Students Take Center Stage at Composers of the Future Program

Months of hard work and dedication by children from New Rochelle will be on display at 8 p.m. Saturday, as hosts the as part of the season finale for the Westchester Chamber Symphony.

The showcase is celebrating its 10th year of production and features an orchestral score arranged by the students of the Songcatchers after-school program.

The program is held at St. Gabriel's Church in New Rochelle where it has been operating for the last 14 years.  The program runs from late January to mid-April.

Children as young as 5 years old and as old as 13 years of age participate in the arranging of the orchestral score that will be played by the Westchester Chamber Symphony.

“It’s very exciting to see them doing such work. It proves the point that the potential is in everyone,” said Sister Beth Dowd, executive director of Songcatchers.  

Dowd, who has overseen the Songcatchers program for 30 years, ensures that the children take an active role in the music-making process. The children’s rich imagination and ideas are given ample expression to develop by the instructors Jon Deak and Avery Griffin.

Having instructors of such caliber is made possible by funding from ArtsWestchester, The Ursuline Serviam Ministry Fund, the Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation, the UJA Federation of New York and the Janis and Alan Menken Foundation.

The program meets twice a week. Students are also treated to guest visits from Westchester Chamber Symphony musicians who play samples prepared by the children.

Throughout the program the instructors present different instruments and their tones, sounds and possibilities.  The instructors also give the students a full orchestral score that they can then chose to modify.

The instructors take care to not force their own ideas onto the children. Each child is allowed to attend the rehearsal of the arranged piece.

After the rehearsal is complete, Dowd said Maestro Barry Charles Hoffman of the Westchester Chamber Symphony asks the young children for their opinion.

“They can say I want the flute higher here or the timpani could come in here,” she said.

Along with the ability to arrange the music, the students are also asked to name and introduce their piece at the event. The children are given the chance to explain their title choice.

After the concert, the future composer is given a full score as well as a CD and video recording of the event.

Dowd said that each class is unique, but every time the children step up to introduce their piece she still gets a little lump in her throat.

But Dowd stressed that this isn’t just about the music. The executive director says it is about unlocking the potential in each student no matter where they are from.

“It is the dedication of the parents who sacrifice and make it a point to be involved in the program that makes it a success,” she said. “It’s just incredible.”

Also on the program will be Haydn's Symphony No. 92, in G major, The Oxford, and cellist Amit Peled performing Haydn's Cello Concerto in D major.