Sound of Charlotte Blog
The Charlotte Symphony is… Educating! With Youth Ensemble Conductor Eric Thompson
March 8, 2022
The Charlotte Symphony Youth Ensemble (CSYE) is a new training ensemble designed to bridge early music education with the Intermediate and Advanced Youth Orchestras. The CSYE is an introduction to music ensemble learning and provides regular coaching by Charlotte Symphony musicians and conducting staff. >> Learn more
We recently caught up with Eric Thompson, conductor of the Charlotte Symphony's new Youth Ensemble to hear about the group's first rehearsal and what he hopes students gain from the experience.
How does the Youth Ensemble differ from the Symphony's Youth Philharmonic and Youth Symphony?
Sometimes students are discouraged by the audition process, they might not have a private teacher or access to this level of music education, but this is an ensemble that they are able to play in. In this group, the ensemble playing comes first, then the rest.
I understand the Youth Ensemble recently had its first meeting how did it go?
It was absolutely amazing! The kids are very excited, many are playing in an orchestra for the first time. The excitement was certainly there and I can't wait to see what's going to happen!
What do you hope students will take away from their first season?
From this first season, I really hope that the students start that journey -- that lifelong pursuit and interest in music. I'm certainly hoping they learn to love music as much as I do. And I want to get them plugged into the music pipeline, not only the CSO's three ensembles, but other things, like Western Regionals, All-State, arts camps, and all the things they can get into with music. 
What other skills have you seen students develop from playing music?
Certainly, some of the skills that you gain from music and playing in an ensemble include a sense of community, confidence, motor skills -- but it's more than that. My brother started an El Sistema-based program in Philadelphia. Not too long after starting the program, the schools improved tremendously. The Principals thought that they were doing something like a study hall, but it was all the music. There are all these extra positive things that happen from being involved in music and an ensemble -- even without the kids knowing it! I'm really looking forward to seeing that happen.
What would you say to students who don't think orchestral music is for them?
Music is for everyone. Music is absolutely universal. I remember hearing my first live concert -- the New York Philharmonic performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in the Park. It was just so exciting! I see so many students who are not interested in orchestral music. But if they give it just a little bit of a chance, they are always excited about it. I would encourage students to give it a chance and give it a try. There are so many things out there that we can close ourselves off to because we've been told that it's not for us, or we assume that it's not for us. But when I think about all of the music that's out there from all of these different composers -- it really is just wonderful. 
... Read more
The Charlotte Symphony is… Music in Our Schools
March 2, 2022
More than 11,500 fifth-graders from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools packed the Belk Theater for the annual "One Musical Family" concerts held March 1-3, 2022.
For more than 30 years, March has been designated Music In Our Schools Month by the National Association for Music Education, and what better way for the Charlotte Symphony to celebrate than to welcome every CMS fifth-grader to a concert!
Since the 1950's, thousands of school children have been attending special Charlotte Symphony concerts that introduce them to orchestral music. It's all part of the Symphony's mission to nurture a passion for orchestral music in our community through diverse programming and top-notch instruction.
At this year's annual concert, funded by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board, students enjoyed music by Rossini, Mozart, Brahms, and more; including a new work by Syrian composer Kinan Abou-afach about the displacement of refugees. Students prepare for the concerts months in advance, using the Symphony's study guides, lesson plans, worksheets, and special activities.
The Symphony trip for CMS students is vital to the implementation of a comprehensive arts education," said Windy Fullagar, Performing Arts Specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. "Not only does it support our arts mission, but it also enables students to see and experience instrumental music in hopes they will want to explore it in the middle grades."
For nearly 70 years, the Charlotte Symphony has inspired and educated local school children through the power of music, and each year the Symphony's educational mission is growing stronger.
... Read more
Inspiring the Next Generation
November 2, 2021
A decades-long partnership between the Charlotte Symphony and Northwest School of the Arts continues to inspire the musicians of tomorrow.
After a quick tune, the musicians of Northwest School of the Arts Orchestra split into sectionals the cellos follow Charlotte Symphony cellist Denielle Wilson to work on the opening bars of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition while the first violins work on fingerings and technique with Kathleen Jarrell, assistant principal second violin for the Charlotte Symphony. These coaching sessions are part of a decades-long partnership between the Charlotte Symphony and Northwest School of the Arts, a CMS Magnet School that provides specialized arts instruction for students in grades 6-12.
The CSO's Northwest Residency Program is an immersive music education program in which NWSA students work intensively with professional Symphony musicians through individual, sectional, and ensemble settings.
"The students look forward to seeing the coaches come in," said NWSA Orchestra Director Erica Hefner. "I see students taking more ownership over their role in the ensemble, whether it's by being a leader, or by identifying their strengths and challenges."
Denielle Wilson, who recently joined the CSO, worked with NWSA cello students for the first time last month. "The students were very responsive and flexible. On the first day I was trying to get an idea of their playing levels and what they were comfortable with, and I found that they were all good at figuring out how to make music with their instruments independently, and that makes me excited as a coach!"
