Asheville Middle School's orchestra program became an after school club this fall after the city school district cut the class due to low enrollment. Now, the Asheville Symphony is helping fill the gap. They're launching a new initiative called PLAY, or Private Lesson Assistance for Youth, aimed at keeping affected students playing their instruments.
BPR’s Helen Chickering spoke with Tyson Hamrick, the symphony's director of education and youth orchestra, about the new program. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview Highlights
How did the Asheville Symphony end up stepping in?
We learned of those cuts coming just through the news outlets, and our relationship with Asheville City Schools. We felt like there were some things we could do to help out, since we do provide the a youth program through Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra. We wanted to help figure out a way to keep students playing while the string program wasn't there.
Why the specific focus on strings?
It's really the string program that was eliminated, or put on pause for right now, due to funding. Strings are just sort of the front row of the orchestra, violin, viola, cello and bass. Those are the instruments that find themselves without a daily class at school. Winds and brass are still covered by the band program.
What exactly does PLAY cover?
What we're providing is up to 75% of private lesson funding for students who wish to continue studying with a private instructor. It's based on a sliding scale due to income, but we've tried to make it so that pretty much anyone who applies would qualify. We've set the threshold very high. Students can choose to take lessons with whomever they want to. The idea is that the skills they've been learning so far, or the skills they were hoping to learn, they can learn from a private teacher.
The program is open to eligible students at both Asheville Middle School and Asheville High School.
The symphony is also expanding scholarships for the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra, covering up to 90% of tuition for students affected by the cuts.
Students and families interested in PLAY can learn more at www.ashevillesymphony.org/play. To learn more about the ASYO and apply, visit www.ashevillesymphony.org/asyo.
