Empire State Youth Orchestra spring concert canceled
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. » Like almost every other scheduled performance, the spring concert of the Empire State Youth Orchestra has been canceled.
Though extremely disappointed about the forced cancellation, Musical director and the Conductor of the Empire State Youth Orchestra, Carlos Agreda, says the fact that the prestigious orchestra will not be able to perform its annual spring concert this year has taught him a valuable lesson.
In a recent telephone interview, he offered the insight that social distancing has taught him. “We love to perform. We want to perform. But, we are not about performance. Our mission is to motivate, engage and encourage our students to achieve musical excellence. If we can’t perform, we can still educate.”
To accomplish his priority of education, ESYO is turning to digital means to reach the many young students involved in their programs. He explained that beyond the symphony orchestra there are another dozen small orchestras and ensembles who are part of the organization.
He sounded enormously proud of a recent digital conference meeting that totaled 99 participants. “Every one of our students showed up. It was heartwarming,” he said. “It permitted us all to be together. It engaged us and made us realize as musicians we want to share our music.
“It was inspiring to see all these young people happy to be sharing their passion with their peers.”
Though it is doubtful the entire symphony will be together in the near future, Agreda has devised what he terms “a mass rehearsal.” The students will be given a piece of music that each will rehearse. “We are all performing the same thing.
“We just are not doing it at the same time or in the same place.”
The goal is for each student to tape his or her performance and send it to ESYO headquarters. Each piece will be reviewed and notes will be given to every musician.
“I give my notes to the leaders of the different sections and they share it with their musicians. It’s the same way we do it in a normal rehearsal.” It is, indeed, an example of the new normal.
An important component of ESYO’s mission is their work with economically disadvantaged elementary and middle school kids in Schenectady. It’s called CHIME (Creating Harmony Inspiring Musical Excellence). Jared Shortmeier, CHIME’s Program Administrative Director says that their biggest goal is to maintain the personal goals and relationships the organization has with students while schools are closed.
He says before schools closed he managed to get instruments in the students’ hands to take home. Through the magic of digital communication CHIME students are getting “daily private instruction.” Shortmeier estimates each student is getting 10-15 hours a week of personal attention. Indeed, the personal attention is working so well they are expanding the program to include an optional weekly Friday course on musical history.
Alexandra Carella-Defino, CHIME’s educational manager, says the goals have expanded to teach musical enrichment programs as well as performance skills. “We want them to understand what constitutes music. We might work on Bach one week and a song like the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” the following week. We hope to change their way of looking at music.”
Agreda admits, “We still face a lot of challenges.” However, as the first year of his tenure as leader of ESYO comes to a close, he says he has come to the realization that goals and accomplishments are not always the same thing.
“Goals change, but we always accomplish our mission. That is to train and educate young musicians and develop in them a thirst for excellence.”