Kathleen Jarrell, on the other hand, has been coaching violin at NWSA for more than ten years. "It's been exciting to see the orchestra program's growth. I love helping kids feel more successful at violin, and helping them enjoy being a part of an orchestra. Performing is one of the great joys of my life, and helpings students find that joy and excitement is fulfilling."
Outside of regular coaching sessions, NWSA students attend CSO concerts and rehearsals and work with the Symphony's talented conducting staff. They can also enroll in Recital Seminar, a class unique to the region which focuses entirely on chamber music. CSO musicians serve as both coaches and mentors, focusing on the communication between players, music analysis, and expressive playing.
Erica has seen first-hand how this partnership has impacted the lives of her students both musically and personally. "Having someone who is a professional on your specific instrument tell you how, when, and why can be incredibly validating to a teenager. In a world where they are constantly questioning their choices and finding themselves, having a professional say 'Yes, that's it!' is motivating."
For Kathleen, it's about creating an experience that is enlightening and inspiring. "I hope the students come away from a coaching session with increased skills and with new confidence and a sense of accomplishment."
"Most of our students do not take private lessons, so having coaches work with them on solo audition material, as well as college audition material, is not only valuable it can be life changing!" ~Erica Hefner, NWSA Orchestra Director
In Her Own Words: Jirah Montgomery
September 30, 2021
My name is Jirah Montgomery, and I've been playing the violin for close to 13 years. Throughout the years, I've learned countless things about how to play the violin both skillfully and artistically. I've learned that playing every note in a piece of music perfectly does not equate to you mastering the piece. There may be a number of "rules" as a violinist, but it's the sole act of playing the violin that helps me feel liberated as I continue to grow up.
I started playing the violin in 3rd grade in a community program at my elementary school. It's where I met my first violin teacher, a woman I still learn from and now work with today. I had liked the act of playing/learning the violin, but I was not too keen on learning how to read sheet music. I would simply remember how a piece sounded as the class played it all together, go home, and play around on the violin until I found the correct notes by ear. I didn't get very far with this method, as the more challenging the music grew, the more challenging it was to "fake it till I made it". However, once my teacher found out my method, she made sure to spend time with me, showing me how to read music. Not only did she teach me how to read music, but she helped me find my passion for music. She taught me how to take the joy and motivation I felt from actually learning the notes and apply them to the music, literally.
That feeling continued throughout elementary to middle school, from middle school to high school, and then on. That joy I felt from my first year of playing the violin continued to grow through intense music camps/events, music auditions (both the successful ones and not so successful ones), good seating auditions, and not so good seating auditions. No matter what challenge I encountered and no matter how I came out at the end of the challenge, that joy stayed there, and eventually, through opportunities I was blessed to receive, I was able to share that joy with others.
I mentioned those music camps/events where I would be able to share my joy of music with others, but those were usually for a weekend or a week (at the most). It was the events through CSA, CSYO, and my middle/high school orchestra that helped me make longtime friends who also have a passion for music. I would look forward to the days where I would leave school and head to "reunion class" or CSYO rehearsals. Some of my fondest memories come from my reunion class days where we would have potlucks every once in a while. We would all bring our food of choice (it didn't matter whether it was homemade, KFC, or a cultural dish) and we would all sit and eat like a huge family (which we definitely were). I also have countless memories, all of them fond, from CSYO. The rehearsals were held at my high school, so every Tuesday my friends and I would meet in the orchestra room (where the rehearsal took place) before walking out to my car in the student parking lot. We would drive through after-school traffic to a cookout not too far from the school, and we would do this every Tuesday without fail. We would get back to the school, eat, and then help set up. It may seem simple to some, even a little "too much" to others, but it was something I genuinely looked forward to every week. What's better than a meal with close friends followed by playing beautiful but challenging music alongside other friends?
Even in the hardest times, I vividly remember music always helping me in some way. It could be listening to music, playing music, or downloading random sheets of music from IMSLP; without fail, music has always been there for me. A lot of people wonder where they would be had they not done something when they were younger; I have never wondered what my life would be like had I not continued to play the violin in elementary.
Right now, as a junior in college, I major in Criminal Justice and minor in Psychology. I've been asked what made me "stop liking the violin". I stand by my answer that I never stopped liking the violin and that I just found something else that I'm also passionate about. Music has always been, and will always be, a monumental part of my life. It's because of music that I've made the friends I have today, who in turn have shaped me into the person I am today. Music has quite literally had an effect on everything in my life, and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.
~Jirah Montgomery... Read more
Welcoming Back Our Youth Orchestra Musicians
September 9, 2021
The Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra is back for the 2021-22 season! On September 7, our Youth Orchestra Programs returned to in-person rehearsals at Park Road Baptist Church. Rehearsals resumed in the Gymnasium allowing for a greater number of students to socially distance while masked. Despite the larger rehearsal space, our attendance has grown and necessitated splitting the orchestra into two smaller groups for rehearsal purposes. Those mini orchestras are rehearsing the same repertoire and will later be combined for full rehearsals and concerts. Everyone on site was overjoyed and smiling beneath their masks at the prospect of making music again.... Read more
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