by Theodore P. Mahne
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
The Times-Picayune

Win a national championship and your team might get invited to the Rose Garden at the White House for a photo op with the president.

Face the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and rebuild one of the premier youth orchestras in the region and go one better -- get invited inside the White House and be honored by the president's wife.

That's what the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra did recently. Representatives of the orchestra joined several other arts groups in the East Room of the White House in January to receive the Coming Up Taller Award from Laura Bush.

"All of the programs that were honored share our same goal," said Marianna Roll, the executive director of GNOYO, "and that is to serve young people by providing them with an education in the arts."

GNOYO, the official youth orchestra of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, was among more than a dozen organizations in the arts and humanities recognized by the White House for enriching the lives of young people and their communities.

"Coming Up Taller gives us the chance to celebrate arts programs that are helping boys and girls develop their talents and find their own voices," Mrs. Bush said. "The programs we recognize with the Coming Up Taller awards bring caring adults into the lives of children so that these children can grow up to be successful and healthy adults themselves."

In the New Orleans area's post-Katrina world, the leadership and opportunity offered by such programs as the Youth Orchestra are more vital than ever, Roll said.

"The original purpose of the youth orchestra was to fulfill a need -- to provide young people with the opportunity to learn and play in an orchestra," she said.

Music programs in schools -- often limited and among the first to suffer from budget cutbacks -- generally focus on solo lessons or marching band ensembles.

Founded in 1994 by local professional musicians, area teachers and parents, GNOYO offers opportunities for young musicians to perform in one of the orchestra's many ensembles and subsidizes lessons, instruments and tuition to students in need of financial assistance.

And today, Roll noted, the orchestra is a stabilizing force for young lives a year and a half after Hurricane Katrina.

"All of the arts organizations are valuing one another and the community is beginning to recognize that importance," she said. "Through the arts, we are seeing a sense of normalcy, a sense of stability for our students."

Roll noted that many still-displaced students will travel great distances to return to New Orleans for rehearsals and performances. "Participating in the Youth Orchestra is a vital part of their recovery," she said.

Laura Cain, a sophomore at Mandeville High School, has participated in GNOYO programs since she was 7. After Katrina, the orchestra remains an important part of her life.

"It's definitely something that teaches you that by working hard, you can gain something important," Cain said.

When she began with the orchestra, she had already been playing the violin for four years, studying under the Suzuki method.

"With Suzuki, you learn to play by ear," she said. "Working with the Youth Orchestra was the first chance I had to learn music. And there's such a big difference between solo playing and performing with a full ensemble."

Beginning as a second violinist in the beginner's orchestra, Cain has advanced and is now the co-concertmaster of the main performing ensemble.

In recognition of her dedication and work with the orchestra, she joined Roll on the visit to the White House.

"It was so exciting! We were told we could only say 'Thank you,' and nothing else to the first lady," she said. "I wanted to say so much more though."

While Cain doesn't know yet if she'll continue to pursue music professionally, she definitely wants to attend a college with a strong arts program. Such a commitment is common among young people going through GNOYO. The Coming Up Taller selection committee cited the fact that nine out of 10 students progress to full participation in the orchestra and a similar ratio pursue a college education.

"Through the Coming Up Taller program, the President's Committee focuses national attention on exemplary programs that enhance the lives and learning of young people," said Henry Moran, executive director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. "We believe our nation's future . . . depends on the investment these excellent programs make in the lives and talents of our youth."

"We teach our students that if they work hard, they can achieve so much," Roll added. "And they have fun while they do it."

Along with the honor of a trip to the White House, the Coming Up Taller Award includes a $10,000 unrestricted grant, a welcome gift for GNOYO, which has an annual budget of about $250,000.

"People are often willing to make donations for specific projects or items," Roll said, such as funding a chair in the orchestra or donating to an instrument fund. But there are more mundane bills to pay, too.

"This will help us with general operating expenses," she said.

The Youth Orchestra's combined programs currently have about 133 students participating. Before Katrina, about 250 children were a part of GNOYO, including a summer program. The numbers are slowly but steadily rebounding, much like the rest of the city, Roll said.

"We're just wanting to continue to serve our community," she said. Such recognition as this latest honor helps GNOYO to let the community know what it does. "It allows us to get our voice out there. By going forward, we are offering a positive reflection of how the arts can influence the community and the recovery of our community."