Cellist Yo-Yo Ma said, “Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, music must be a vital part of our children’s education.” Fortunately, these benefits are available to kids in Albuquerque through the music programs at the Albuquerque Youth Symphony.
Norlynn Blocker Price, Executive Director of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program, tells us that the organization closely coordinates with local schools. She says, “Our program was founded back in 1955 as a collaboration between Albuquerque Public Schools and the UNM music department. We have always had APS and other schools, including Rio Rancho public schools, and all the private schools here in our community as close partners and collaborators with our program. We, for example, always have had a representative from APS on our board of directors, and that's written into our bylaws.” The current superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools, Dr. Gabriella Blakey, is both a board member and a Youth Symphony alumnus.
Norlynn tells us, “We’ve just celebrated our 70th anniversary this past school year. We have about 450 students in grades four through twelve from all over the area, from about 90 public and private schools. We have ten different ensembles ranging from beginning strings for 4th and 5th graders to advanced Symphony Orchestra for our high school students. We send out several of our ensembles every fall. We send out six ensembles to perform for school children in the area, and then we also send a few groups in the springtime to perform for elementary and middle school audiences.”
Norlynn is herself an alumnus of the program. She tells us, “I was in this program as a child in middle school, and then my family moved out of state, and I went on to become a lawyer in Dallas. I practiced law in Dallas for about 33 years and then learned about this position and my parents had since moved back to Albuquerque, so I picked up this opportunity to come back and give back to a program that got me started on my journey with classical music-making and being a lover of classical music and so that's how I got into arts management.”
We asked the Youth Symphony Programs’ Music Director, Dan Whisler, how the program affects kids’ further education and adult careers. He told us, “We're kind of a training ground for people to go on and to be music majors in college or go into teaching music therapy or even professional playing. I think, however, that regardless of what profession they choose, there are valuable life skills that you gain in Youth Orchestra, such as commitment and discipline.”
Dan says that it helps with diverse socialization as well. He tells us, “You get all these kids from different walks of life, from different schools. Some of our students have come from as far away as a three-hour drive to play in the symphony with other kids that otherwise they would never have met and never known. Talking to past alums, some have met their lifelong best friends in our program.”
The program is financially supported by grants from private foundations, government funding, and corporate & private contributions.
Director Norlynn Price says, “We have concluded our audition cycle for the coming school year, but we do have open spots in just about every ensemble, so if there is a middle school or high school band orchestra student that is interested in learning more about the program or possibly exploring participating with us next year, they need to get in touch with us and set up an audition.”
The Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program building is located at 4407 Menaul Blvd. NE. Their phone number is 505.875.1319.
Talking to past alums, some have met their lifelong best friends in our program.