Page 4 - DKG NEWS SeptOct 2018

4 SEP/OCT 2018 DKG NEWS
■
Benjamin Zander Nadia Lopez

Conductor/Musical Director Principal/Educational Leader/Author
Benjamin Zander, co-author with Rosamunde You may have seen Brooklyn native Nadia Lopez in
Zander of The Art of Possibility, spoke to the 2018 an NPR interview, photographed in the White House
International Convention on Wednesday. Zander is with her student and President Barack Obama, or on
Ctor for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and Pinment Television when she was honored with the
conduc Enterta
the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He is also a Black Girls Rock Change Agent Award, or as a member
guest conductor around the world. His musical recordings of The Education Revolution panel. You may have read
have been nominated for three Grammys. He is known her book The Bridge to Brilliance: How one Principal in a
worldwide as both a music teacher of thousands and as a Tough Community Is Inspiring the World.
celebrated speaker on leadership. Zander combined the Lopez was the keynote speaker at the 2018
possibilities found in leadership, optimism, and the arts as International Convention on Thursday. She is founder
he spoke to the members. and principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy in
One of the most sought after speakers in the Brownsville, Brooklyn, a school she founded in 2010 to
world, Zander offered insight into ourselves and our address the downward trend in a neighborhood that had
organization while inspiring the audience. He brought given up on its students.
a global perspective to music which he described as Lopez inspired and motivated her audience as she
the international language. The Art of Possibility has described how she changed the lives of her students,
been translated into fifteen languages. It, along with R. all of whom live below the poverty level, by helping
Zander’s sequel titled Pathways to Possibility: Transforming them connect to the world outside their neighborhood.
Our Relationship with Ourselves, Each Other, and the World Mott Hall Bridges Academy broke the school-to-prison
were available for sale and autographs in the Marketplace pipeline with a stunning 98% graduation rate among its
following his speech. first three graduating classes.
His engagement was partially funded by the Eunah Lopez’s book was available in the Marketplace for
Temple Holden Leadership Fund. purchase, and autographs were available after her speech.

A Texas member received birthday wishes from Benjamin Nadia Lopez addressed DKG members during the International
Zander as part of his keynote address. Convention in Austin, Texas.