Building Character
Campaign Details

In pursuit of excellence

What comes to mind when you think about music education for youth?

  • Diligence and discipline?
  • Mastering a skill that crosses over into every aspect of one's life?
  • Teamwork?
  • Leadership skills?
  • Character building?
  • Developing a skill set that complements education at all levels?
  • A sense of belonging and pride in accomplishment?
  • A life forever enriched by music, friendship and connection?

And, what comes to mind when you think of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program?

  • Over 500 students in grades 3 through 12?
  • Seven separate symphony programs?
  • Over 50 years in music education?
  • Proudly performing in local venues year-round?
  • Performing nationally and internationally?
  • Maintaining a high grade-point average?
  • University scholarships?

These merits are not surprising to the hundreds of students and parents involved in the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program (AYS) and the thousands of alumni who have gone on to successful, distinguished careers in a variety of fields. AYS is the only youth symphony in the Albuquerque area and is considered a premier youth symphony in the United States. Ultimately, this experience provides students with a range of opportunities that they simply don't get elsewhere. Having observed the lives and careers of our alumni over the past 50 years, we know that AYS means excellence in life education as well as music education.

In Pursuit of a Permanent Facility

The Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program has cultivated and grown its programs despite not having a permanent facility. AYS has always collaborated with the Albuquerque Public Schools and the University of New Mexico and used their rehearsal, practice and performance spaces on an as-needed basis.

For many years this arrangement has been mutually beneficial. Albuquerque Public Schools provides AYS with the rooms needed to sustain its programs, and AYS enhances and complements the school music programs.

While workable, this collaboration has left AYS vulnerable to changes in the school district and its management, potentially threatening the long-term stability of our program. AYS enhances and complements the music offerings of all area public, private, parochial and home schools.

Sharing space is often a scheduling challenge for the schools and the AYS Program. Rooms are often unavailable or simply not suitable to the type of space needed by the orchestras.

Without our own space:

  • We cannot expand our programs by adding more staff to the current single full-time and three part-time administrative staff, due to severe space limitation.
  • We cannot add any more programs to serve more children at the present time due to space limitations.

Why not just rent larger office space?

Office space is only a small part of the overall vision we have to fulfill our mission. The big picture answer to this question is that we need a permanent facility in order to fulfill an organizational vision for continued success, program growth, cohesion and extraordinary student accomplishment.

AYS volunteer Board of Directors and administrative staff believe that the time has finally come for Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program to have its own permanent facility if it is to fulfill this organizational vision. This community needs a permanent facility for the Albuquerque Symphony Youth Program.

Major benefits of a permanent facility are:

  • Expanded school-year and summer programs.
  • More music programs such as beginner classes, chamber music and music theory.
  • Broader class times.
  • Cohesive and accessible programming.
  • Greater efficiency of Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program operations.
  • Safe location.
  • A facility with adequate lighting and proper acoustics.
  • Private practice rooms.
  • Adequately sized practice and rehearsal rooms.
  • Music Library.

Some may wonder how it's possible to have achieved such a program of growth and sustained quality of music education without a permanent facility over the past 50 years. The answer is that the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program started out small and slowly grew over the years. Quality was sustained only because AYS leaders and staff always kept their eye on the mission of the organization. Now they understand that a permanent facility is necessary to realistically fulfill our mission over the next 50 years.

Summary of Proposed Plan

The priority for a permanent facility is to provide a cohesive program for our students and parents. The design for the facility will also consider that safety and security for our parents, students and employees is of utmost importance. Rehearsals are most times held in the evening and weekend hours.

  • 2 Full Orchestra Rehearsal and Recital Spaces
  • 7 Sectional Rehearsal Rooms for small group instruction
  • 4 Small Practice Rooms for individual instruction
  • Administrative Offices
  • Secure Instrument Storage
  • Percussion Room for practice and storage (ie. tympani, marimbas, etc.)
  • Accessible Music Library with consistent hours (current library is not readily accessible)
  • Conference room for Board, Parent, Alumni and community meetings.

Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program will continue to utilize Popejoy Hall, Albuquerque Public Schools and Rio Rancho Public Schools for performances.