ֱ State Youth Winds (KSYW) had the unique opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. this spring, giving meaningful performances alongside famous monuments and making lasting connections with renowned musicians.
This weekend of music education was planned by Dr. Wendy Matthews, professor of music education, ֱ State Youth Winds Director and conductor, and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Assessment. Sixty students participated in the trip; they were accompanied by four talented conductors and sixteen chaperones.
The trip consisted of a visit to the National Museum of American History, featuring a hall of music. Students got to see artifacts like well-known conductor John Philip Sousa’s baton and famous bandleader Dizzy Gillespie’s trumpet.
They also got to experience a performance by the world-famous National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
“Students had an amazing chance to enjoy live music from some of the best musicians in the world—an exciting experience that showed them how far they can go with their own music,” said Dr. Matthews. “It was an invitation to the profession, and I think they walked through the door.”
Students not only got to see live performances from some of the best musicians in the world but got to perform for them and receive critiques of their performance.
“Even more exciting, they got to play for these musicians in special masterclasses and hear helpful advice, giving them insight into what it’s like to be a professional performer,” Dr. Matthews emphasized.
These master classes were provided by Washington, D.C. Premiere Band Musicians at Northern Virginia Community College on the second day of the trip. Afterwards, students performed for the local community band and received a clinic session – professional guidance on their performance - by Professor Anthony Maiello, a conductor and clinician from George Mason University, who was also KSYW’s first guest conductor four years ago when the band was founded. This visit gave students more transformative tools to take their musical performance to the next level.
“We were leaning into the concept of Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance, which involves exploring the deeper meaning and context of musical works,” Dr. Matthews explained.
Over the course of the semester students had been working to experience history through music, interpreting and attributing meaning to their practiced works.
Students explored this concept of Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance when they gave a heartfelt performance at Sylvan Theater on the National Mall. Students performed works such as “Black Granite,” dedicated to the Vietnam Memorial, and "Elegy for the USS Arizona", a composition about one of the ships that went down in Pearl Harbor.
This was KSYW’s first time performing in D.C., KSYW have also performed at Severance Hall in Cleveland and at the Cuyahoga Falls Amphitheater. These offerings help young musicians get a head start on their musical journeys, developing a strong foundation for future success. The KSYW program ensures students explore their talents to their fullest potential.
ֱ ֱ State Youth Winds
The ֱ State Youth Winds (KSYW) provides local high school and exceptional middle school/junior high school wind and percussion players the opportunity to learn music performance techniques from professional artist-teachers from KSU, develop individual playing skills and perform in a Wind Ensemble with other interested and highly skilled young musicians. Through this experience, students will have the opportunity to enrich and advance their musicianship in a supportive, yet challenging environment. In addition to developing artistic skills, students can also develop non-musical skills including critical thinking, collaboration, communication and time management.
For more information on ֱ State Youth Winds and enrollment, visit /youth-winds.