Youth Symphony to host virtual concerts
As many educational programs grapple with the challenges of remote learning, the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association has been finding new ways to engage young musicians.
The organization, which has been helping budding musicians cultivate their talents since its founding in 1994, has continued to teach over 300 kids from diverse backgrounds during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Everyone stayed committed and really invested,” Executive Director Andrea Cassutt said. “We saw our students adapt and bring their enthusiasm and interest to their online sessions.”
The youth symphony includes string and symphony orchestras, as well as jazz and mariachi ensembles. The youths will exhibit the culmination of their springtime work in this weekend’s Gathering Voices, a virtual concert series showcasing marginalized composers. The series, a fundraising effort, begins at 7 p.m. Friday.
Cassutt said the youth symphony has remained in good financial standing during the pandemic, but she hopes to draw more revenue through the virtual concerts.
“Our enrollment and participation have stayed at about 95 percent,” she said. “I attribute that to the relationships our staff created and our students’ commitment to music.”
For instance, conductor William Waag met for 30 minutes with each of his 65 students to find out what they needed to pursue their musical interests. Santiago Romero, the mariachi
instructor, offered one-on-one voice lessons so students could progress without the pressure of performing in front of their peers.
The organization has taken advantage of students’ extra free time by encouraging them to create their own music, Cassutt said. Students as young as 6 have been composing.
“What’s so important about kids in composition is that we are giving them an opportunity to move from taking in information, which they do all the time, to become generative — to become generative in their musical ideas. To come together and collaborate. To use their creativity and imagination,” Cassutt said.
“I’m really excited about the virtual concert series and seeing how people engage,” she added. “We’ve gotten a lot of traction and feedback from people who are excited. I feel hopeful and invigorated.”