On Saturday Jan. 26, young violin, viola, cello and bass players from Southwest Seattle schools will fill the Chief Sealth International High School auditorium with the sound of their hard work and dedication. The third annual “Super String Saturday” concert showcases elementary and middle school string players who have been working with professional musicians hired by the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras. This is a free community event.
From from 10:30 to 11 a.m., the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra will perform, and from 11 to 11:40 a.m., the elementary students will perform side-by-side with the Youth Symphony. Attendees can also check out the instrument petting zoo and other music resources after the concert.
The concert is part of SYSO in the Schools, an outreach program with a mission to increase access to outstanding music education in Seattle area public schools. Musician coaches lead small group and individualized instruction to deepen the quality of the students’ musical skills. Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras provides the coaches free to the Concord, Roxhill, Sanislo, Arbor Heights, Gatewood, West Seattle and Highland Park elementary schools and Denny International Middle School in the southwest region of the school district – an area which historically has had lower participation rates in instrumental music due to economic barriers.
The Southwest Seattle String project was initiated in 2008 to provide music coaches to collaboratively teach with Seattle Public Schools’ instrumental music teachers during the school day. In the elementary schools, coaches also offer a free before school lesson each week as well as coaching through the West Seattle Community Orchestra, essentially tripling the lesson time available to students and supplying private lessons free of charge. Several foundations and individual donors have generously supported this program.
Southwest Seattle Super String Saturday is an opportunity for these young musicians to engage in peer-to-peer learning as they play alongside the top-level youth symphony. Musicians as young as 9 or 10 will sit alongside an accomplished high school student, potentially on his or her way to a professional music career.
As Carmela Dellino, former Roxhill Elementary principal and current executive director of schools (West Seattle region) explains: “When I was principal at Roxhill Elementary, I saw students who, because the SYSO coaches were there to nurture their musical skills, not only persevered in their instrument playing, but brought that same focus to other areas of study. These skills prepare students, even at the elementary level, for college and career.”
As the musicians play on the stage in the Chief Sealth High School auditorium they will discover that they are part of the historic redevelopment of a robust orchestra program at what – in a few years – will be their high school. Since the program began, orchestra enrollment at Denny International Middle School has increased 300 percent, necessitating three levels of orchestra classes.
For more information about Southwest Seattle Super String Saturday or the SYSO in the Schools program, please contact 206-362-2300 or visit www.syso.org.
