2019 Spring Newsletter
YAMA Music
How are we doing as both a music program and a social program? Developing students both musically and socially are interconnected processes that must work together.
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Beauty Begins the Moment you Decide to Be Yourself
YAMA Music
YAMA has been a huge part of my life and has introduced me to one of my closest friends. In YAMA I’ve learned to be comfortable in my own skin. YAMA Philharmonia has recently had the opportunity to go to Seattle to meet and work with incredible musicians. Not only were we able to grow in our skill, we grew closer together. I felt myself become vulnerable during the trip and embrace my identity more. And that’s the thing about music, it has the ability to help you find a piece of yourself. It has the ability to create peace.
I am a person who is very insecure and has found myself at one point being very insecure in not only my appearance but in my playing. In this season of my life I would have the ugliest feelings when I heard myself play; I would cry and feel so ashamed and think about the girl who was in love with music. But I realized something: I have nothing to be ashamed of because my friends and mentors were lending me their support. And I felt the love of music again in the YAMA trip this spring. I felt all of my YAMA family come closer, learn more about each other, specifically at the end of the first night of the trip we all played, laughed and just truly felt like a family.
The Seattle trip definitely helped me gain different techniques in my playing that I now use daily. When we had clinics from various incredible musicians I was really intimidated from the feedback I would hear. But after a while with hanging out with them I felt a change in my playing ability.
I became more comfortable in how I sounded. And you could definitely hear everyone be more comfortable and just give their all in the songs. Music not only unites us but helps us feel more comfortable. Unity is so important. And I’m so grateful that I am able to share the same love of music with people my age.
Florinta Lopez (‘cellist, 8th grade) is in her fourth year of YAMA. “YAMA truly is a special program and an amazing blessing in my life,” she shared, “It has helped me grow so much in my musical ability and has helped me become stronger and more confident.”
Student Reflection
YAMA Music
In June of 2016, three of our leadership students were flown to Aspen, CO, to participate in the regional National Take A Stand Festival, an initiative of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bard College, and the Longy School of Music. All accepted students passed a rigorous audition and application process. Once in Colorado, they worked with some of the best teachers in the US and met students from around the country. Here is one student's reflection of her experience.
Enerida Mendoza, Daniela Vazquez, and Nataly Mendoza as they prepare to leave on their adventure.
My name is Daniela. Going to Aspen was an amazing experience for me. I had the opportunity to get an idea of what it could be when I grow up and keep playing the cello. At first it was scary because I didn't know anyone but then I got to know them and they were really nice. The first thing we did when we got there was to eat and then move in. My roommates and I started talking and it wasn't so bad. There names were Gabriela and Samantha. Gabriela plays the cello and Samantha plays the bass. The next day when we started playing and went to the Aspen Music School they said that some of the rooms we were going to be working in were new. Hearing that some of the rooms were new felt cool because we were going to be the first ones to use them. Playing was a little hard because it was going faster than what we expected it to be. But it was still really fun. By the time for that concert I could play it a little better because it was still going really fast I got to learn a lot of new techniques like when you audition for programs like that you have to practice really fast and really slow because you don't know how fast or slow it's going. So it can be hard to catch up to speed. I also learned that if you want to speed up you play it slow and short so that then you can just remove the gaps and play it faster.
Other than the really fast parts it was really fun making new friend from all over and getting to play with them and know them more was really fun. And knowing that out of many people you were chosen was special. And at the end I didn't want to leave.
Taking in the natural beauty of Colorado