NOTES 2024: Youth Symphony

Hey there! My name is Mina Chang, and I have had the great privilege of having played in the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras for the past 9 years.

In the past near-decade, I have played in every orchestra, from bottom to top. I now sit as concertmaster for the second year in the top ensemble in the organization, and I cannot be more grateful. To me, EYSO encapsulates what I believe are the two most essential tenets of music: experience and connection.

Experience

One of the things that makes music so powerful is its ability to bring us into experiences. We only live one life on this earth, and there’s about 8 billion of us on this planet. The Symphony Center at Chicago holds about 2,500 people. 3.2 million Symphony Centers could hold the entire population of the world. That’s a lot of individual experiences! And we are just one in 8 billion. So, how do we even begin to experience everything life has to offer? I mean, we can’t possibly do it in one lifetime. The answer is art, specifically for our purposes, music.

In EYSO, I’ve experienced many realities: one of a petrified Soviet national, one of a poet awakening from a opium-induced slumber, one of a soldier watching the sun peek over the horizon of the Appian Way, one of a composer experiencing a frigid Scandinavian morning, and most recently, one of a man in a very fast Lamborghini.

How could I experience even one of these in my lifetime? How could you experience one of these in your lifetime? Well, maybe you have gone for a joyride in a Lamborghini, but that’s besides the point. Nevertheless, come to an EYSO concert and we together enter into the magical time machine of music, transporting us to lands far away, where you, strangers, and I share in the experience of another. And this shared-ness of experience dovetails into…

Connection

What’s so special about the experiences gifted to us by music is that they engender a certain kind of connection, one that sets music apart from other art forms such as visual art and literature. Music is so special because it is best enjoyed live. You have to be there, in the concert hall, to truly see what’s at stake. Music isn’t just what the composer writes down, but what the performer gives to the audience. Without the audience, without the performer, what’s on the page is just ink. It takes all these people to give music meaning.

EYSO exemplifies this aspect of music for me. The orchestra is one of the most quintessential forms of musical connection. It’s like one big spider web. There’s a string running from the violins to the flutes and clarinets in the melody, supported by strings from the low voices and percussion, which intertwine with the countermelodies from the trumpets and the horns, all passing through the conductor in the podium. And then, the strings tie the audience to the ensemble and the audience to each other. And it’s all beautiful.

So, now you know why EYSO is special. I also wanted to take some time to tell you about how much of an impact that music has on the life of a young person. Writing college essays has had the benefit of allowing me to reflect on how music has changed my life, and I’d like to share some of that insight with you. Music has taught me a number of good qualities, including but not limited to: discipline, work ethic, perseverance, sensitivity, creativity, imagination, collaboration, and vulnerability. Without EYSO, I wouldn’t have the perseverance it takes to go from the last chair in the lowest orchestra to the highest chair in the top. I wouldn’t have the imagination to put myself into these musical experiences, and I wouldn’t have the sensitivity to translate these emotions into ones that the audience feels. I wouldn’t have the trust and vulnerability necessary to collaborate, placing faith in 80 other kids to do their part. The way that EYSO has taught me to think critically and deeply about music now extends beyond music. I am a better reader, mathematician, historian, and scientist because of it. Had I not been a part of EYSO, I doubt that I would’ve been able to achieve my dream of being accepted into Yale. I want to do my part in enabling future children to gain all these benefits by continuing to fund this organization for as long as possible.

I entreat you to contribute as much as you possibly can to my Notes campaign this year. This is the last chance I have to help fund this organization that has been so special and important to me. Like I said, I believe that every child should have a chance to have an experience like this, one that connects them to the experiences of others and develops their character in integral ways. Your donation allows this organization to continue to function. The cost of running EYSO is 1.2 million dollars. Tuition covers only a quarter of that amount. The 900,000 remaining dollars comes from donors like you. The more you give, the more accessible and affordable we keep EYSO. The more you give, the more unique pieces we can play, the more special guest artists we can host, and the more special opportunities we can give kids. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do, playing magnificent masterpieces such as Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, Sibelius’s First Symphony, and the powerful Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi. Together, we can bring music to children and audiences in the western suburbs of Chicago and beyond. Seriously, any amount makes a huge impact. Thank you for your time and contributions. I sincerely could not be more grateful for your support of all current and future EYSO students.

Sincerely,

Mina Chang