed Carnegie Hall.
Daigle is owner of Ellen's Silkscreening and Promotional Products in South Pasadena. When the children of STRINGS visit Manhattan next April, they'll be uniformed in colorful t-shirts and shouldering tote bags that Daigle's company created for the very special adventure.
When Daigle first heard about STRINGS, she was impressed with its life-changing program - and with its energetic founder, Susan Pascale.
"My reality is that this woman came into our town, where there was no music program to speak of, and created this incredible school that has grown," Daigle said recently. "Susan's energy and her passion are amazing!"
Daigle likens Pascale to the character of Roberta Caspari in the Meryl Streep movie, "Music From the Heart." In the movie, a schoolteacher follows her passion to teach violin to inner-city Harlem kids because she believes in the power of music to transform lives.
Pascale herself says others have made the same comparison.
"A couple of years ago I went to Harlem to visit Roberta Caspari, the actual person the movie was about," Pascale says. "They were all saying I reminded them of Roberta. I guess we have similar passion for teaching kids music."
Pascale moved to California from New York seven years ago. When she enrolled her daughter in the South Pasadena Unified School District she quickly discovered there was no formal music program available for students until they reach high school.
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PICTURED ABOVE: Top row: Raymond Gilmartin, Sara Nemiro, Halle Sunabe, Shayda Abassi, Emily Schaub, Kirsten Lau, Sam Choi, Derek Tam. Second Row: Grace Aldrich, Jenny Pon, Bahar Asghari. Third Row: Gloria Sweibel, Eliza Welty, David Seo, Tim Wong, Ashley Huang, Noga Shaham, Ashley Lim, Cade Okohira, Faye Witherall, Angeli and Nimisha Asthagiri. Fourth Row: Director; Susan Pascale, Kyle Lee, Daniel Sweibel, Ruby Wellen, Riva Weinstein, Julian Lehr-Bryant, Caleb Cheung, Sebastian Salazar, Arun Asthagiri, Jenna Okohira, Kristen Mok, Ashley Mok, Tabitha Okitsu, Kaelyn Ong, Aaron Salinas, Marion Wood, Daniel Koh, Tammy Liao, Hannah Hathaway, Ilai Gilbert, Bottom Row Center: Timothy Okitsu, Jenna Pascale, Jackson Monical |
"In a panic, I ran around the school yard" trying to find students willing to learn the violin "just to create players for my daughter," Pascale explained recently. "Playing stringed instruments is a very social thing, and kids like to play with other kids. Twenty-five kids signed up for my free violin class at Arroyo Vista School. I was very excited about the response."
Others were excited, too.
Pascale says that SPUSD Superintendent Dr. Hendricks suggested that Pascale visit each school site and offer to teach violin. That led to formation of the current orchestra.
One unusual aspect of Pascale's program is that she starts teaching the children when they are very young - from four and a half to six years of age. By the time the children are six, they are accomplished.
"The orchestra that's going to Carnegie, they sound like middle school orchestra, or even high school," Pascale says. "They're so advanced for their size and their age that we got an invitation to a high school festival in New York City, to play Carnegie Hall. I don't think they ever had an elementary playing with the high school kids at this festival!"
Back at Ellen's Silkscreening, Daigle points out that music opens up so many opportunities for students, including college scholarships.
Daigle says she's thrilled to help.
For more information about Ellen's Silkscreening & Promotional Products, please contact Ellen Daigle at
For more information about the South Pasadena Strings Program, please contact Susan Pascale at