Orchestra Students Spend a Day Learning from the Pros

Had Lauren Morabito asked her orchestra students to put down their instruments and instead sing the melody of their sheet music, they might have thought twice.

“Singing?,” Morabito said. “They’d probably say, ‘We’re not a chorus.’”

And yet that technique worked wonders when suggested by a visiting ensemble, the Balourdet Quartet, a group of professional musicians who spent a day at Hendrick Hudson High School as part of Friends of Music’s Partnership in Education program. The Balourdet Quartet were intimately engaged with our Hen Hud musicians throughout their stay, both performing their music and also listening to the students play and offering input in large and small groups.

Case in point: The quartet asked the students to sing their notes to help build a proper rhythm and cadence.

“Getting to know the performers today was an incredible experience,” said senior Sophia Jimdar, who plans to study music in college. “For us to get a fresh ear is always good as a student. To have that come from professionals really is amazing.”

The Friends of Music visit has become a tradition for Hendrick Hudson’s orchestra students. This was the fourth straight year Ms. Morabito has written a grant and had her program selected by Friends of Music. This was also the second straight year that the Balourdet Quartet has visited, which gave the students an added level of comfort.

The professionals worked intimately with students on their music. At the end of the day, they even listened to an arrangement by junior Alexandra Numeroff and provided their feedback.

“I was watching the kids’ faces all day,” Morabito said. “Their eyes were really wide. They were just so engaged. They were definitely inspired by this.”

Jimdar said the Balourdet Quartet, which has performed in concerts at renowned venues across the country, was able to “pick apart our music in a different way.”

“They are helping teach us how to be an ensemble,” said Jimdar, a member of Hen Hud’s Concert Orchestra. “And they know because they are an ensemble.”

Connecting students with professionals and fueling the students’ love of music is an initiative of Friends of Music. The organization was established to bring musicians of world renown to Westchester County while engaging children and older students and nurturing the audiences of tomorrow.

“We’re trying to foster classical music lovers and hopefully help them become lifelong lovers of music,” said Rosella Ranno, the chairperson for Friends of Music’s Partnership in Education program.

Friends of Music Concerts, which is now in its 71st season and begins its 72nd season in the fall, hosts concerts throughout the year at Sleepy Hollow High School. Anyone 18 years of age or younger can attend the concerts free of charge. Visit https://friendsofmusicconcerts.org for more information.