yona-sistema quarter notes: july 2014
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Quarter Notes
The music room is quiet, the snacks
have all been eaten, and the
students are busily practicing at
home (hopefully!). The first year of
the Youth Orchestra of Northern
Alberta (YONA-Sistema) pilot
program has come to a close.
The past ten months have been an
amazing journey for everyone
involved with the program. The
YONA-Sistema team has witnessed
amazing growth, not only in our
students, whose social, emotional,
language, and musical abilities have
skyrocketed, but also in ourselves
and our own skills (if you’re ever in
need of a 5-minute singing game or
a way to get the attention of a group
of 8-year-olds, just ask any of our
staff!).
Now it’s time to get ready for next
year! YONA-Sistema staff have nine
weeks over the summer to prepare
for orientation and recruitment of 20
more students into the program.
With the addition of lower string
Our first year is done!
instruments into the mix this fall,
we’re busy readying instruments,
music, and teaching materials for
September.
In this edition of Quarter Notes, you’ll
learn about “Road to Joy”, the
concert in which our students made
their public debut onstage at the
Winspear Centre with the Edmonton
Symphony Orchestra. You’ll meet
Carol, one of our superstar students,
and you’ll hear from some of our
YONA families and students about
how the program has impacted
their lives.
If you’d like to check in on our YONA
community more frequently, visit
www.yona-sistema.com where you’ll
find blog posts, student profiles, and
lots of photos and videos!
Thanks for reading, and all the best!
We’ll see you in the fall!
- Mr. Lucas, Ms. Alyssa, and the
YONA Team
“YONA-Sistema is
giving [my child]
the ability to
dream again – to
think anything is
possible.”
- YONA Parent
William, playing his very first solo
recital for his peers in February
YONA Students, Staff, and Volunteers on the last day of class
Vision To kindle long-term positive change in Edmonton’s marginalized populations and communities by engaging the region’s under-served youth in music education. Values
• Inclusivity • Community • Ensemble • Peer mentorship • Intensive instruction
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Quarter Notes ● Issue 2 ● July 2014 ● www.yona-sistema.com
Siepoe and his father build a
cardboard violin together.
Ryann teaches her family a
cardboard violin song.
Sejutee’s family is so proud of her
involvement in YONA.
Messages from our YONA Families
The Kids Weigh In
Nayomi, Mai, and Silver hide under an umbrella
during a rainy YONA free-play time.
We also asked YONA students for their opinions of the
program. Here’s what they said!
What is your favourite thing about YONA?
“Playing at break and playing the violin, doing art with Miss
Sandi.”
“Making new friends and playing the violin.”
“Learning to play violin with my friends and getting closer
to music with my family.”
“Seeing friends every day and learning the VIOLIN.”
“I LOVE EVERY SINGLE THING ABOUT YONA.”
At the end of this year, we sent home surveys to YONA families
asking various questions about their experiences with YONA this
year. Here are some of their responses.
What is one major change that YONA-Sistema has brought to your
child?
“A positive outlook toward her future.”
“An appreciation of music and a belief that she can make music.”
“He has learned that in order to get something right he has to
constantly practice to perfect what he already knows.”
What is one major change that YONA-Sistema has brought to your
family?
“It has made our family more cohesive in a sense that we make it a
point to support [our child] in all her YONA performances. Plus, her
being a part of YONA gave us the opportunity to watch
performances at the Winspear as a family, enhancing our
closeness as a family.”
“We have more music in our home and whenever one child begins
to play, the other is motivated to do the same on the piano.”
What difference is YONA-Sistema making in your life and your
child’s life? “She feels so confident as part of the program and is getting an
extra challenge beyond school, which is a great opportunity for
her.” “Being immigrants, I used to worry about how to raise a more
confident, motivated, and well-rounded child in a foreign land,
where we had no relatives to lend support. With [my child’s]
inclusion in the YONA program, I am more at ease knowing that I
have that “support” and “partners” who can help me develop my
child’s personality and innate abilities. As for her, well, she has
always thought, “YONA is Awesome!”
Quarter Notes ● Issue 2 ● July 2014 ● www.yona-sistema.com Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
A few weeks ago, Carol
presented Miss Amanda with a
story she’d written, entitled “The
Nice Violin Player.” Paired with
clip art that matches her words,
Carol’s story talks about her love
for the YONA program, her
teachers, and the violin. Read an
excerpt of her story in the yellow
box on the right!
We recently sat down to
interview Carol about the
highlights she’s experienced over
the past few months, and had
her read her story to us, too. We
created a short film out of this
material, and we invite you to
get know Carol better by
watching it at:
yona-sistema.com/blog/carol.
