Conservatory celebrates 'Songs of the Season'

SANDPOINT — In business, doubling the size of your operation in a couple of years is seen as a win. It’s much the same in the arts, at least where things such as choirs and orchestras are concerned.

In that light, the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint has chalked up remarkable growth in its after-school community programs since they were founded two years ago, with the headcount now nearing 100 young musicians.

“The orchestra has basically doubled in size,” said Ruth Klinginsmith, director of community programs at the conservatory.

As of this week, that group has more than 40 members, with the youth choir claiming another 30 or so singers. The balance of the total enrollment is spread almost evenly between two audition-only groups — the smaller Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Choir.

On Tuesday, Dec. 15, the collective work of all four ensembles will be on display during a free, community concert titled “Songs of the Season.” The performance will include selections from The Nutcracker, as well as combined orchestra and choir pieces such as the cleverly arranged pairing of Pachelbel’s Canon in D with a Christmas song. For added spice, the program also features a number called the “Open String Samba.”

“It’s not a Christmas song, but we’ve got to shake things up a little bit,” Klinginsmith said.

The free concert will also include a Christmas carol sing-along and refreshments after the performance.

The players might be young — both the orchestra and choirs are open to students from grades 2-12 — but the ensembles are full sounding. What began as a string orchestra, for example, has a more symphonic look and sound about it these days.

“The Youth Orchestra has all the sections now — strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion,” the program director said.

In all areas, the community program’s growth has been made possible by the participation of volunteer instructors and student mentors. Numbering about 10 people, these adult musicians and advanced student players sit in as tutors with the orchestra and become especially valuable when the groups break out into sectional rehearsals to go over their parts.

Equally critical to program growth has been grant support from the Community Assistance League, whose funding made it possible to purchase cellos, woodwind and brass instruments, as well as repair donated instruments and put them into service. In addition, several other arts organizations, foundations and local businesses have stepped up to support the cause.

Formed in the corner of a local dance studio in 2009 by founders Klinginsmith and Karin Wedemeyer, the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint has gone on to find permanent downtown digs on the top floor of the former Sandpoint City Hall, while also earning national accreditation for its music instruction. Along with steady growth in private lesson enrollment, the conservatory has steered the expansion of its community programs since they were launched in late-2013.

“Our goal is to get students to experience music and make that opportunity available,” Klinginsmith explained. “Respect and self-esteem are character traits that come with making music in a group, along with feeling like you’re an important part of the community you play in.”

The word “community” pops up often in conversations with the program director. Inspired by El Sistema — a publicly financed music education program founded in Venezuela in 1975 that since has taken root in the United States and elsewhere — the local youth programs aim to teach more than simply tone and technique.

“Yes, you’re using music as a vehicle to develop those skills, but most of all, you’re building community — for students and parents,” said Klinginsmith.

Taking another cue from El Sistema — which was formed to put instruments into the hands of children as a pathway out of poverty — the conservatory’s groups offer an option for families that can’t afford private lessons, though lesson discounts are available through its tuition assistance program. In the larger group setting, costs are kept to a minimum, with tuition for the youth orchestra and choirs priced at $55 per year and the auditioned ensembles at $50 per semester.

Those fees, according to Klinginsmith, cover only a portion of the actual costs, with the remainder made up through grants and donations.

“It takes a lot to run these programs,” she said. “But we see a lot of benefit in enriching kids’ lives and giving them something productive that they can be proud of.”

Led by orchestra director Nathan Baker, children’s choir director Michelle Handy and ensemble choir director and cello section leader John Fitzgerald, the groups that make up the community programs represent the fastest-growing part of the conservatory.

“They all fall under the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint umbrella, but it’s getting to be such a size that they’re almost their own entity,” Klinginsmith said. “Next year, we’re hoping to expand the programs to meet twice a week.”

Individuals who want to support the programs can do so through either monetary donations — $350, for instance, sponsors a student for an entire year — or by donating gently used musical instruments for the young musicians.

Enrollment for the 2016 sessions of orchestra and choir will take place in January when school starts up after Christmas vacation, with orientation for orchestra set for Jan. 19, and choir orientation scheduled for Jan. 20.

The Dec. 15 “Songs of the Season” concert will start at 6 p.m. in the First Baptist Church, located at 1230 Michigan St. in Sandpoint. The event is free and open to the public and a cookie reception will take place after the concert.

For more information on this performance or Music Conservatory of Sandpoint lessons and programs, call 208-265-4444 or visit online at: www.sandpointconservatory.org.