Youth SymphonySeattle

Or c h e S t r a S

SYSO in th

e Schools

Impact &

Outcomes

An Introduction to SYSOFounded in 1942, Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras (SYSO) is the

largest youth orchestra training program in the United States. The organization serves more than 1,500 diverse students each

year with four full orchestras, three summer festival programs, and extensive partnerships with local public schools.

SYSO in the Schools brings professional musicians into the school setting to provide one-on-one and small

group instruction, free of charge, as an enhancement to the school-offered instrumental music program. We offer two outreach

programs that increase access to outstanding music education in Seattle area public schools:

Southwest Seattle String Project Operating in one of Seattle Public School’s highest poverty areas in the district, SYSO provides free support from professional musician coaches to co-teach with school instrumental music instructors, aiding students in the early stages of learning string instruments. SYSO also provides free before-school lessons and coaches at the West Seattle Community Orchestras to extend the support to beginning musicians.

Endangered Instruments Program (EIP) EIP was founded in 1991 to address the shortage of students studying certain orchestral instruments and the subsequent shortage of players of these instruments for orchestras at every level, student, community and professional. The program has led to students advancing further and playing longer and in some cases earning entrance into a SYSO orchestra. EIP has also been replicated by organizations in the United States and abroad.

www.syso.org | 206.362.2300

Tracking program activities year over year has identified improvement in four key areas of impact:

• Engagement - Active recruitment by SYSO coaches introduces more students to instrumental music. This increases awareness, access, and participation in learning to play a string instrument.

• Perseverance - SYSO supports each student’s commitment to multi-year participation in music programs, leading directly to retention rates that are significantly higher than in previous years.

• Achievement - There is evidence that as students move at a faster pace to higher-level music classes and repertoire; they also show advancement in other academic areas.

• Growth Beyond the Music - Parents, teachers, and students report that studying a musical instrument nurtures social and emotional skills that are transferrable to other areas of a student’s life.

94 students

2009-10

2010-11

247 students

2012-13

377 students 2011-12

296 students

EngagementA goal of the SYSO in the Schools program is to recruit students to experience the joys of playing an instrument, whether it is picking up a violin for the very first time or challenging oneself by trying a less commonly played or “endangered” instrument.

Professional musicians come to schools to demonstrate the instruments, often playing for the students so they are inspired to a high-level of music making someday.

Southwest Seattle Strings In the Southwest Seattle String Project, the impact of professional musician coaches engaging very beginners, has enabled many more students to make music in this area of the city. A historically low access to instrumental music education is due to economic barriers which lead to an inequitable distribution of music instruction in this community. In 2011-12, more than half (57%) of the students in this program qualified for Free and Reduced Lunch. SYSO provides the support for students to engage in music education they might not otherwise be able to afford.

More Music Students...

“If we didn’t h

ave programs like

this, kids w

ould be passed over.

We wouldn’t serve as m

any kids

and there would be m

ore that

slipped th

rough the cracks.”

~ EIP Teacher

EIP As music teachers have attested over the twenty years of this program, SYSO coaches help students acquaint themselves with instruments that are not as frequently taught, such as viola, bass, oboe, bassoon, French horn, trombone, and tuba. More students engage in making music because coaches help them find an instrument that is a fit and exciting challenge.

Southwest Seattle Strings Project Student participation has more than quadrupled since starting in 2009.

PerseverancePracticing Year after Year...

Denny International Middle School Orchestra GrowthOrchestra enrollment tripled as a result of SYSO in the Schools, which began in 2009-10 in feeder elementary schools, then expanded to include Denny Middle School in 2010-11. i

112 enrolledin 2012-13

i77

in 2011-12

i63

in 2010-11

i39

in 2009-10i39

in 2008-09

www.syso.org | 206.362.2300

Southwest Seattle Strings Because SYSO provides individualized and small group lessons, students in the Southwest region of the district have a greater tendency to continue playing an instrument through the school year.

94% of students in Southwest Seattle continue, compared with 83% in Seattle Public Schools overall. And 4 out of 5 elementary students report wanting to continue to learn to play an instrument.

Higher retention in the elementary school grades leads to more students continuing to play in middle school. The middle school orchestra program as increased tremendously

in size (see data below) necessitating that the school offer three full orchestras – beginning, junior and senior. In this way, SYSO helps to increase student

orchestra enrollment which requires more class offerings, thereby enabling the school to build its own capacity for offering more arts education.

