YAMA LIVE at Valley Mall!

Plus burgers, fries, and roller skates

Earlier this spring, our Philharmonia and Combo orchestras participated in a pop-up concert at the Valley Mall. For an hour, they serenaded mall-goers and YAMA supporters in the Central Court with full ensemble pieces and sectional solos. 

The mall’s high ceilings contributed to some incredible acoustics — YAMA could be heard all throughout the mall with zero amplification. The music lured in more and more audience members. Combo’s rendition of The Curse of the Rosin Eating Zombies, which features screaming, was a particularly effective attention grabber. 

After the concert, YAMA students packed up and set off on a special Yakima extravaganza day, going from the Mall to Miner’s to Skateland — true Yakima classics. We feasted on burgers and fries at Miner’s Drive-In Restaurant and learned to skate at Skateland. For several students and staff members, this was their first time on roller skates, and this was certainly a unique learning experience. 

Trips like these are one of the unique perks of our program. These field trips allow students and staff to deepen our connection through performing music in public together, but also allow us to try new things and take risks together. Doing so outside of our normal classroom and rehearsal spaces enhances our ability to bond and create memories together. 

Bonus Reel

We prompted student groups to take the silliest group photos — here are the results.