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...