Quarter Notes ● Issue 2 ● July 2014 ● www.yona-sistema.com
Why did you decide to write this
story?
It’s just fun for me to make stories!
What’s your favourite song that
you’ve learned in YONA?
“Boil the Cabbage.” Because,
it’s very fast and you use small
bows.
How do your YONA friends make
you feel special?
“They be nice to me and they
help me. Sometimes, they help
me [with] the notes and where
we are [in a song].”
Excerpt from “The Nice Violin
Player”
“I love playing my violin. I love
playing Ode to Joy. I love violin
music. We play outside. I love it.”
Student Focus:
Meet Carol!
Volunteer Focus: Meet Barb!
“When I am cooking she plays
the violin for me to listen…
Carol is growing in her music
and it is thanks to you, YONA-
Sistema.”
– Carol’s mother
Barb has been an invaluable volunteer and has
fulfilled many–and any–roles we have needed
over this past year. In her own words, she’s been
“a Jane of all trades.” From official YONA baker
to academic mentor, Barb has both assisted and
witnessed the growth of these students since the
program’s inception, and we’re so grateful for her
generosity and expertise.
As a former elementary-school teacher, Barb has
an insider’s perspective on how music enrichment
programs can make a difference in a child’s life–
both inside and outside of the classroom. We
asked Barb to share some of the developments
she’s noticed in our twenty students, as well as
some thoughts on what makes YONA-Sistema a
unique and valuable program.
“You can start to see there’s more self-discipline,”
Barb shares. “The reading and following along of
the notes, the singing, the dancing – it’s all been
wonderful to see and a lot of fun. The sharing that
goes on has also been great to witness.”
“I think that this program gives these students an
exposure to experiences they would never likely
have,” she continues.”
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
“Or, if they did have them, it’s not typically until junior
high or high school, anyway. YONA gives them an
exposure to different places–to different kinds of music–
than what they might only listen to at home.
Furthermore, a lot of kids would never have been able
to visit the Winspear. But, they’ve been to the Winspear
this year and have even performed there a couple of
times. To be able to watch and perform with an
orchestra, and to be able to work together as a group
of emerging musicians, is truly invaluable.”
YONA Team
Lucas Waldin
YONA Artistic Director
Alyssa Paterson
YONA Manager
Amanda Alstad
YONA Site Coordinator
Deborah Chang
Lauren Dykstra
Alison Stewart
YONA Teaching Artists
Photos by Carmyn Joy Effa
Upcoming Events
We’ll be doing
recruitment and selection
of students for next year
in August, and will be
starting the program on
September 15th.
Watch for an
announcement about
our paper instrument
graduation ceremony,
which will happen in late
October. We’d love to
see you there!
Sejutee’s imaginative interpretation of “Violin Land,” created
during one of Ms. Sandi’s expressive art sessions.
Thank you to our supporters! You are truly instruments for change in our children’s lives.
Partners
Rotary
Edmonton Catholic School District
Inner City Children’s Program
Edmonton Public School Board
Seed Funders
J.W. McConnell Family Foundation
REACH Edmonton
Edmonton Community Foundation
glasswaters foundation
R.J. Nelson Family Foundation
Corporate Supporters
Avison Young
Eastman Strings
Bella Music
Long and McQuade
If you would like to learn more about how you can support this transformational social action program,
please visit www.yona-sistema.com.
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Quarter Notes ● Issue 2 ● July 2014 ● www.yona-sistema.com
“Road to Joy” – YONA & the ESO!
On June 12, our YONA students got the amazing
chance to play on-stage at the Winspear Centre,
accompanied by the Edmonton Symphony
Orchestra, for a crowd of over 1400 people. This
concert was organized as an appreciation event for
all those who support the ESO, and also featured
three young violin soloists from Edmonton – Andrew
Wan, Judy Kang, and Jessica Linnebach.
Having learned all about these three violinists in the
week leading up to the concert, the YONA students
were ecstatic to meet them backstage before they
performed, asking questions about what it’s like to
be famous musicians. After each soloist performed
with the ESO, our students took to the stage to play
a medley of songs they’ve learned throughout their
year, artfully arranged by ESO musician John
McPherson.
The piece concluded with a standing ovation from
the crowd! Mr. Lucas then interviewed a couple of
students who expressed how lucky they felt to be
involved with YONA. When we returned backstage
after the performance, Zoe kept exclaiming “this is
the best day of my life!”. This feeling was shared by
many that day. YONA can’t wait to perform
alongside the ESO again!
YONA students whisper backstage before
performing with the ESO.
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