Creative Crescendo
Building up a new generation of capable instrumentalists involves cultivating the whole musician. It’s something that the South Dakota Symphony Youth Orchestra (SDSYO) has been able to bolster tenfold in recent years and a facet that Operations and Youth Orchestra Manager Jess Johannsen hopes continues for many more to come.
“You get a little bit of the exposure you’d get if you plan to continue on with your music journey academically or professionally,” she said. “You get the discipline of preparing repertoire with a group of people at a high standard of performance. You also get experience in listening to people from all over the state and region.”
The SDSYO organization, an offshoot of the larger South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO), boasts students both from here in Sioux Falls and as far-reaching as Freeman, Brookings and Luverne, Minn. SDSYO’s four large ensembles include the high-school-age Youth Orchestra, the middle-school-age Philharmonia, the middle- and elementary-school-age Sinfonia and the beginner-level Prelude Strings ensembles.
And beyond simply playing with each other in a concert setting, the students additionally have opportunities to perform in the smaller Camerata Chamber Ensembles, a factor that Johannsen sees as a huge asset in nurturing self-starting musicians.
“The chamber groups, in a lot of cases, aren’t led by instructors or teachers nor formally conducted,” she said of the programming, open to those aged six to 18. “The students sort of have their own ensemble, which is a really great exercise in listening and eye contact and nonverbal cues.
“I’ve seen students who start off in chamber groups go on to perform in youth orchestra together and have established bonds. Plus, you have a little more room to explore repertoire. Our last two chamber concerts included everything from Bach to big band.”
In addition to the opportunity to play alongside fellow youth musicians, as well as to receive instruction from and play alongside adult members of the SDSO, participants can also engage in a composers’ club with music director Thomas Fortner, an element of youth orchestra programming about which Johannsen is particularly excited.
“There’s a little bit of music theory, there are some guest speakers—it’s evolving in a cool way,” she said of the club, which is open to any and all interested and has already produced a work the orchestra played in a concert setting. “This season they’re working on writing pop music.”
This level of variety is something at the heart of the SDSYO mission to inspire young musicians to pursue artistic passions. And it goes beyond simply playing, as SDSYO additionally provides an outlet for students who might be looking for social acceptance.
“The thing that always warms my heart the most is when you see students find their people,” Johannsen said. “You get to find a group of kids who are interested in the same things as you. I’ve been with the organization almost three years now, and it’s really neat to see personal growth with these students.
“They come out of their shells, and you start to see their natural personalities. When they first arrive, they’re naturally kind of nervous and shy and introverted a lot of the time. As they go through the process, I can see them becoming more of their fully formed personas.”
After a year of adjustment to navigate COVID-19, including capping enrollment and decreased outreach availability to schools, SDSYO intends on using the latter half of 2021 as an opportunity to bounce back to pre-pandemic recruitment levels.
“I like to think of SDSYO as a very welcoming environment,” Johannsen said. “We’re here for anybody who’s interested in this style of music, and it’s a very open, collaborative environment. A safe space for people who maybe aren’t used to playing in large groups.”