Musical kids ‘Give Bach’
Kids put on live classical music concerts
Family offers short, front-door concerts in exchange for donations to Communities In Schools of New Mexico.
For the past five years, Jack and Sasha Smucker have fallen asleep to Bach’s cello suites every night. During the day, they bring the same music to the Santa Fe community through an effort called, naturally enough, Give Bach.
Originally the Smuckers’ mother’s idea, Give Bach offers short, front-door concerts in exchange for a donation to Communities In Schools of New Mexico. The kids handle the initiative almost entirely, with 9-year-old Jack playing Bach on his cello. His sister Sasha, 12,
designed the website and takes care of logistics.
Their mom, Jessica Smucker, functions as chauffeur.
Jack has been playing cello since he was 4 and discovered Bach in the first grade. He practices about half an hour every day and, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, played with the Santa Fe Youth Symphony’s Intermezzo String Orchestra.
“I like the low sound and deep volume [of the cello], and I love how Bach plays with those,” he said.
Jack acknowledges performing at people’s doors is “a little weird but mostly fun and exciting and new.”
He said he never gets nervous, but that’s probably because music is second nature in the Smucker family. Jessica and Sasha are violinists — Jessica as part of Santa Fe Pro Musica. Dad Philip Smucker plays saxophone.
“We always have music playing in the house,” Jessica said.
Sometimes, Jessica and her kids play an encore together as part of the front-door performances: Pachelbel’s Canon in three parts.
“I hope the live music makes people feel happy,” Jack said.
That was certainly the case Thursday night as he played Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major in Nyla and Larry Rasmussen’s front yard.
The performance, Jack and Sasha’s 12th in two weeks, was attended by a few friends of the Rasmussen family. Socially distanced and with open picnic baskets by their knees, the audience gave Jack a standing ovation.
“It’s truly a balm for the spirit,” Larry Rasmussen said after the performance.
Judy Kohn, a neighbor of the Smuckers and one of the first to hear Jack play when the project began, said she was inspired by their effort. “They put me to shame,” she said of Jack and Sasha in a phone interview. “I haven’t gotten out to do something for anyone else in this time.”
As a result of Give Bach, Kohn looked up the nonprofit Communities in Schools of New Mexico and plans to begin volunteering as a tutor with the organization in the fall. Communities In Schools works with more than 6,000 children in 11 Santa Fe public schools and seeks to empower students through community.
Jack and Sasha found out about the organization through their grandmother, June Yoder, who volunteers there. “We chose Communities In Schools because we want to help other kids,” said Sasha. As of Friday, they had raised $2,015.
The Smuckers hope to keep Give Bach going strong in the coming months, though they worry they won’t have enough time when school starts again. Both were students at Rio Grande School this spring. Sasha plans to attend Santa Fe Preparatory School in the fall.
But for now, they hope people keep booking performances, which can be done through their website, yodersmucker.wixsite. com/givebach. “It’s fun,” Jack said.
Kohn put it another way. “It’s magical,” she said.