Regina Symphony Orchestra musicians reflect on commitment to community amid calls for support
CBC
In March, the Regina Symphony Orchestra's musical director told CBC News that audiences at concerts had been much smaller than they were pre-pandemic — so much so that the orchestra had to cancel three of its April shows.
Musical Director Gordon Gerrard said the cancellations would allow the RSO to mitigate some of the financial risk that it is feeling "very acutely."
As the RSO plans out its next season and looks at how to return its attendance to pre-pandemic levels, orchestra members are reflecting on their love for Regina and why orchestras are so instrumental in their community.
Jeff Looysen has been a violinist with the RSO for nearly 30 years, and lives and breathes music.
"In high school I was just all in on music and thought that would be my whole future," Looysen said.
Looysen's involvement with music is not limited to the symphony. He is also a music teacher at Scott Collegiate in Regina's north central neighbourhood.
"I started teaching violin lessons as I was playing in the orchestra to supplement that income. Year after year my passion became more for teaching than it did for for playing," said Looysen.
The violinist had what he calls an "amazing" opportunity to build a program at Scott Collegiate that did not exist before.
"The principal in the interview asked me what a [music] program would look like, and I knew that the community was smaller, that your concert band and concert choir programming wasn't going to be the successful way to go here," Looysen said.
"So I just thought we got to go to hip-hop, we got to go to small rock band type ensembles."
Looysen had the opportunity to sit with architects and design his teaching space.
"They built us two recording studios and mixing rooms so the kids really get to learn composition. They also get to learn audio engineering and sound mixing … the theory and what constitutes a melody or a beat."
Looysen is just one example of how orchestra members across Canada are not just classical musicians, but also actively work to foster musical literacy and excellence within their communities.
Katherine Carleton, executive director of Orchestras Canada, said this is partly how orchestras "enable" organizations around them.
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