South Valley Symphony
South Valley Symphony
Schedule and Tickets : www . southvalleysymphony . org
General Admission $ 20.00 Children under 18 & Students with valid ID , FREE
Ticket Locations : Morgan Hill- Booksmart Gilroy - Porcellas Music ; First Street Coffee Hollister - PostalGraphics San Juan Bautista - The Mission Gallery
Written & Photographed By Laura Wrede
“ Tony ” - leads the thirty-nine-member symphony . They perform four concerts a year , three at Gavilan College and one at Mission San Juan Batista , and hold an annual youth competition for kids ages ten through eighteen .
For the last seven years , Tony ’ s skillful direction has deftly pulled harmonious sounds from each musician as they concentrate , watching for his precise movements taking each musician through a series of what is best described as a syncopated musical dance . The impact is hard to put into words . Let me try and paint a picture :
Imagine for a moment going down Monterey to the corner of Fifth in Gilroy . You walk into Fifth Street Coffee Roasting Company ; order your favorite cup of espresso . Your friend ’ s join you , arguing about politics and the state of the union . You wander outside , sit at the sidewalk table still listening to the heated debate , when all of the sudden , from out of nowhere , Julie Andrews appears singing the Sound of Music to a full orchestra playing behind her . Your friends stop arguing and listen . Doesn ’ t your day suddenly seem brighter ? More alive and happy ?
That ’ s what Tony and the South Valley Symphony do every time they perform . They change our world when they play – even if just for a few hours . And when I mentioned the Sound of Music could you hear it in your head ? That ’ s because music has a way of leaving a lasting impression on your life . Long after words leave us , music can stay in our memory forever . It ’ s this life long impact , however , that brings up uncertainty for Tony . He expressed his concern for the future of the Symphony – that we ’ ll lose it for our future generations .
The Future of South Valley Symphony Right now “ there is a core of people who really love it ; who really care , and see the value and see that it ’ s way beyond going to a concert and enjoying music . The value is in investing in the cultural richness and education of the community . The passion has kept it alive and thriving for forty years ,” said Tony . But where will tomorrow ’ s musicians come from ?
South Valley Symphony Board of Directors President Christine
Hopwood shared Tony ’ s insight into the lack of musical education in the schools . “ It means that children don ’ t learn to appreciate music ,” said Christine . With program cuts kids won ’ t learn how to play instruments . If they don ’ t learn to play , where will the next generation of symphony players come from ? Sadly , there is a often a lack of understanding from the general public as to why music is vital in our public schools .
There ’ s strong evidence showing that kids do better in school , have stronger reading and math skills and higher general intelligence scores when they are musically trained . Music has even shown to have an impact on social development and self-esteem according to some studies . Musical training has a much greater reach beyond the emotional impact of listening to music , even though that is valuable in and of itself .
As the years go on , creating a multigenerational continuum working together is a huge priority to Tony . The Symphony is much like any team . When a high school student joins in , they have the ability to learn from an accomplished musician . It ’ s an incredible benefit to the student . They are able to learn to play , as well as learn how to react to the other musicians in an orchestra setting . It ’ s a rare opportunity when a teen and an eighty-year-old master musician can come together and speak the same language - music bridges that gap as it creates a “ singular expressive statement .” Music is the one area that puts aside a lot of things that society says divides us and gives us a sole purpose that unites us and from that we are able to create something beautiful together .
“ Performing arts organizations are dying all over the place . And this group has consistently been delivering concerts for over forty years ,” said Tony . It ’ s an incredible feat for a small community like ours to accomplish . The Symphony ’ s mission is “ to make live music available for all ages , and in particular to introduce major modern and classical works to younger generations .”
Through the tireless efforts of many dedicated people and donors throughout these last forty years , South Valley ’ s bestkept secret continues to thrive . After four decades though , it ’ s probably time for the secret to finally get out .
W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y
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