By Sharron Howard, Studio Woodwind Teacher and professional musician
I moved to Lafayette with my husband and two daughters in 1979 and immediately became involved in the local music scene. I was surprised to find that of the three school districts in the county, two offered students the opportunity to study a stringed instrument and play in an orchestra, and one did not. At the time, only the Jefferson High School Orchestra provided a FULL orchestra, e.g., strings, winds, brass and percussion. As my studio grew and I had advanced students who needed the experience of playing clarinet and saxophone in an orchestra, I had to send them to Indianapolis to audition for New World. I had some very dedicated students who did this but many could not devote an entire Sunday every week to traveling and rehearsing in Indy and still they needed the experience. Then both my daughters began playing violin. The older one was able to audition for and play in the Lafayette Symphony when she needed a more challenging musical experience. Then when my younger daughter reached sixth grade in 1988 we moved out into the county and we lost the school orchestra. She was able to continue private lessons but she longed for an orchestra. Sadly, she missed what the Wabash Valley Youth Symphony is providing to the children of our area now.
That was almost sixteen years ago, and look at the difference! Now the most talented of our young musicians have an orchestra to call their own. They play professional literature, no watered-down simplified versions of symphonic music for them! This orchestra experience is a life-changing one, giving these young people new friends, wonderful dedicated teachers, and an improved sense of individual responsibility through a team effort. My children didn’t have a youth orchestra, but my young students have one. I support it with all my heart, and I know you: parents, teachers, and community leaders do too. We all thank you, Regan Eckstein and Alfred Abel. Today’s young musicians will become performers, teachers, parents, and most importantly the audience for performances of classical music. We are building the future.
