The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center was once a drugstore that Mark Sarich, executive director of Orchestrating Diversity, inherited from his grandfather, whom he jokingly referred to as an “industrious old German.” Now, a piano greets you at the front door, and black instrument cases line a top shelf. It’s the temporary home of 40-plus Urban Youth Orchestra students enrolled in the Orchestrating Diversity program.
Sarich had great news for a group of 26 parents and students who attended a parents meeting on June 9 at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. Sarich announced that Orchestrating Diversity would begin its first ever Junior Urban Orchestra summer camp on June 19.
The free summer camp runs until August 9 and is divided into two classes: Beginning Movement and Music Lessons for children ages 4-6 and Beginning Violin Lessons for children ages 7-9. Classes are held at the Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church located at 3200 Washington Ave.
The Orchestrating Diversity program is in its fourth year. The nonprofit organization is a branch of El Sistema USA, which has similar programs in cities throughout the country, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey and New York. It is based on the Venezuelan El Sistema method founded by Dr. Jose Aberu in 1975 as a means to combat poverty by teaching children from mostly poor socio-economic backgrounds how to play classical music in an orchestra.
“A child who plays an instrument is no longer poor because he has the spiritual wealth of playing music,” Sarich said, quoting Aberu. Aberu’s philosophy eloquently describes why Sarich decided to make the Orchestrating Diversity program free and base it in St. Louis City.
Sarich noted that St. Louis has three main issues: racism, classism and poverty.
“St. Louis, whose history is still being written, needs a program like this,” Sarich said of Orchestrating Diversity. He hopes that the program will teach children how to look past their ethnic, racial and socio-economic differences. Ultimately, the goal is for these children to inspire social change by educating their parents and communities.
Some inner-city schools have suffered the loss of music programs due to the economy. Orchestrating Diversity hopes to service those children who can’t afford the more expensive music programs in St. Louis County.
Many students enrolled in the program come from rough backgrounds with Orchestrating Diversity being the positive catalyst to keep these children on the right path.
Sarich said about two-thirds of parents are actively involved in the program. Jasmine Cain, an Orchestrating Diversity parent, has two children in the program – Nalo Sims, 14, and Maura Cain, 7. It’s Nalo’s second year in the program and Maura’s first, and neither child had prior musical training. Initially, Nalo played the violin but switched to the cello and Maura will learn violin.
Cain volunteered to give each child free hairstyles through her charity, JC’s Healing Hands, in preparation for a recent Urban Youth Orchestra concert.
Khalid McGhee, 17, joined the Urban Youth Orchestra for youth ages 12-18 in the ninth grade. He was among the first students to join the program after a successful assessment audition. Khalid had a slight advantage over some students because he had prior musical training. He has played piano since he was in the seventh grade and learned the violin through the Orchestrating Diversity program.
He recently graduated from University City High School and admitted he was accustomed to being academically ahead of his class. However, the Orchestrating Diversity program presented plenty of challenges.
Khalid said, “It was exciting to actually prove to myself and others around me that I could actually keep up with the theory, history and advance to become more proficient in my instrument.”
Contact Mark Sarich at 314-773-6769 or by email mcdavi94@gmail.com to receive an application to enroll your child in the Junior Urban Orchestra.
