Winter 2011

The LA Phil partners with the Longy School of Music and Bard College to support music for social change

This fall, the LA Phil announced Take a Stand, a partnership with the Longy School of Music and Bard College that supports social change through music. The joint initiative offers field-wide conferences and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Music degree program focused on training a new generation of teachers in the El Sistema philosophy. Click here to listen to Gustavo Dudamel and LA Phil President and CEO Deborah Borda discuss the innovative new partnership. And don't miss the inaugural Take a Stand Symposium coming up this January in Los Angeles – we hope to see you there!

New YOLA at HOLA students receive violins during second annual paper orchestra concert

On November 5, YOLA at HOLA kicked off the fall season with its first community concert in Lafayette Park (attended by City Councilmember Ed Reyes!), featuring all 180 students in the program's performing ensembles. The concert also included a special performance by YOLA at HOLA's new first-grade paper orchestra, whose members received their real violins in a ceremony led by LA Phil violinist Elizabeth Baker. To learn more about the paper orchestra curriculum, click here.

YOLA's fall enrollment reaches 500 students

What a difference a year makes! As of this fall, enrollment across both YOLA sites, at EXPO and HOLA, has reached 500 students. Click here to see the progress that 100 budding musicians made in the first year of YOLA at HOLA, as well as their joint performance with the seasoned members of YOLA at EXPO. How do the "veteran" students feel about having new children join their orchestras? In the words of ten-year-old YOLA at HOLA clarinet player Alison, "I'm happy to have new members because there are kids out there who don't have the opportunity to play music, and now they do."

Coming Soon: YOLA performs with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

During their upcoming residency for the LA Phil's Mahler Project, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela will make unprecedented contributions to the community as a part of the LA Phil's education and community programs – including a family concert with YOLA students at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown L.A. At the performance – which is free and open to the public – members of the renowned professional orchestra will join forces with students from both YOLA sites. To see how YOLA at EXPO's Chamber Orchestra is gearing up for this exciting event, click here to watch the group prepare repetoire during a recent rehearsal with Gustavo Dudamel.

YOLA in the Press

New York Times – Los Angeles Orchestra to Lead Youth Effort (10/4/11)

LA Times – LA Phil announces a joint musical education initiative (10/5/11)

LA Times – LA Phil gears up for El Sistema-inspired symposium (11/9/11)

Associated Press – L.A. takes baton as flagship for youth orchestras (11/13/11)

BBC Mundo – Dudamel inspira a jóvenes músicos en Los Ángeles (video feature - 11/17/11)

For more YOLA-related press, photos, and video, visit our YOLA Media Library.

Student Spotlight

Name: Alison, age 10
Program: YOLA at HOLA
Instrument: Clarinet
Why do you like being in YOLA? It's fun. I can forget about school and don't feel like I'm left behind.
What are the favorite pieces that you’ve learned? It's between [Rossini's] Barber of Seville and [Brahms'] Hungarian Dance No. 5.
What do you like about those two? Well, the Brahms is challenging, and I really like the melody – but the Rossini is really fast, and the player can feel a lot of emotion and excitement.

Stakeholder Spotlight

The El Sistema-inspired Incredible Children's Art Network (ICAN) music program has proudly established a footprint at Franklin School in Santa Barbara, CA. Now in the midst of its first full year, the program is currently serving nearly 75 of Franklin's students between 1st and 5th grade, who receive instruction on violin, cello, or viola on a daily basis from one of nine dedicated teachers. The program also boasts choir classes, weekly recorder and percussion classes, and homework help each day. Through frequent student performances, the program has already made an impact within the community, forming important relationships with parents and community leaders. Moreover, the students have already had a number of workshop opportunities this year - including visits from jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton and Opera Santa Barbara - and have been exposed to music ranging from mariachi to Celtic harp. For more info, Santa Barbara's KDB93.7 recently produced a two-part feature on ICAN, found here and here. More information can also be found on ICAN's website, www.icansbc.org.

Click here for more information about the YOLA Stakeholder Network.

Leadership support for the LA Phil's Education and Community Programs is provided by Fidelity Investments, the Annenberg Foundation, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, Amgen Foundation, The Rose Hills Foundation, and the Lee and Hope Landis Warner YOLA Student Fund.