“On a recent morning, a teen living at the Metro Regional Center, a Department of Youth Services facility, nervously stood in front of a string quartet in a windowless recreation room,” reports Cintia Lopez on Wednesday (1/2) at Boston radio station WBUR. “Trying his hand at conducting a group of classically trained musicians, he tentatively moved his hands like a conductor, setting the tempo for the musicians as they played Bach’s ‘The Art of Fugue.’ … On this day, the teens were being visited by musicians from Sarasa, a Boston-based chamber ensemble. Artistic Director Timothy Merton … founded Sarasa about 20 years ago…. The group now performs in youth service facilities about a dozen times a year. For the teen, Sarasa taught him that he can listen to classical music to calm down when he is feeling angry…. Seeing the teens connect with the music reminds cellist [and current artistic director] Jennifer Morsches of her own discovery of classical music. ‘That’s where I learned much about classical music, watching “Bugs Bunny,” ‘ Morsches said. ‘And a lot of people react, young kids, react that way. It’s true and it does sound like Tom and Jerry chasing.’ ”
Posted January 2, 2019
