The Kawartha Youth Orchestra (KYO) is calling on Peterborough residents to help local children and youth “stay upbeat” by supporting an initiative that provides them with universal access to music.
“Upbeat! Downtown” is a KYO program that has been offering musical experiences and more for young people aged six to 18 since 2002. In addition to learning instruments, participants — whose socioeconomic circumstances would otherwise restrict their involvement — receive food and enjoy social interaction through the initiative.
But KYO needs community members to help the non-profit charitable organization in its quest to keep the program on beat and to keep live music a part of area children’s lives.
Young musicians from the Upbeat! program are tuning their instruments for their end-of-year recital and launch of the “Stay Upbeat!” fundraising campaign at 6 p.m. on Thursday (June 13) at All Saints’ Anglican Church, located at 235 Rubidge St. in Peterborough.
In addition to youth performances, well-known local musicians and Upbeat! instructors, Saskia Tompkins, Andrew Randall, and Katarina Thompson, will also take the stage.
“The event is the perfect opportunity to come see what Upbeat! is about and get involved,” Colin McMahon, KYO’s program manager, told kawarthaNOW. “The best thing that could happen is that these young musicians look out on a full crowd, to see that their community is here to support them.”
Upbeat! was launched with a three-year, non-renewable Ontario Trillium Foundation grant that is coming to an end.
“The pilot program has been a tremendous success — we’ve grown Upbeat! to accommodate 45 students who are now learning music, receiving food support, and becoming part of a supportive musical community,” said McMahon.
Without the grant, the KYO needs to find new ways of keeping Upbeat! going.
“Having seen the difference this program can make, we are determined to ensure Upbeat! continues to make an impact in the lives of Peterborough’s youth,” McMahon said. “We have a commitment to the Upbeat! children and their families, who have come to depend on this life-changing program.”
He said there is “a distinct lack” of local accessible music education, especially string education.
“So, we’re asking our local community to help us ensure it can continue.”
In addition to music exposure, the program also offers food for participating children and youth.
“As many studies show, hungry children struggle to learn new things,” McMahon said. “We also know food insecurity is a constant struggle for many households. Upbeat! starts each day, as soon as the students arrive from school, with a nutritious snack. We call it a snack, but to make sure needs are met, it is really a full-blown meal.”
Lisa Dixon, former owner of Black Honey, leads the food program.
“The food program also provides a wonderful opportunity for bonding and community before they get to their music lessons,” McMahon added.
McMahon has seen many rewards for children and youth partaking in the Upbeat! program.
“The biggest change we see is children learning to express themselves creatively and socially and building confidence in their abilities. I was just yesterday talking to a student, and she told me about how shy and scared she was to meet new people before she started at Upbeat! Now, she is truly one of the most outgoing young people I’ve ever met.”
“Another young boy, (who) joined just at the start of this year, broke my heart when he told me he’d never be able to play violin because he was ‘never good at anything.’ It’s taken a lot of careful and patient work to convince him he’s capable, but to see his face light up when he shows off what he can do now is the most fulfilling thing imaginable.”
Through Upbeat!, children learn to play the violin, viola, cello, and horn in an ensemble-based program. They also get to sing in a choir, learn music theory, and experience a wide range of musical genres with guest performances.
To keep the youth initiative going, KYO’s most pressing need is for donations. For more information and to make a donation, visit www.kawarthayouthorchestra.org/support-kyo/.
Upbeat! is also in need of volunteers. Those interested in volunteering when Upbeat! starts back up in September can email contactus@thekyo.ca.
