Agency Update: Youth Orchestras of San Antonio
Learning to play an instrument in school is a rite of passage for many students, but historically marginalized communities of color often have struggled to provide the best opportunities to their students. The Rising Star Fellows program of the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio is working to expand opportunities for young musicians of color around our area. The program, which began in 2018, received a 2021 Support Grant from Impact San Antonio.
The launch of Rising Star Fellows followed a decade of other work focused on diversifying YOSA’s pool of young musicians, said YOSA Music Director Troy Peters. The YOSA Music Center, which received a 2009 High Impact Grant from Impact SA, and the YOSA MAS program were earlier efforts.
“YOSA has built strong relationships with colleagues at other organizations around the country who were also committed to bringing more musicians of color into classical music,” Peters said. “As we shared ideas and best practices with these colleagues, the template for Rising Star Fellows emerged.”
YOSA works with six area school districts to identify young musicians for the Rising Star Fellows program. Most of the Fellows attend San Antonio, Northside and Southwest ISDs, but students from North East, Southside and Boerne ISDs also participate, said Sara Vicinaiz, YOSA programs manager for diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Our application process asks for nominations from school (music) directors and private lessons students, so we actively work with educators to identify young, passionate musicians for this program,” she said.
At present, 16 students are involved in the program, but YOSA plans to add four more students in 2023, she said. All are Black, Hispanic/Latino or Native American.
The students typically choose their stringed, wind or percussion instruments in the fifth or sixth grade through a music education program at their school. They enter the Rising Star Fellows program in the ninth or 10thgrade. YOSA is working on increasing its supply of instruments that students can borrow if they don’t get one from their school, Vicinaiz noted.
Rising Star’s benefits go well beyond loaned instruments, however. YOSA provides financial support for private lessons, orchestra tuition assistance, summer music camps, tickets to local classical music concerts, opportunities for workshops with professional musicians, general mentoring, and advice on college programs. Impact SA’s 2021 Support Grant is helping fund the private lessons provided by symphony musicians and music educators, Vicinaiz said.
YOSA holds an annual Summer Symphony Camp that Rising Star Fellows can attend, but many choose national summer programs such as the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Michigan or the National Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
The students’ families are very involved, beginning with the application period when YOSA staff meet with the students and their families. There are regular check-ins with the families once the students enter the program, and family members also can volunteer at some of the activities, Vicinaiz said.
The first class of Rising Star Fellows will graduate from high school in June. Two Fellows will be pursuing music professionally, while two plan to study computer science and pre-med biology, respectively, she said.
“The results of their musical training have been fantastic,” Vicinaiz said. “They are committed and passionate musicians involved in YOSA, but they also venture out into other music disciplines like mariachi, marching band and contemporary music. They excel in regional music competitions and are on the honor roll at school.”
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