ROCHESTER, N.Y. — As events like concerts and musicals slowly move back to normal in the pandemic, youth orchestras and music programs are continuing to take a cautious approach. For those musicians, not being able to play for crowds has been difficult.
Great things are rarely achieved by just one person. It takes a team. And truly great things take practice. That’s what brought a group of Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra musicians to a Henrietta hotel conference room on a recent Sunday.
“It’s magical. It’s really cool when you can just sit in a room, and it's all feeling,” said Megan Van Wie, a senior at Webster Thomas. “You all kind of connect in a way that you can't really do with other things. Everyone's just kind of in the zone and really deep and focused, and everyone really lets their artistic side show and connect with each other.”
It’s those types of connections for members of RYPO which, for much of the last year, has been missing.
“Usually we get together every week for three hours,” said Elizabeth Norris, a Brighton High School sophomore. “But that was before COVID.”
The pandemic kept these young, talented musicians apart for much of the past year.
“Well, it was a lot more practicing,” said Jeremy Trowbridge, a junior at Geneva High School. “I had a lot of extra time on my hands to improve my instrument.”
The hour-long Sunday practice featured woodwinds in one room and horns in another; just one way RPYO had to get creative to keep the music going.
“Every week has been a new challenge,” said Irene Narotski, RPYO manager. “We have done a lot of different things this year, all in the mission of making it as robust and enriching a program for our students as possible.”
Everyone has been forced to find new ways to engage students. ROCmusic Collaborative has held its recitals and programs virtually.
“Of course, just like everyone else, the pandemic has certainly provided challenges,” said Armand Hall, with Rocmusic Collaborative. "But I tend to focus on the positive. We’ve been able to do a lot of things for our students that we were never able to do, that we weren't as an organization able to imagine.”
That includes bringing in music teachers from around the country. Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra musicians made videos — introducing their instruments to children — programs usually held in schools. RPO “Orchidstra” performances usually draw buses full of kids from all over the area. COVID-19 restrictions mean these shows are now being recorded and shown in schools.
They’ll actually be seen by more kids than they usually would.
“You can't get through this year without being on Zoom constantly,” said Barbara Brown, RPO director of education. “And it's been a great opportunity for musicians to connect with, frankly, more kids than we would in a traditional year.”
Reaching kids — even in normal times — was always the point.
“They say if you can just get one, you know, then you've done your job,” said Herbert Smith, RPO trumpeter and guest conductor. “But we're not trying to get one. We're trying to get all of them here."
To Smith, music is just one part. Many of RPO’s programs reach kids in the city. He believes music helps them with math and other school subjects as well.
For the RPYO student-musicians, being able to practice in person after months of doing so virtually is a blessing.
“It’s been a fun experience to come back as a group together, and to try to get back to normal,” said McQuaid senior Julian Joseph. “It was a rough time, but I’m very glad to be back.”
Every musician knows — a symphony can’t be played alone. It takes an orchestra; one that can’t wait to play for crowds once again.
“That would be amazing,” said Sabrina Engin, a senior at Pittsford-Mendon. “I would hope that we get to that point, but there is so much uncertainty. You can't be sure, but that would that would be amazing.”