Boise Philharmonic doubles youth education program with second orchestra - Idaho Press-Tribune
Young musicians have a new opportunity to learn and perform with one of Boise’s most acclaimed fine arts institutions.
The Boise Philharmonic has expanded its youth orchestra program, doubling the number of available positions from about 100 to 200. Last year, about 300 students auditioned.
“Of course that shows the Treasure Valley is supporting the arts; there’s an interest in the arts,” said Eric Garcia, music director for Boise Philharmonic. “I think the vast majority of the philharmonic musicians were in youth orchestra when they were young …. Those experiences do change your life.
“It doesn’t matter if you become a musician or an attorney,” Garcia added. “That opportunity to perform (large-scale) the greatest music ever composed, to meet new friends … is something so very important and I think that the Treasure Valley has shown that it supports this.”
Audition details will be available later this spring.
Youth orchestra music director Jennifer Drake describes the program as “an enrichment” to the education local young musicians are currently receiving in schools and private lessons.
“The idea is we are able to take these kids who want to be actively involved and get them excited and charged about music,” Drake said.
Youth orchestra members learn music habits, disciplined listening, playing techniques and interpersonal communication, Drake described.
“When Jen gives feedback to the ensemble, 20 violin players in the first violin section, 20 violin players in the second violin section have to move and perform the same exact sound at the same exact time and the arms and the bows have to move the exact same direction with the same weight, the same speed,” Dan Howard, director of operations and education, added. “I mean there’s so many different variables. Most of it’s subconscious, but they have to be actively listening to recreate this sound.”
The youth orchestra members get enrichment practicing and performing in their own concerts, community outreach events and with the professional musicians of the Boise Philharmonic. The Boise Philharmonic performs “defining” orchestra music, and “strives to deepen connections in the community through the performance and experience of live music at the highest level,” its website states. It is celebrating its 60-year anniversary.
One of the hopes of the youth orchestra program is to inspire these members to bring their increased music and leadership skills to their school music programs.
“Because if you’ve got one kid who’s on fire other kids in the program catch that fire,” Drake said.
“They are the leaders of their program and other kids see that leadership and they’ll want to be a part of that,” Howard added. “It actually becomes its own training program (showing) this is what our culture of success looks like and this is how we go about achieving it.”
Garcia said there’s a large segment of young musicians who are prepared to play less complicated music than the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestra currently performs. That is who the second youth orchestra has been created for.
Garcia described these students as being on the cusp of that level of skill. He does not see this second youth orchestra as a “B” orchestra.
“The most important thing we can do for students at that level is get them to that next level,” Garcia said. “I think of it as a unique ensemble that will play their own repertoire, will provide their own interpretations and a unique insight into things happening in the Treasure Valley.”
For Drake, Garcia and Howard, listening to and helping the youth orchestra has been fun and rewarding. Drake finds reward in helping individual students “break out of their shell” and mature, such as a timpanist who grew his experience to become a percussion soloist this season.
Garcia enjoys seeing the students experience a piece of music for the first time. He occasionally gets to conduct the youth orchestra and considers it a “real treat.”
“There’s nothing like practicing a piece for the first time … they approach it in a way that’s utterly fresh,” Garcia said. “They’re very adventurous, excited musicians. I’m always inspired by them.”
Support for Treasure Valley youth, arts, community
Drake, Garcia, and Howard have been working to expand the youth orchestra program for the past several years. The expense of the BPYO is about $55,000 per year, Howard said. That cost includes staff — a stage crew, marketing team, librarian, and administrators — music rental, instrument rentals, vehicle maintenance and venue utilization fees.
That money comes primarily from private donations and the tuition the students pay, which is about $250. Scholarships and financial aid are available for the students.
Money also comes from ticket sales from the three youth orchestra concerts.
Other educational programs and youth outreach through the Boise Philharmonic include musicians and conductors visiting classrooms and concerts for children, which are free, according to the website.
“Because we’re getting busier, the expectation of what we do out in the community is so much greater,” Howard said. “And it should be.”
Optimism for music programs
Drake has been with the Boise Philharmonic for about 20 years, starting as a viola player in the orchestra. For the past four years, she has been the youth orchestra director. In that time her goal has always been to expand the program.
Drake, Garcia and Howard worked together to “dot the I’s and cross the T’s” to ensure a second youth orchestra could be supported.
“Really the thing that students want is to be accepted and loved in an environment in which they can be challenged,” Drake said, “and in an environment in which they can really be celebrated for being high achievers, where they can take whatever skills and talents they have and bring it to us and we can turn that into something really great.”
This expansion of the youth orchestra comes at a time when there is concern throughout the Treasure Valley about the underfunding of school arts programs. Some school districts, including Caldwell and Kuna, have put levies on election ballots stating levy money would be used to help fund music and other arts programs.
“I would say that some districts are really, really good about protecting arts education in the general sense,” Howard said. “Smaller districts have a much harder time.”
“It’s really a lot harder for those administrators to justify cutting programs when they look at their list of who’s having success with their ACTs, SATs, who’s having success with their GPAs and their AP classes, who are the student body counselors, who are the people who are leading academically in their school and they’re going to find a whole bunch of artists,” Howard added.
Garcia said he has not seen Treasure Valley art programs to be dwindling. He came to the Treasure Valley and the Boise Philharmonic about three years ago. Garcia said as soon as he arrived, he could tell the Boise Philharmonic, and the Treasure Valley, could support another youth orchestra.
And, Garcia is optimistic. That comes from a middle school student asking him what he thought about the nationwide declining music situation during a question and answer session after a performance.
Garcia said the students’ attendance at the performance, interest in the situation and engagement in the Q & A session gives him hope.
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