More Classical Acts

Your neighbors to the north enjoyed Calendar Weekend’s cover story “Music Appreciation 1” (Oct. 15), but in view of Josef Woodard’s praise for our 46th season opening concert in the Ventura edition that same day, we wish John Henken had also reported on the Santa Barbara Symphony’s award-winning education and outreach programs, commended as exemplary by the American Symphony Orchestra League.

Our Music Van, operated by specially trained docents, offers 50-minutes classes to third-graders throughout Santa Barbara County every autumn, explaining the symphony orchestra, demonstrating musical instruments and allowing every child a chance to hold and produce sounds from strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Fourth-graders from all over the county attend free youth concerts at the Arlington Theatre, specially programmed and conducted by maestra Gisele Ben-Dor. Many such students have been inspired to take up musical studies and move on to our Youth Symphony, currently under the direction of conductor Alfredo Oyaguez, and several have gone on to professional careers.

JAMES E. BRODHEAD

Board Member

Santa Barbara Symphony

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In his good and useful article about bringing classical music to children, Henken barely mentioned the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Music Director Jeffrey Kahane’s name didn’t even appear. Simply imagine a story in the New York Times in 1958 on the same topic that overlooks Leonard Bernstein.

I am a middle-school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. For quite a few years our students have benefited from LACO’s youth-designed “Meet the Music” series, by far the best youth outreach I’ve ever seen. Now, with Kahane in his second year as music director, the best has become better.

At any event where Kahane explains music, whether for children or adults, the presentation is rich in information, clear, fiendishly witty, even profound. We are lucky to have him here.

STEWART RUPP

Los Angeles