Were this a site to publish press releases, we'd wait for the slowly emerging official announcement from the Young Musicians Program, but if "news" is to be kept in the name of the column, there is no alternative to conveying this very bad news (otherwise confirmed): The YMP summer program has been canceled, and the organization's vital relationship with UC Berkeley has been altered, on the way to being completely severed.
The fact that "some members of the YMP Advisory Board" in April formed a new organization, the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra, and just a month later they announced "taking over the administration and management of YMP," indicates internal politics at work.
In the 2012-2013 academic year, YMP enrolled 92 students aged 10 to 18, and just when it was time for the important summer session, the rug was pulled from under both the session and the program.
While acknowledging YMP's 45 years of "valuable public service to the community by providing high quality tutoring and musical education to low-income and disadvantaged youth," Gibor Basri, who holds the wondrous title of UC Berkeley’s Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, declared that "giving talented low-income youth in our community the opportunity to shine musically and academically would be better served by an independent organization that is small and agile."
How and why is YMP — heavily dependent on volunteer work by the likes of Frederica von Stade — not a "small and agile" organization are questions to be answered. Program director Daisy Newman deferred comment until after Aug. 31, when YMP will officially end operations.
YMP, originally founded within the university's Music Department in 1968 as a summer program for youth from Berkeley and surrounding communities, has expanded to a year-round program, featuring individual, group, orchestral, and choral instruction. Musical instruments and all other aspects of the program were provided at no cost to the students and their families.
Flicka and another famed dramatic soprano, Olivia Stapp, have participated in an impromptu summer session for 17 YMP singers organized voluntarily and gratis by YMP faculty member (and Sonos Founder/Director) Jim Meredith. On Sunday, they held a closing concert in Oakland, including scenes from West Side Story, Les Mis, The Barber of Seville, as well as various arias.
Says Meredith: "This group of 13-18 year olds is truly spectacular. You would not believe some of the voices, with descriptions from knowledgable people like: 'a young Victoria de los Angeles,' 'a Verdi baritone in the making'; four of them have been Pacific Musical Society competition winners."
Stapp, who directed the concert, says:
It is so inspiring for me to be with these young people. Their personal lives are beset with enormous difficulties, through no fault of their own. And yet, they bring all their talent and energy and immerse themselves with all their souls into the music at hand. They sing German, French, Italian, and Spanish lieder, play instruments in classical and jazz style, and do opera too!Jim Meredith is a saint. He personally shepherds the students all the way through to college — helping with applications, preparing the auditions, and even bringing them to the various colleges all over the country. There is great work going on in this program, the vocal component is outstanding, and these kids are for real. Music is the magic door through they pass to get to the life they all deserve. Knowing these youngsters gives me hope for the world.