Take a peek into local youth ensembles

As you walk through the hallways of Blair, you are bound to encounter students with headphones. Music is an important aspect to students’ lives, ranging from an everyday listen to their favorite songs to a potential music career. In fact, studies have even shown that music can have major impacts on health, such as improved memory and athletic performance. 

One way to get more involved in music includes enrolling in the music classes offered at Blair. These classes further students’ music education, and are often sufficient for most students. However, there are some Blazers who seek to further their music education through youth ensembles.

Wind Ensemble

Photo: Many musicians in Wind Ensemble participate in youth orchestras.

Many musicians in Wind Ensemble participate in youth orchestras. Photo courtesy of Nathan Yap.

What are youth ensembles?

As the name suggests, youth ensembles are groups of students passionate about music that bond together through rehearsals in order to learn more about playing. These ensembles give students the opportunity to play music at a more advanced level and learn about the orchestral process with a unique atmosphere that accommodates a more diverse set of students and instruments.

Some notable music organizations in the area include American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYPO), DC Youth Orchestra Program (DCYO), Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras (MCYO), and Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra (PVYO). All of these organizations have various orchestras at differing levels to fit the needs of their members. 

Why join?

Youth ensembles are an essential part of life for many students. Blair junior and violinist Aurelia Smith decided to perform with DCYO five years ago after being recommended to audition. “I signed up because I was part of a different orchestra and I aged out of it. It was a beginner group type thing, and they recommended me to do a different kind of ensemble,” she says. 

One enticing aspect of youth orchestras is the connections between students. “I really like being able to come together with a lot of people and play a piece, not just by myself, but with a lot of people,” Smith says. “I get really nervous when I’m playing with myself, but as a group, I don’t really feel that. I can come together and play without getting nervous and still [have fun].”

Blair music teacher and MCYO conductor Katherine Smolen also has a lot of insight due to her personal connection with music from a young age. When she first started playing violin at the age of seven, she did not dream of having a musical career and set her sights on attending medical school. "I always wanted to go to a STEM major, [and] had the intention of going to med school," she states. 

However, the musical opportunities that she was involved in, including participation in her youth ensembles, led her to become more interested in music, eventually pursuing it as a career. "I am so grateful for all the opportunities music has given me," she says. "I, over the years, have become very passionate about providing those same opportunities and changes to students."  

Smolen suggests that any student interested in music participate in youth orchestras. “I recommend any musician who wants to just continue exploring music and expanding their repertoire to do youth orchestras," she adds. "It's a really wonderful place to meet people.”

Impact on students

Youth orchestras can positively impact the students in several ways. For Blair sophomore and french horn player Sky Yuzuki, playing in the Philharmonic orchestra within MCYO enables him to think more about the group holistically. “It really forces me to listen to other instruments,” he says. “To make the group sound better as a whole, [I have to] listen to everybody else and really pay attention to what people are doing.” 

Ensemble playing is vastly different from solo playing due to the different instrumentation. Youth orchestras give students the opportunity to improve their ensemble skills, such as listening and understanding how different instruments work. 

For senior Stephen Zhang, who plays the flute, playing in a full orchestra is a vastly different experience than playing in a school band or orchestra because there are both string instruments and wind instruments playing together in a full orchestra. “It’s a lot different to play in an actual orchestra than it is to play in the band,” he says. “It’s actually a lot more fun to play [in] a full orchestra, because you can hear all the instruments.” A full orchestra gives students the opportunity to understand a more diverse range of instruments, and learn more about blending with other peers that they may not be able to interact with otherwise. 

Another aspect of youth orchestras that can change the way students think about music is through their conductor. Having a good conductor can make or break a student’s interest in the art of instrumental music. Having a qualified conductor who understands the capabilities of the members in the youth orchestra can give students the life-changing ability to offer students new perspectives on both music and life alike. For Yuzuki, the high standards set by his conductor encourage him to become a better musician. “I’d say he’s [superbly] passionate,” Yuzuki says. “And ultimately, what he wants is pretty much what’s best for the group.”

Conductors in Orchestras

Photo: Conductors, such as Raife Oldham, the band director at Blair, can greatly impact students' perspective on music and life

Conductors, such as Raife Oldham, the band director at Blair, can greatly impact students' perspective on music and life Photo courtesy of Nathan Yap.

Being able to play with your friends also has positive impacts on your social life. Zhang finds participating in youth orchestras with friends to be really fun. “If you like [playing music], then I think it improves your life,” he states. “Last year [in my youth ensemble], all kinds of people from our school did it, so I was looking forward to it every week.” 

There are several benefits to joining a youth orchestra for a student that is interested in music, and can provide unique opportunities that may not be present in a student’s high school band program.

Blair’s efforts

Smolen describes how she believes that the biggest obstacle to classical music education in school starts at the very beginning. “The biggest thing is that elementary level, because [the] hardest element is starting, and if you don’t provide the resources for people to do that, [it’s] really hard to get back into it afterwards,” she says.

It is also important to note the music department at Blair is making an effort to promote music education to everybody. “I can definitely say, personally, I have been spending a lot of time in the middle schools and elementary schools and really making [sure], especially in terms of representation, that we’re connecting with all students [and] providing as many opportunities to all students,” Smolen states. “We let elementary and middle [programs] borrow our instruments so that they can start people right [and create] events for students to realize that music is something that hopefully they realize they want to continue.”

One of the most important factors of having a successful music department is also funding. When a school faces budget cuts, they often turn to the music department. “Despite everything music programs provide to the community, they are typically the first to be cut within the budget because it is seen as extra or frilly,” Smolen says. 

What now? 

By giving students the opportunity to learn a new instrument and gain insight into an interesting opportunity, students gain the vast wealth of knowledge that comes with the creativity involved in making music. It is essential that all students are given the opportunity to determine whether playing an instrument is something that they want to pursue more seriously, or even just pick up as a hobby.

Students interested in youth orchestras can find audition information through the orchestra’s website, as well as the orchestra director, Katherine Smolen, and the band director, Raife Oldham. Youth ensembles like MCYO and PVYO hold auditions during the end of the summer, so joining the orchestras’ mailing list is a great way to be informed about registration and audition information. 

Ultimately, youth orchestras can further the students’ depth of understanding regarding musical ability, as well as the importance of music. The local programs allow students to make connections with others and understand different perspectives. Youth ensembles are something that students should consider during their time at high school if they wish to understand classical music at a deeper level.