The (musical) kids are back in town
Last summer, the College of Music andĢż (SPA) kicked off a new partnership to welcome 22 talented string studentsāages 11-17āto our campus forĢżan intensive scholarship program emphasizing cultural diversity.Ģż
This month, June 20-30, itās dĆ©jĆ¢ vu as auditioned youths engage in lessons, master classes and performances with their instructors and guest teachersāall under the auspices of the Sphinx Organization and thanks to a DEI Impact Grant from the CU Boulder Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Thatās a lot to plan and implement. Yet for Alex Gonzalezāreturning SPA faculty member and College of Music assistant professor of violināitās all a joy. āItās wonderful to see how the SPA gives the kids space to grow, presenting them options as they pursue music,ā he says.
In between, Gonzalez explains, the students do more than improve their skills on violin, viola, cello and bass: āFor example, Jim Brody, who runs the College of Musicās wellness program, instructed them in healthy playing habits. Itās so important for them to learn how to prevent injury and avoid poor practice positions.ā Gonzalez also notes a master class by violinist Andrea Segar whoāll join the College of Music faculty as assistant professor of violin this fall.Ģż
Success stories are many. Among the 22 students whoāve flown in from around the country, a few are returning from last summerās inaugural SPA on our campus; and, according to Gonzalez, three students from the first cohort have applied for admission to CU Boulder and were acceptedāincluding SPA alum Ryannah Blackman who will join Gonzalezās violin studio as a freshman performance major this fall. āShe told me, āThe SPA made me want to settle here,āāĢżhe says.Ģż
A member of the Sphinx Virtuosi where heās concertmaster, touring extensively with the group across the country and abroad, Gonzalez understands first-hand that the road to success in music isnāt without its challenges. But programs like the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, established in 1997 to focus on āincreasing representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music,ā have done much to ease and advance that journey.
Intense teaching and motivation are valuable, of course, but the SPA provides something else, Gonzales discovered: āThereās a sense of community here, friendships have developed,āĢżhe says. āThese kids are sharing their love of music, of being together. I think it lifts them up.Ģż
āTheyāve worked hard but they got Sundays off, so they went on field trips. They went to the Pearl Street Mall and they took hikes. They got to see Boulder.āĢż
See you next year, SPA!
SPA faculty and students will perform in Grusin Music Hall tonight and this weekend.
Photos: Kathryn Bistodeau, Sphinx Organization