Rowan Youth Orchestra learns lessons from a different kind of playground

Rowan Youth Orchestra learns lessons from a different kind of playground

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Urban Playground oboist Hassan Anderson works with RYO students with Lady Jess observing

With an ever-expanding list of programs and outreach efforts, the Rowan Community Music School (CMS) recently hosted another first: a three-week residency with members of the Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra exclusively for the Rowan Youth Orchestra (RYO).

Urban Playground, a 21st century orchestra fueled by collaboration between artists from disparate backgrounds and experiences, worked with the RYO over the course of three Sunday sessions (April 11, 18, and 25). The focus of the residency was composition and improvisation. The RYO musicians also worked with the members to create pieces and perform them during the final session. “They spent a good bit of time with the students to discuss and work hands-on through the creative process,” noted CMS director Dr. Elizabeth Guerriero.

One of the goals for CMS, according to Guerriero, is to expose students to performers and others from the music world at the top of their professions. The representatives of Urban Playground participating in the residency included Lady Jess (violinist & collaborator with Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, The Roots, Pete Townsend), Kyra Sims (a French horn player who has toured with Lizzo, Jon Batiste, Carole King), and Hassan Anderson (oboist and Yale 2019 Teaching Artist of the Year), in addition to Executive Director Dr. Tom Cunningham, Guerriero’s one-time student at Westminster Choir College. “The kids were just totally blown away,” she added.

The students “are so multi-faceted in what they listen to and play; the written assignments in combination with the Zoom time have really made me feel personally connected to the kids, and to teaching,” Lady Jess said of her experience. “I am stimulated by this project in a way that I haven't been with others, and it's helped me to approach my own creative output in a beautifully different way.”

In shaping RYO under new Artistic Director Maestro Hayden Denesha, Guerriero has emphasized the importance of bringing in groups like Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra in order to broaden the students’ understanding of the definitions for orchestra, American music, and contemporary styles. She also noted the valuable contribution this type of program makes when one considers the current and on-going discussion about diversity in classical music.

“The energy and the passion with which these performers work is unparalleled,” Guerriero said of Urban Playground, recognizing the benefits of bringing in world class artists who can serve as models for the students. She also understands that such an opportunity was possible due to the need to work and engage virtually in the current environment. This has allowed CMS to bring in guests from Los Angeles, Omaha, and SUNY Fredonia, among other places, who might not have otherwise been able to visit in person.

The residency also offered a change and a treat for the RYO members, after 29 weeks of Sunday evening rehearsals. “We get to end the season on a high note,” Guerriero said. It can also be seen as a lead-in to the new RYO season, with auditions currently being held virtually through May 16. Learn more about the orchestra and auditions by visiting Rowan Youth Orchestra.