Lynn student musicians live for live performances

LYNN – Any school with a music program is required to provide students with a chance to perform live, but for Lynn student musicians that goes far beyond the annual holiday concert or spring showcase.”They play outside of school at nursing homes, for families facing hardship, at various agencies,” said Fine Arts Director Joe Picano.Friday morning the All City Strings Ensemble, under the direction of Brianna Pesce, played a brief holiday concert for about 50 school administrators and staffers. It was the third performance in as many days for the ensemble. Thursday the All City Jazz Band also performed at the Rotary Club’s luncheon at the Porthole Pub.”It’s important for them to give back to the community what the community has given to them,” Picano said.Lynn is one of the only public school districts that offers band and strings lessons to students at no cost.”In all 25 schools,” Picano added. “So this is a way of saying thank you.”Playing in public is also a confidence booster for the kids and gives them an opportunity to play before a number of different audiences.”The more they play the pieces the more exposure they have to the music,” Pesce said.That builds confidence, she added, and “gives them an opportunity they may never have to play in front of a more discerning audience.”During Friday’s holiday concert the String Ensemble players warmed up with Antonio Vivaldi’s “Concerto in D major” then launched into Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival.” Anderson was a local composer/arranger who had many pieces introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra. “A Christmas Festival” is a medley of popular carols including everything from “Jingle Bells” and “Good King Wenceslas” to “The First Noel,” “Silent Night” and “O, Come, All Ye Faithful.””They worked very hard on this,” Pesce told the small crowd who gave the group a standing ovation at the close of the show.”That was great. I don’t think you missed a Christmas carol,” said Superintendent Catherine Latham.Administrator Chris Johnson became unexpectedly emotional during the performance. Her niece, Emily Johnson, was one of the violinists.”My mother was very involved in music in the city,” she said. “She obviously got her talent.”Emily Johnson said she was surprised to see the impact the concert had on her aunt but as for playing in public, she said it was not so hard.”The first time we played (“A Christmas Festival”) I was a little nervous but this is the fourth time,” she said. “By the fourth time it’s not hard.”Picano told the group, which just happens to be all female, that it was the best strings performance he had heard in some time.”I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. You should be proud of ourselves,” he said.And that ultimately is why he likes to have the kids play in public as much as they can, he said later.”Some of these kids don’t have anything but music,” he said. “I know for a fact that this is the one thing that brings some of them to school.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].