“Youth Serving Through Music”
NYSO considers outreach concerts to be a high priority both as a way to serve the communities and a way to build responsible citizenship in our young musicians. Each year all ensembles participate in at least one of ten special concerts as part of fulfilling NYSO’s community service goals.
The small ensembles perform for senior citizen homes in Andover, Danvers, Newburyport, North Andover, Ipswich and other towns. In addition they perform concerts at a program in Lawrence, for the senior citizens center in Ipswich and a benefit concert for Thanksgiving Day baskets at First Church in Ipswich. Every member of NYSO participates in some part of “Youth Serving Through Music.”
In 1998-99, we began sponsorship of a pilot violin program at the Community Day Charter School and latchkey program in Lawrence, where selected students are learning to play the violin. Students in the program are from Afro-American, Puerto Rican, Haitian and Anglo backgrounds. Beginning with three students, the program rapidly expanded and presently provides over 75 students with violin instruction, group and performance opportunities. NYSO students provide mentoring each Friday and Tuesday afternoon at the Lawrence school and also on Saturdays and during summer weeks.