National Giving Month: Diane Katzenberg Braun '01 MM
Artistic Director of Music Street
After one concert at Rosie's Place in Boston, a homeless woman made the remark, "You brought my mother back to me!" That was all I ever needed to hear.
What is your organization's mission?
Our mission is to bring a very high level of musical performance to people who cannot always access it.
What inspired you to launch this initiative?
My work as a graduate student at NEC and then my wanting to continue the musical collaborations with award-winning graduates, and also to play outside the concert hall. I've always enjoyed playing in more informal settings and being able to communicate with audiences about music.
What are your organization’s goals this year?
To continue to perform — hopefully live concerts — and to make more professionally recorded videos and send them out. We have an online audience now, thanks to the pandemic. I am thrilled that our concert series on Martha’s Vineyard is back on track with our first live concert just played this past weekend.
How have your NEC experiences shaped your approach to your work?
Back in 2013 as I was hatching the idea for Music Street, I spoke with Entrepreneurial Musicianship as it was being established and they were very supportive. I'm also aware of other NEC groups doing great community work and that continues to inspire me.
Share any other stories that inspired your work.
After one concert at Rosie's Place in Boston, a homeless woman made the remark, "You brought my mother back to me!" That was all I ever needed to hear. In many ways playing at a homeless shelter is the hardest performance venue. You must capture the audience's attention. There is a lot of noise and distractions in that setting. And if you don't make music in a convincing way that appeals to the audience there, you can easily feel irrelevant.
Learn more about Music Street
Website: Musicstreet1.com