According to Tanatchaya “Tanya” Chanphanitpornkit, the Director of Orchestras at Nyack High School in New York, her main goal with her students is building more than just musical skills. “We’re creating a supportive community where students inspire each other to excel and find deeper meaning in their artistry,” she says.
Her Mentorship for Musicians program does just that. Chanphanitpornkit says that there was a “critical need in our diverse Nyack community because many talented young musicians face financial barriers to accessing private music instruction, which often serves as a gateway to prestigious opportunities like All-County ensembles.”
High school students step in to help younger musicians, and they in turn discover profound meaning in their musical journey through teaching. “These relationships transform music from an individual pursuit into a shared journey of growth, where both mentor and mentee find joy and purpose in their musical development,” Chanphanitpornkit proudly says.
Another way that her program stands out is in the repertoire she chooses. “I approach repertoire selection with the same intentionality as an art curator designing an exhibition,” she explains. “I recognize that my choices have the power to either reinforce or challenge the traditional canon, and I deliberately use this platform to amplify historically underrepresented voices.”
Some of her favorite pieces that her students have played include Chin’s “In the Dreams of Zhou,” Sung’s “Chorale for String Orchestra” and Newbold’s “Orion and the Scorpion.” “Through these programming choices, I create performances that showcase our students’ musical abilities while broadening their understanding of what constitutes ‘important’ music,” Chanphanitpornkit says. “By introducing works outside the traditional canon, students recognize that musical excellence exists in many forms.”
Her teaching approach is as unique as her musical choices. Instead of treating music as an isolated subject, she weaves storytelling throughout the learning to help students understand how music reflects and enriches our daily lives. “When we explore a piece of music, we often pause to share stories about the emotions it evokes, the memories it connects to, or the way it mirrors experiences in our own lives,” she explains. “These conversations help students understand that music isn’t just notes on a page, but a way of expressing and understanding our human experience.”
She tells many stories and hopes that her students will learn that their own stories and voices matter.
Nyack High School Chamber Orchestra collaborated with EcoTones, an innovative ensemble that weaves together live instrumental music and natural spaces. Chanphanitpornkit’s students experienced how music creates connections between performers, audiences and the environment. “Students performed alongside professional musicians in one of Nyack’s public nature spaces,” she says. “The experience transformed their understanding of composition — they saw firsthand how music could respond to and enhance a specific place, creating intimate connections between performers and audience members.”
Last year, every student in her orchestra program also performed at a memorable and historic performance space — Carnegie Hall. “While the performance was exceptional, what moved me most deeply was seeing our students step onto that prestigious stage with confidence, knowing that they had earned their place there – not just as visitors, but as artists who had worked tirelessly to achieve the highest level of musical excellence,” Chanphanitpornkit says with pride.
Chanphanitpornkit is also a Lecturer of Music Education at Brooklyn College, the Music Director of Crescendo Orchestra of New York Youth Symphony and co-founder of Girls Who Conduct.
