How can young Charlotte musicians get started, easier? Symphony Orchestra has a plan

Early next year, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is launching the newest addition to its youth orchestra program: the Charlotte Symphony Youth Ensemble.

“We are focused on how we can contribute to music education in the city,” said David Fisk, president and CEO of the symphony. “One of those ways is giving kids the opportunity to learn instruments from beginner all the way through to advanced. We are focused on that continuous pipeline of learning.”

In February, the youth ensemble will begin Saturday rehearsals at First Baptist Church-West at 1801 Oaklawn Ave. Students accepted into the program will participate weekly through June. This short season will conclude with a performance at an uptown Charlotte venue.

The program at First Baptist Church-West will allow for the symphony to have a stronger presence in the surrounding neighborhoods, Fisk said.

“It’s such a welcoming place,” Fisk said. “They have a music ministry that’s focused on educational opportunities for kids. It’s in the DNA.”

‘No barriers’ to participation

The symphony’s Youth Orchestra program includes two audition-required ensembles: Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra for advanced musicians and Charlotte Symphony Youth Philharmonic for intermediate musicians.

The new youth ensemble will be different from the other two programs in the Youth Orchestra Program because auditions won’t be required.

An audition can be a barrier to participation, said Eric Thompson, director of the Youth Ensemble. For an audition, students need practice performing a solo, a repertoire of music and help navigating the process. If a student isn’t taking private lessons, the requirements could be intimidating, Thompson said.

“There are so many things that require an audition,” he said. “There are so many opportunities that students can’t be a part of just because the audition thing is a barrier.”

The ensemble will assist students who want to reach a higher level in orchestra. Thompson hopes to start the group with 30 or more students and eventually reach 80, the same number of students in each of the symphony’s other two youth programs.

The Symphony Guild of Charlotte, Dunspaugh-Dalton Foundation and the D.G. Brungard Foundation are funding this new endeavor. Families needing help with tuition will receive financial assistance.

“There are no barriers,” Thompson said. “There are a number of students who have a high level of interest, and they want and need more than they can get in the classroom.”

Identifying musical students

Audrey Kim, a senior at Providence High School, has been playing the harp since she was 11.

In ninth grade, she joined the symphony’s Youth Orchestra after an audition she called “nerve-wracking.” Like Youth Orchestra, she believes students in Youth Ensemble will learn collaboration skills and meet other musicians, something she was unable to do through private lessons or other programs.

“I didn’t have musician friends or people who really understood what it was like playing an instrument and having to practice every day,” said Kim, 17. “Just having that outside place, a set time every week and seeing those certain friends who really understood me on a different level (and) have the same passions created a really strong environment and community for me to be in.”

Band, music and orchestra teachers in Mecklenburg County and surrounding counties will help identify students who may be a fit for the youth ensemble. Students accepted into the ensemble will have played an instrument at least one year in school or in the community. Students may complete a registration form online.

“I’m going to heavily recruit in the elementary programs,” Thompson said. “(We will be) making sure the word is out about starting this ensemble. It’s perfect for those students who have that spark but not the resources to really get things going.”

‘Spark is ignited’

Symphony musicians will serve as coaches during the rehearsals. They will provide feedback and support to the students while Thompson is conducting.

The ensemble will also prepare students for future opportunities through mock auditions. Thompson envisions students eventually auditioning for the Youth Philharmonic, All-County Band, All District Orchestra and if they are interested, Northwest School of the Arts.

“Essentially, (we want to) get them plugged in,” Thompson said. “(We want to) focus that love for music and give them these experiences. Once that spark is ignited, they just kind of run with it. Sometimes they don’t have that exposure. Sometimes, they don’t have the support.”

An introduction to orchestras

Thompson grew up in a musical family in Atlanta. His mother was an orchestra teacher, and his dad was a band director. He first learned to play guitar when he was in elementary school and later switched to bass. When Thompson was 14, he joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program, a year-round musical education program.

The orchestra hired Thompson after he graduated in 2007 from The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In 2013, he went part time and began teaching at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Thompson teaches orchestra at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School and Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology.

He takes his classes to symphony concerts. For many, it’s the first time a student has heard an orchestra perform live. Some come with preconceived notions about it being boring, but they leave wanting more, Thompson said.

“The students absolutely love it,” Thompson said. “They want me to play some of the music in class. They want me to talk about it in class. Once they get that introduction to it, a lot of times, they just take off with it. I’ve seen that time and time again.”

This story is part of an Observer underwriting project with the Thrive Campaign for the Arts, supporting arts journalism in Charlotte.

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This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 6:20 AM.