Music Matters

SB Youth Symphony

By Leah Etling on Jun 6, 2013 in Giving, People | 1 Comment

Amy Bassett, Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Santa Barbara Symphony, knows how much difference music can make in the life of a child. She has experienced its power first-hand.

Growing up in a very small town in Massachusetts, Amy was exposed to the power of music via television broadcasts of the Boston Pops, performing every Fourth of July at the Fireworks Spectacular on Boston’s Esplanade. The concert was televised statewide, and she would watch every year. Drawn to their performance, she became a musician, mastering the bassoon, and eventually earned a doctorate in musical arts.

“For me, music was something that came into my life and helped me define and figure out who I was, and decide where I wanted to go,” said Bassett. Her musical talent and drive has taken her all over the United States, introduced her to interesting and accomplished people, and now allows her to play a role in sharing world-class music with the next generation.

The Santa Barbara Symphony’s youth programs have a strong legacy that dates back a half-century. They expose local schoolchildren to the beauty and power of classic compositions, bring them to the historic Granada Theatre for performances, and offer participatory opportunities to children who have the talent and desire to take up an instrument. Over 100 volunteers help make the programming possible.

“They are very excited,” Bassett said of the students who participate in the Symphony programs. “Many of them haven’t been exposed to it before, but with a little preparation and explanation, it goes a long way.”

The Symphony’s education programs, which reach 4,500 students each year, include:

The Music Van, which visits nearly 60 elementary schools across Santa Barbara County each year and gives 2200 third-graders the chance to learn about the instruments of the orchestra. Accompanied by volunteers and an instructor with an expertise in string instruments, the third-graders get the chance to hear the instruments and try them out as well.

“They get to actually play a trumpet, a trombone, a violin and a flute. They even try the piccolo and all the percussion. It’s an hour presentation, which is the perfect length of time for them, and half to three-quarters of it is them trying the instruments,” Bassett said.

The Concerts for Young People, a single-day event at the beautiful Granada Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara, brings 2400 fourth to sixth graders to hear a professional symphonic performance. The concert is aligned with classroom course curriculum so that the children benefit from a crossover educational experience.

For students who want to take their new interest in music to the next level, there’s the String Workshop, offered in the Goleta Unified School district, which teaches violin, viola, cello and bass to 150 students in small groups. Participants are provided with instruments, professional instructors, and lessons throughout the school year. The program supplements the district’s available music offerings.

The Junior Strings program, for students ages 8 to 13, is a stepping stone ensemble for students who wish to improve their string skills and possibly enter the Youth Symphony when they are ready. Twenty-five participants play in three concerts each year and work on the basics of ensemble playing. Marisa McLeod is the conductor.

Then there’s the capstone Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, which will celebrate its 40^th anniversary next year. With up to 70 dedicated performers who are age 12 to 18, the Youth Symphony plays standard orchestral compositions and gives public performances that showcase their dynamic young talent. Andy Radford conducts.

Sometimes, students start in one program and proceed all the way to the Youth Symphony. Laura Baldwin, a senior at Dos Pueblos High School, and recent soloist at the season-ending Youth Symphony concert, is among them.

“She started cello because of the Music Van. We’re able to really see the impact of all of our programs. A lot of our students in the more advanced programs started because of the earlier programs and how we’re partnering with the schools,” Bassett said.

And beyond exposure to great music and learning new instruments and life skills, some parents have observed positive changes in their children as a result of participation in the symphony programs, including improved test scores and focus on their academic studies. A lifelong love of good music could be considered an added bonus.

Yardi is proud to support the efforts of the Symphony’s education programs as they changes young lives, one note at a time.