In 2004, I was faced with the decision of whether to relocate to Richmond for a new job or consider comparable opportunities in other cities. I knew that this would be a particularly difficult move for my 12-year-old daughter, Kay, who was in middle school at the time.
Kay thoroughly enjoyed playing the violin with the local youth symphony, and the last thing I wanted was to move her to a city that did not have a progressive youth orchestra.
The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program appealed to us because it allows kids to grow in their abilities until they graduate from high school. Kay joined as a student in the beginners' group, Sinfonietta, then progressed through Camerata, Youth Concert Orchestra and Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra over the next six years.
Kay, now a freshman at Rice University in Houston, attributes the discipline she developed as a musician with helping her do well in college.
I asked her recently what the youth orchestra meant to her. The camaraderie with other students and guidance from Erin Freeman, associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony, shaped her identity as a musician. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center in 2007 and with Gil Shaham at the Carpenter Theater will stay with my daughter forever. Working directly with symphony musicians at summer camps, chamber groups, Come and Play, and with her violin teacher, Jocelyn Adelman, violinist with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, made her part of the Richmond Symphony family.
* * * * *
I have had the privilege of serving on the symphony's board of directors and to chair the Education and Community Engagement committee this year. My job as a corporate planning consultant allowed me to work with the board in developing its mission statement, "The Richmond Symphony performs, teaches and champions music, to enrich and entertain communities throughout Virginia."
By teaching and championing music, the Youth Orchestra Program directly contributes to the achievement of the symphony's mission, as it has done for the past 50 years.
It is impressive to think that, for half a century, the youth symphony has developed musicians who are now members of the Richmond Symphony as well as other world-class organizations such as the New York Philharmonic.
On Jan. 28, alumni and more than 250 members of the four Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestras will reunite as a family that transcends generations to celebrate the program's history and successes.
As a youth orchestra parent, I realize that the symphony's vision — "Leading with artistic excellence, the Richmond Symphony will inspire and unite our community through the power of live music" — is not just a vision for the future but is happening today through the inspiration the Youth Orchestra Program gives to our youngest members.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement