Mosaic to make music more ‘accessible to kids in Pottstown’

Youth Orchestra of Pottstown to start rehearsing this week

POTTSTOWN » Mosaic Community Land Trust is organizing a Youth Orchestra of Pottstown string orchestra, with rehearsals and a performance throughout the summer.

“(Music’s) not super accessible to kids in Pottstown,” said Youth Orchestra of Pottstown Director Niki Purdy, who is also Mosaic Community Land Trust President Tracy Purdy’s daughter.

Musicians ages 12 to 20 are welcomed to participate at no cost. Participants must have their own instruments though.

Rehearsals will take place Thursday nights 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Coventry Christian Academy, at 669 Pleasantview Road, Pottstown. The first rehearsal will be June 28.

Auditions for first or second chair will take place June 26 at the Hobart’s Run Office at The Hill School, at 701 E. High St., Pottstown. They will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is asked that all auditioning prepare 36 bars of a solo or etude. Participants may also be asked to sight read a short piece.

To sign up for auditions, go to http://mosaicclt.org/events/-youth-orchestra-of-pottstownseating-auditions/

Students under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Auditions are not required for participation.

The Youth Orchestra of Pottstown will learn serious pieces.

“I want this to be a real opportunity for major music making,” Purdy said. “Ideally I want to be doing more serious unarranged, unreduced repertoire.”

Purdy conducted a program similar to this in Spring-Ford three summers ago, which she called a “pilot program.” It included two classical songs and one from “The Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“It was a good experience … It went super well,” said Purdy, who is a teach at Play on, Philly!, which encompasses the idea of music equality and all children having access to it.

The program will accumulate with a performance in late August. The date will be announced in mid-July.

“We are still searching for a location to hold the concert,” Tracy Purdy said. “We’d really love the concert to be in Pottstown.”

This orchestra comes years after the Pottstown Symphony Orchestra died out. But now, Mosaic is hoping to one day have to orchestras—a community orchestra for advanced members and the Youth Orchestra of Pottstown. Purdy said she would like this orchestra to almost fill the space left by the symphony.

“It might even be next summer,” Tracy Purdy said. “It depends on the response.”

Tracy Purdy added that music is “really expensive,” which is why it is only a string orchestra this year. The organization is looking for a grant to get more music and stands for the participants.

“I felt like Pottstown had a need for community music,” Purdy said. “There’s not really a program for serious musicians to play.”

Questions can be sent to Purdy at niki.purdy@gmail.com or 610-287-7828.