EXPO CENTER YOUTH ORCHESTRA
TEEN CLUB (AGES 10-17)
USC SEA GRANT- PARENT CHILD EDUCATION PROGRAM

EXPO CENTER YOUTH ORCHESTRA

The EXPO Center Youth Orchestra is an ensemble from South LA with a focus on excellence, community, and creativity. It is the first project of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s initiative, supported by a network of stakeholders, to provide access to exceptional instrumental and orchestral education in order to promote youth development. The EXPO Youth Orchestra is being developed through a partnership of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, The Harmony Project, and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The program and the musical instruments are free to all participating students as long as they uphold their contract to take care of the instrument, practice, and attend lessons and orchestra rehearsals. Participating students come mainly from within a 5-mile radius of the EXPO Center and represent public, charter, and private schools in South Los Angeles.

Participants received one hour of instruction, twice a week throughout the school year.  Classes were offered in violin, cello, flute, clarinet, trumpet, percussion, and choir. The different instrument classes joined together during the summer of 2008 to form the Center’s first youth orchestra. Participants met on four consecutive Saturdays for two-hour sessions and prepared concert repertoire. The program concluded with a concert for participants’ family and friends.

Now in its second year of implementation, the EXPO Youth Orchestra employs 15 music teachers and currently serves approximately 200 children. Participants meet every Saturday for three hours to rehearse as a youth orchestra. All participants receive the same amount of individual instrument instruction. Viola, bass, and trombone classes were added to the offerings this year. The orchestra performed its first public concert on February 21, 2009 and, in the future, the orchestra will perform multiple times throughout the year. With the arrival of Gustavo Dudamel in September 2009, the EXPO Youth Orchestra will have additional resources available, including more involvement from LA Philharmonic musicians, guest artists and teachers from El Sistema, and increased professional development specifically designed for YOLA teaching artists.