ALTON - The Alton Youth Symphony recently hosted their summer camp for young musicians.
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Third- through eighth-grade students could participate in the summer camp, which ran from July 22–26, 2024. Jamie Pullen, president of AYS, explained that the camp encouraged kids to learn more about music and performance.
“It was a great week,” Jamie said. “Really, I was very encouraged by what happened. I think all musical groups took a hit with COVID, so we’ve been in a rebuilding phase. Just to see the number of kids who are ready to come back and start making music together and families who are ready to come out and support that, it was just very encouraging.”
The camp welcomed approximately 65 kids to the Ringhausen Building at Lewis and Clark Community College. Participants were divided into smaller ensembles, where they focused on music theory and rhythm activities.
The camp concluded with a concert for families and friends. Jamie said she was “amazed” to see a full audience.
While kids didn’t have to be involved with the Alton Youth Symphony to participate in the camp, Jamie hopes more musicians will decide to join AYS this coming fall. AYS is a full symphonic orchestra for kids in grades five through eight. Musicians must audition to be accepted into AYS. They also offer Alton Junior Youth Symphony for grades three through five, with no audition required.
“It’s a full symphony,” Jamie explained. “Kids usually don’t get to experience that until they get to high school, so that’s how we’re unique.”
There are no membership fees for Alton Youth Symphony or Alton Junior Youth Symphony. Participants only pay for a polo shirt. As a nonprofit, the organization accepts donations to make this possible.
Jamie hopes to see many more kids involved with AYS and the junior symphony in the coming months. She and AYS secretary Tom Pullen noted that learning and performing music is powerful for people of all ages, and it’s important to them to offer this experience to young people.
“It’s one of those things where you ask any musician, and music is life-changing. It is a life-altering trajectory,” Tom added. “To be able to bring that to kids is one of the greatest things.”
For more information about the Alton Youth Symphony, visit their official website at AltonYouthSymphony.org.
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