By ANDREW LEWIS
So many reasons.
Primarily, because it's fun, fulfilling to gather together with a shared purpose, satisfying to feel improvement, and thrilling and invigorating to perform publicly.
Perhaps more importantly, it contributes to the community: by bringing together young and old, novice and professional, by providing alternative self-esteem-building activities, by providing free concerts in venues, parks, galleries, nonprofit centers and hospitals, by collaborating with other arts organizations and by inspiring people to take up instruments and play.
The Wood River Community Orchestra has been doing this for three years now, with players from 14 to 84, in groups of 4 to 40, giving concerts in styles ranging from classical to rock to jazz and beyond, with drums, guitars, piano, even ukulele. Many of our players never played an instrument before joining us.
While these are fine accomplishments, we want to do more. We want to provide instruments to anyone who needs one and lessons for anyone who wants them. We want to develop aesthetic awareness and appreciation by providing lecture-demonstrations and public programs. We want to attract more players in all styles.
Our philosophy is this: Before the advent of recording, music was part of the fabric of daily life. People sang and played together much more: in municipal bands, gathered around the piano in living rooms, on porches with guitars, caroling, working in the fields and sitting round the campfire. We've generally evolved from players of music to consumers of music. Our goal is to help reclaim the day when we made more music, as doing so enriches our lives and builds community.
We're fortunate our community is already committed to bringing professional musicians here, through the likes of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and other organizations that provide great concerts. Let us also invest in developing the talent that resides here in the valley, and weave music into our daily lives.
As we enter and celebrate our fourth season, the Wood River Community Orchestra asks for your interest and support. As a grassroots organization, to grow and develop our programs and add more value to our community, our survival depends on you. We've begun a search for a board of directors who can steer our organization and ensure our future. We need to procure instruments and supplies, and hire teachers and management. Most of all, we invite you to join us. If you or someone you know could participate in any of these ways, please contact us.
Our first rehearsal this season will be Sunday, Sept. 26. at 4:30 p.m. in the Wood River High School music room (back parking lot entrance), and our first concert will be in Ketchum at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24.
Andrew Lewis is music director of the Wood River Community Orchestra.
