((PKG) AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS NEED TO LOOK LIKE AMERICA / DIVERSITY IN ORCHESTRAS
((TRT: 04:05))
((Topic Banner: Diversity in Orchestras))
((Producer/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main characters: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 3 male))
((Blurb: This Youth Orchestra is the Largest Majority Black Orchestra in the U.S.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
Two, three and four.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Charles Dickerson
Conductor))
There are youth orchestras all over the United States. Most of them are in suburbs. Most of them are in outlying areas, not in inner city areas. They are in areas where there is great wealth. They are in areas that are very Anglo. There aren’t youth orchestras in the middle of the ghetto, and that’s where these young people live. And they can play. They can play just as well, if not better.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Charles Dickerson
Conductor))
To my best knowledge, our orchestra, the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, is now the largest primarily African-American orchestra in the entire country. Youth or not, we certainly are the largest youth orchestra.
Well, we’re full now. We’ve grown from that original 9 to 24. When we play a full concert at like a Disney Hall now, we got 125,130 young people on that stage.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Charles Dickerson
Conductor))
The inspiration came from the young people who wanted a place to do music that was safe, that was in their community, where they didn’t have to go miles and miles away to do it, where it didn’t cost them anything. When they asked me to do it, it’s kind of hard to say no.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((DaQuan Robinson
Orchestra Member))
He called me and asked me, “Would I be interested in starting a youth orchestra?” Along with me, I got eight other responses, and the nine of us started this group at the beginning of the summer of 2009.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Jordan Busa
Orchestra Member))
Organization grew and grew and grew, and next thing I know, I was playing for Michelle Obama. I was playing on the National Mall. I am also playing at the Hollywood Bowl, for the NFL [National Football League]. I’ve met so many different people and I’ve gained so much performing experience.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Charles Dickerson
Conductor))
We take young people as young as ten years old, and the core of our orchestra are young people who are middle school and high school age. The young people don’t pay. We don’t charge a tuition or a fee, so that they can participate. I think just about every young person who is in our orchestra today has their own instrument. But if they don’t have an instrument, we will provide an instrument for them at no cost.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Charles Dickerson
Conductor))
Those young people who participate in our program, they’re involved in high level activity. They’re going to make it in other areas of life that are high level. The disciplines of music are transferable into other areas of life. To learn how to play, you got to practice. To practice, that means doing something over and over and over again in the pursuit of excellence until you get it right. When you instill this kind of discipline in a young child, you’re changing the world.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Charles Dickerson
Conductor))
I’m of the view that we need to have an inner city youth orchestra in every city of the United States, where there is a substantial number of, where there is a critical mass of young people who are Black. My mantra is, we need to have one every place where there is an NFL team.0725
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Luis Jimenes
Orchestra Member))
I am Brown. I’m Hispanic. I play French horn in this orchestra. I am very lucky to be a member of this orchestra for many years.
Especially when it comes to classical music and orchestras, they do not have enough Hispanic people or African American people in those groups. And thanks to this orchestra, they give us an opportunity to prove that we do belong in those groups, that we belong to be on those stages playing Mozart, Haydn, Mahler.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Charles Dickerson
Conductor))
If American orchestras are going to survive, American orchestras need to look like America. We need to look like Black people. We need to look like Latino people. We need to have members who are from native American community. Orchestras need to be just like America.
((NATS/MUSIC))