Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO)’s CHIME musicians will present the program’s annual holiday concert on Tuesday, December 12, 5:30pm, at Schenectady High School. The performance is free and open to the public.
Launched in 2015 with 40 students, CHIME has grown steadily, weathering the pandemic and offering life-changing musical experiences to hundreds of Schenectady students. This year, with additional support from the Schenectady City School District (SCSD), and generous contributions from local foundations and individuals, elementary students from across the district are now eligible to join CHIME through a lottery system, doubling program membership to more than 140.
“CHIME simply would not be possible without our partnership with the Schenectady City School District. The school district’s advocacy for the arts and their unwavering commitment to equity and access is truly remarkable.”
Executive Director, Becky Calos
The SCSD/ESYO partnership allows CHIME to offer programming to enrolled SCSD students entirely tuition-free. The expanded program also includes transportation to and from CHIME sites, located at Yates Elementary School and Proctors Theatre. The entry to CHIME for the youngest students focuses on stringed instrument instruction, four days per week. As students advance in age and skill, they move to the Proctors site, where programming is offered for strings, wind and percussion players all the way through high school.
On Mondays, the full orchestra has an extended rehearsal until 6:45 pm, with dinner provided. “It’s so thrilling to see the increased amount of creativity and connection happening on our Mondays at CHIME. Sharing a meal together really deepens our sense of community and the extended time allows the students to explore new ways of expression through movement and spontaneous composition in addition to our full orchestra, chamber music and sectionals. We are already seeing really amazing results in just the past few months!” says Dr. David Bebe, ESYO’s Associate Music Director for CHIME and Chamber Music.
Many CHIME musicians participate in Empire State Youth Orchestra’s other performing groups and its leadership training program, Young Leaders. “We created CHIME to offer a pathway to musical exploration,” says Calos, “and we have built as much support as possible to allow youth to pursue their passions by removing as many barriers as possible.” For the youngest students this means providing dedicated teachers, quality instruments and daily practice. For the older students this means private lessons, college guidance and preparation, performance opportunities locally and across the US, and opportunities for leadership/mentorship experiences and training.
“At CHIME, we believe that immersive musical study centers the whole student. Together with our students, we strive to build an environment that nurtures musician-learners who are curious explorers and citizens, actively involved in their learning process, music-making and community. Our approach aims at far-reaching impacts both within and beyond the scope of music. The importance of breaking down barriers to this type of instructional space and experience — where students can explore how they learn, contribute and evolve as individuals and members of a community over time — cannot be overstated. Continuing to expand access to our programming is of critical and central importance to our program mission, and we’re incredibly fortunate to partner so closely with SCSD in our shared commitment to these goals.”
Zoë Auerbach, CHIME & Young Leaders Director
With CHIME’s expansion this year, dozens more young people will have access to music enrichment and perspective-shifting opportunities. This past summer, for example, CHIME cellist and Young Leader, Jazlyn Bronson, traveled to Chicago with three of her CHIME peers to participate in the National Seminario Ravina, playing side-by-side with Chicago Philharmonic musicians under the baton of famed conductors, Marin Alsop and Jonathan Rush.
This year, CHIME musicians will be working with artist Horacio Fernandez to create a series of collective compositions that will premier in May 2024. This project is part of CHIME’s annual Amplify Our Voice initiative, designed to offer youth a powerful vehicle to process deep emotion, explore shared life experiences and “amplify” their voices through music.
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