Young musicians also suffer because of SSO shut down
When the SSO stops the music it won't only be the professional musicians who are affected, the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra will also be forced to suspend operations. As YNN's Erin Clarke tells us, young musicians think they won't find anything else quite like the SSYO.
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BREWERTON, N.Y. -- For 16-year-old Shannon White, the news that the SSO was shutting down was bad enough, but then she found out that the Syracuse Youth Symphony Orchestra would cease operation too.
"I did not see it coming at all. Like I knew the SSO was having problems, but I didn't think that would affect us, so when I read the email I was like whoa," said White.
Shannon and her friend Elizabeth Degroff play with the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra. The ensemble works and plays with the SSO and guest conductors, but also offers high school musicians so much more.
"It was an awesome experience. You would meet with people from schools I never even heard of, kids I never met before," said White.
The teens go through an audition to play with the SSYO and high caliber training to prepare for their annual concerts.
"We worked hard getting up to here and now knowing that all that hard work is now gone since we don't get to finish our concert, it's now like we lost something," said Degroff.
The experience lost is something these members say they won't be able to get anywhere else -- a chance to learn in a professional environment.
"I think the SSYO right now for me was the highest caliber I played in. I've played in All County and there's my band at school, there's music camps," said Degroff.
And also the guidance needed to make music a professional career.
"Kids who want to go into the music field or into professional, professionally play, we don't get that experience anymore of seeing what it's like to be a professional musician," said Degroff.