Hearing young musicians ask if they can play Mozart one more time — instead of inquiring how much time remains until the rehearsal is over — is a moment that struck a chord with a Peterborough youth music program’s artistic director.
Colin McMahon of the Kawartha Youth Orchestra (KYO) is inviting members of the community to join him and celebrate that achievement and others when the “Upbeat!” youth ensemble takes the stage at 6 p.m. on Thursday (June 12) in Peterborough.
“Our Upbeat! players have worked so hard this year, and I’m really excited for their families and our community supporters to see that and enjoy their beautiful playing,” McMahon told kawarthaNOW. “But what I really want is for these kids to have some fun making music with their friends and walk away as proud of their performance as I am of them.”
Upbeat! is a free after-school music program founded with the goal of making string education — violin, viola, and cello — as barrier-free as possible. The program offers musical education, childcare, meals, and instrument access for young musicians in grades 3 to 8, and runs twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday.
The year-end recital concert at All Saints Anglican Church at 235 Rubidge Street will highlight the progress achieved by the young musicians during the 2024-2025 season and showcase the musical excellence made possible through accessible music education. Admission to the concert is free (although donations to KYO are appreciated) and refreshments will be served in the parish hall following the concert.
“The sensation of performing alongside your peers is, in my opinion, one of the most joyful, fulfilling, and fun experiences anyone can have,” McMahon said. “All I hope for this celebration concert is that these young musicians get to experience that feeling.”
KYO receives community support, and continues to need financial support, to help keep the program alive for Peterborough children and youth. While Upbeat! was initially supported through an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant, that funding ended last June.
“Truly there was a point where it seemed pretty unlikely we’d be able to keep this program going, as we faced down what we started calling ‘the funding cliff,'” McMahon said. “But since then, the community of Peterborough and the Kawarthas has rallied behind Upbeat! in a remarkable way. So many people have stepped up to donate, volunteer, and fundraise.”
“It’s been a clear message — folks believe in Upbeat! and are determined to keep it going,” he added. “It will be a continued challenge, and we still need all the help we can get, but I’m more and more confident we can do it.”
KYO is a registered charity and donations will be accepted at Thursday’s event or can be made online at thekyo.ca. All contributions support instrument access, program development, and ongoing operations.
Reflecting further on the 2024-2025 program, McMahon called the progress the young musicians made at Upbeat! this year “astounding.”
“There comes a point in learning to play an instrument where things start to click,” he said. “When the triumph and satisfaction of playing music starts to outweigh the mental effort it takes to play it, all at once music is fun. It happens at different points for each kid at Upbeat!, but every time I see a young musician turn that corner it’s the greatest feeling.”
Along with the individual rewards that come from learning to play music, McMahon noted the social benefits the children experience when they perform together.
“The other moments that are really special to me is when I see the kids support each other. Playing in a string ensemble is a team sport, you only sound as good as the musicians sitting next to you.”
“Upbeat! brings in kids from across Peterborough and from a wide range of backgrounds and communities, but over the course of a year they begin to rely on each other. The musicians who have been here longer or progressed a bit faster start helping their friends along and the music is better for it,” McMahon said.
Registration is now open for the Upbeat! 2025-2026 season at thekyo.ca.
