“The on-stage performance of a symphony orchestra is just the tip of the iceberg,” writes Deanna Tham in Sunday’s (7/5) Ledger (Lakeland, FL). Tham is principal conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras and assistant conductor at the Jacksonville Symphony. “The product you see on stage in one professional musician is the conclusion of the work of dozens of educators, hundreds of school and rented instruments, and thousands of fingers, lungs and minds that have reaped countless life skills from collaborative music…. This work is … the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras’ (JSYO) partnership with Communities in Schools (CIS). CIS provides free after-school tutoring and extracurricular programs…. Patrice Evans, violinist with the Jacksonville Symphony … works with after-school students…. She loves seeing those lightbulb moments: when the students finally experience the satisfaction of a collaborative duet…. The way forward for the symphony orchestra is daunting, but we must remember that when it comes to our legacy, we only reap what we sow. I have the unique privilege, as assistant conductor … to get an up-close look at the future…. I am so very proud of the deep connection between the Jacksonville Symphony and our community.”
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