{"id":22128,"date":"2025-05-21T15:59:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T21:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/making-a-joyful-noise\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T22:12:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:12:02","slug":"making-a-joyful-noise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/making-a-joyful-noise\/","title":{"rendered":"Making a Joyful Noise"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Augustine
Augustine Martinez, 4, of Bloomfield, takes a try at the violin, with his dad smiling encouragement.
\n Debi Tracy Olsen\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

On Sunday afternoon, the lobby of the Henderson Performance Hall at San Juan College was filled with sounds and smiles as local youths participated in the traditional \u201cInstrument Petting Zoo\u201d before the San Juan Symphony\u2019s 2025 Family Concert.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe instrument petting zoo is something to enhance this family concert outreach,\u201d said Meghann Zenteno, executive director of the San Juan Symphony. \u201cIt kind of demystifies the orchestra, demystifies the instruments that are up on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event is intended to spark a lifelong love of music in young kids. The Symphony works with the Be FRANK organization to acquire instruments of various sizes that are put out on tables. Members of the symphony man the tables so that kids can come up and try them.<\/p>\n

\"Hart
Hart Sylvester of Durango plays the temple blocks.
\n Debi Tracy Olsen\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cThey can see what they look like up close. They can hear them demonstrated one at a time. And then they can make noise themselves on these instruments, which is a really magical thing,\u201d Zenteno explained. \u201cYou can see the sparks light up in kids\u2019 eyes when they see what kind of sounds they can create coming out of an instrument.\u201d<\/p>\n

On display and put to use were all of the string instruments of an orchestra in the various sizes: violin, viola, cello and bass. Also on display were the wind instruments including flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, oboe, and French horn, as well as an assortment of percussion instruments including conga drums, temple blocks, an African shekere, a cabasa and sleigh bells.<\/p>\n

The instrument petting zoo is part of the symphony\u2019s overall efforts to attract children to music, which is part of their desire to give back to the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur youngest learners are going to be the future of our communities, future leaders and future arts patrons,\u201d she said, as well as future musicians.<\/p>\n

\"Klaus
Klaus Weyrauch, 7, of Farmington, plays the sleigh bells.
\n Debi Tracy Olsen\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cWe have a whole education umbrella that includes a variety of things, because we feel like it\u2019s really important,\u201d Zenteno said. Other initiatives include free tickets for students during the symphony\u2019s regular season performances sponsored by Coca-Cola of Durango, a youth symphony program, and a scholarship fund to help supplement the cost of private music lessons for area students. That program aims at \u201ckids that really show an aptitude and really show an interest in improving their musicality and learning all the things that you can from being a musician, but maybe they need a little help with the financial aspect,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The low cost of the annual Family Concert, $5, is intended to serve as an entr\u00e9e to the symphony. \u201cWe hope that this is a way to attract families and for them to realize all of the things that are open to them that they may not realize,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

After the chance to get up close and personal with the various instruments, the San Juan Symphony performed \u201cTyrannosaurus Sue, a Cretaceous Concerto.\u201d This is a classical music tribute to the largest set of bones of a complete T-rex ever found that is on display at the Field House in Chicago. It was composed by Bruce Adolphe of National Public Radio.<\/p>\n

The lead role of Sue was played by the symphony\u2019s trombone soloist, and other instruments in the orchestra portrayed other dinosaurs. \u201cIt\u2019s a fun, new, engaging piece that also relates to something that kids are interested in \u2013 dinosaurs,\u201d Zenteno said.<\/p>\n

\"Athen
Athen Martinez, 8, of Bloomfield, plays the cabasa, a Latin percussion instrument that produces a unique, rhythmic, scaping sound.
\n Debi Tracy Olsen\/Special to the Tri-City Record<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

This family concert wrapped up the San Juan Symphony\u2019s 39th season. Every Symphony performance is presented twice, once on Saturday evening in Durango at the Community Concert Hall, followed the next day in Farmington at the Henderson Performance Hall.<\/p>\n

The symphony will start its 40th anniversary season on Oct. 4 and 5, which will feature a world premiere of a piece called San Juan Sketches that\u2019s being commissioned for the 40th season celebration.<\/p>\n

For more information about the educational programming of the San Juan Symphony including youth orchestras, music camps and musician makers scholarships, as well as upcoming performances, visit sanjuansymphony.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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