Abby Lorimier is one of the nation’s most talented high school cellists. On a Friday night this past December Boston Children’s Museum visitors had the privilege of hearing her play. Abby is a participant in the Center for the Development of Arts Leaders (CDAL) through NPR’s classical music radio show From the Top. Throughout the year, the talented, passionate, young musicians of From the Top lead musical demonstrations at the Museum.
It was at one of these performances, two months earlier that Kyung-Nam Oh, the conductor of the Youth Family Enrichment Services (YoFES) music program in Hyde Park, heard Matt Ludwig, another From the Top cellist. The program inspired him to suggest that his students perform at the Museum. A few phone calls later, and it was all set. Mr. Oh’s students would come to the Museum, listen and learn from the FTT musician, and then perform themselves.
It was a wonderful night of music beginning with Abby’s performance. In the audience were Museum visitors from infants to adults as well as the YoFES middle school musicians who came specifically for the performance. Abby performed music ranging from excerpts from Antonin Dvorak’s virtuosic Cello Concerto in B minor to the ever popular “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. This was followed by the Youth Family Enrichment Services musicians’ concert of holiday music. Boston Children’s Museum brought out the child in all the musicians, who had a blast playing in the exhibits after the performances ended.
This was more that an enjoyable evening of live music. It was a coming together of like-minded organizations that share a mission to inspire Boston’s youth. Both organizations exemplify the power of music to bring communities together. The YoFES music program uses music to develop skills of teamwork, creative thinking, and perseverance. From the Top employs live events and innovative media, scholarship, and leadership programs to empower extraordinary young people to engage music lovers of all ages.
How did this all come together? It is the product of ongoing collaborations between Museum staff and performing arts organizations. Boston Children’s Museum brings together artists and organizations to build a community that plays music together, offering a friendly, accessible, performing environment for musicians and audiences. As part of this effort Boston Children’s Museum is partnering with Boston Symphony Orchestra for their first ever Symphony Play Day, on Sunday, April 3rd. This will be a day full of music performances and activities where children can discover and explore musical expression. It is also an opportunity for some of the music organizations of Boston, including Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, Project STEP, New England Conservatory, YoFES, From the Top, and Boston Symphony Orchestra; to collaborate, share their passion, and encourage other musicians to come together and play.
Listen to these great partnerships in action at one of these upcoming concerts:
March 13, 2016 – Handel & Haydn Society Singers
March 18, 2016, April 22, 2016, May 6, 2016 – From the Top
April 3, 2016 – Symphony Play Day, with Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, Project STEP, New England Conservatory, Youth Family Enrichment Services Orchestra, and From the Top
April 9, 2016 – Boston Children’s Chorus
April 10, 2016 and April 17, 2016 – New England Philharmonic
May 1, 2016 – Acera Drum Corps
May 13, 2016 – Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra
June (Date TBD) – Silk Road Project
The Power of Play 