Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio in the 1950s, the highlight of my school year was the annual trip to hear the Symphony. I was able to join the high school band in sixth grade and studied saxophone with the band director. Since we had no football at our school, the Liberty HS Band didn't march, we were a concert band and our director was the principal violist of the Symphony. We played concert music and were intimately exposed to the best classical repertoire arranged for band.  We got free tickets to the major Symphony concerts. My parents were also subscribers so we went to concerts together. I grew up with music in my life, playing in Jr. Symphony and going to music camp.

When I chose orchestra management as my first career, the Albany Symphony had "Be My Guest Programs" where for $1 tickets were underwritten for high school students. I brought this program to the Louisville Orchestra as well.

Life has changed today. Our children are not taken to concerts by their schools, nor by their parents. Music has for all intents and purposes been removed from the curriculum and children today know nothing about serious music.

This is why SoBe Music Institute is so important to the community. There needs to be a refuge for people of all ages, but especially our young people to have access to the world of music. Without a professional Symphony in our community or music in our schools many of the roles these major institutions would normally play, must be taken up by the non-profit arts if we are to have access at all. We need to support these organizations with our time, energy and most especially money.

Jack M. Firestone

President

Firestone Capital Management, Inc.

Coral Gables, FL

Karen Fryd, President,

Michael Andrews, Director, South Beach Chamber Ensemble & SMI Faculty (Oct. 07)

Quick Tip: For any instrument making activity, here are some helpful supplies to have on hand for all of your decorating ideas. Keeping items such as the following in a large plastic storage container makes for easy access and quick clean up.

Sequins                  Cellophane                Scissors

Buttons                  Construction paper     Glue

Yarn                      Magazines                 Paint

Colored pencils        Sand                        Ribbon      

Photos                   Glitter                      Masking tape                          

 

Crayons                 Beads                       Markers  

 

HOW TO MAKE A DRUM:  

Empty oatmeal box, yarn,  pen, 2 pencils, 2 spools, construction paper, and crayons. Before beginning, decorate your oatmeal box with construction paper and/ or crayons for colorful effect. Place the cover on the box. Use a pen to make a hole in the center of  the cover and in the center of the bottom of the box. Through these holes, pull a piece of yarn long enough to hang from shoulder of child to waist of child. For the drumsticks, place the spools at the end of the pencils, secure with glue if necessary.

Beat to play and have fun!