EIP The Endangered Instruments Program can be the first step on a musical pathway for a student. Several EIP students, because of the support and encouragement of their coaches, have entered into one of SYSO’s training orchestras and ultimately into the top-tier Youth Symphony Orchestra. Students and parents attest they would not have known of these opportunities if were not for being introduced to a new instrument through EIP. One such student who has followed this path to a unique professional career is Danielle Kuhlman, freelance musician, cultural ambassador, and founder of the innovative, post-feminist horn ensemble, Genghis Barbie. Read more about how EIP inspired Danielle’s career on the next page.

AchievementSouthwest Seattle Strings Beginning at the elementary school level, SYSO in the Schools lays the foundation for lifelong music engagement. Through interviews and surveys of parents, students, teachers, coaches, and school principals, we know that students are making great strides in their musicianship. It is reported that SYSO coaches help students advance musically for the following reasons:

• Coaches provide high quality instruction;• Coaches allow for student exposure to more instructional styles;• Coaches reinforce important concepts and techniques; and• Coaches improve technical playing and performance skills

Or as one Southwest Seattle Strings student simply says: “It makes me a better violin player.”

EIP Music students know that the coaching they receive through EIP increases their skills. So, too, do the music teachers who work closely with our coaches to provide opportunities for students to engage and excel in classical music.

An overwhelming majority of EIP students surveyed in 2011-12 – 82% – said they plan to continue playing an instrument.

Additionally, a wealth of national research shows connections between musical learning and academic achievement. SYSO’s initial analysis of SYSO in the Schools program participants’ achievement on math and reading standardized tests has revealed a correlation between studying instrumental music and highter test scores as compared to non-participants. SYSO plans to further investigate the impact of its program on students’ growth both as scholars and musicians.

Making Great Music.

www.syso.org | 206.362.2300

“I liked th

at we were able to

receive

instructio

n fairly

often and th

at the

lessons w

ere focused on what w

e

were specific

ally playing and what

we needed help with m

ost. ”

~ E

IP Middle School Student

Danielle Kuhlmann’s EIP JourneyDanielle (pictured at right) recalls being really eager to join the Seattle Youth Symphony, but knowing that competition was steep because there were so many flute players like her. When an EIP coach encouraged her to try French horn, it might have felt like a consolation prize. Instead, that advice led to her career as a professional french horn musician. She travels the world performing a repertoire from classical to pop. Danielle is also actively involved in Cultures in Harmony, a non-profit organization that promotes cultural diplomacy through music. The EIP program was important to her musical journey because “you get individual instruction from someone who really knows what they’re doing.”

Funding for this publication has been provided by The Wallace Foundation.

We are grateful to MEM Consultants for providing the program evaluation and data analysis that informs this report.

Photo credit: Debra Cibene Photography

Beyond the Music

More students practicing year after year to make great music has an impact on their lives and the life of the communities in which they live. Everyone involved in the program – from students to their parents and teachers – report areas of personal growth which go beyond a student’s musical ability:

SYSO’s mission of making music and changing lives is the driving force behind SYSO in the Schools.

SYSO Changes Lives.

www.syso.org | 206.362.2300

“I liked th

at we were able to

receive

instructio

n fairly

often and th

at the

lessons w

ere focused on what w

e

were specific

ally playing and what

we needed help with m

ost. ”

~ E

IP Middle School Student

Self-disciplineSense of accomplishment

Concentration Teamwork

“I would have m

usic instr

uction every

day if I h

ad a choice. I worked fo

r

18-20 years in th

e high school se

tting.

There is no questio

n that th

ose youth

involved in instrumental m

usic benefits

their college entry

... I know th

at these

lessons te

ach persistence, te

amwork,

collaboration – all th

ings that m

atter.”

~ Seattle

Elementary

School Principal

“[SYSO coaching] is the best school experience my daughter has had in Seattle Public Schools.”

~ Parent of a SYSO in the Schools musician

SEATTLE

O RCHESTRAS

Youth Symphony

11065 Fifth Ave NE, Suite ASeattle, WA 98125

SYSO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To make a donation or

for additional program information, visit us at www.syso.org or call

(206) 362-2300.