Resident Teaching Artist Program
at Quabbin Regional School District
Brief Overview
Established as a pilot program in the Fall of 2024, the Resident Teaching Artist Program began with Ruggles Lane Elementary School in Barre, MA providing additional in-school 1:1 string instruction that compliment group classes and orchestra as well as out of school ensemble opportunities. In Fall 2025, the program was expanded to an additional elementary school in Oakham, and to the Jr. High String program. In all the program serves students grades 5 to 8 in the Quabbin Program collaborating with the WYO Prelude & Sinfonia String Program. A combined 100+ aspiring young musicians will collaborate over the course of the 25-26 school year.
Rehearsals will take place in spring of 2026 and details will be communicated directly to families by Quabbin & WYO staff.
Key Teaching Staff:
Sean Kelly, Strings Teacher, Quabbin Regional School District
Sylvia DiCrescentis, Director of Strings & Peer Mentoring, WYO
Patrick Chatham, Resident Teaching Artist
Administrative Support:
Christine Carter, General Manager, WYO
Advisors:
Toni Brown, Director of Fine Arts, Quabbin Regional School District
Jonathan Colby, President & Artistic Director, WYO
2025 - 2026 School Year Performances
Open to the public
Sunday, March 8th, 2026 at 3:00pm
Alden Hall, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Reserve Tickets Here
Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 at 7:00pm
Quabbin Regional High School, Barre
Background & Funding
This program has been made possible in part with funding from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation through its competitive Community Grants Projects. The Foundation’s Community Grants Project is intended to provide “support for discrete projects and programs highly aligned in the areas of arts & creativity, economic opportunity, basic needs, health & wellbeing and youth & families.”
WYO was one of the 100 nonprofits chosen from across Worcester County to receive funding for its project “Strengthening Community Access to the Arts”. Of those 100 programs, only 19 (including WYO) take place both in and outside of the city of Worcester. WYO’s project fulfilled the Foundation’s criteria under Youth & Families as it “focused on youth development and empowerment and educational enrichment.” There are a total of 40 projects under the Youth & Families category providing a total of $458,000 in direct investment to communities, schools and families.
The 24-25 funding supported a Resident Teaching Artist, Patrick Chatham, who worked directly in one elementary school within the Quabbin Regional School District, Ruggles Lane. At Ruggles, Patrick taught with QRSD strings teacher Rebecca Kelly, giving further private and small group instruction. In addition, the Foundation’s support provided additional opportunities for students to attend WYO string ensemble rehearsals on selected Sundays with their director, Rebecca Kelly. Students in both programs learned to play together in a larger ensemble as well as make cross community connections.
WYO and Quabbin Regional School District are grateful to the support of the Foundation that has enabled students to gain access to new learning opportunities, social development and community building. Projects such as this are at the heart of WYO and philanthropic organizations like GWCF.
You can learn more about The Greater Worcester Community Foundation at www.greaterworcester.org .
