January 23, 2009

A Presidential Performance

Violin students from New York City played their hearts out for a historic day

By Kathy Satterfield

In the months leading up to the big day, hundreds of people clamored for one of the hottest tickets in Washington, D.C.—aside from the Inauguration itself, of course. But even with a number of Inaugural balls to choose from, an invite was hard to come by. Unless you knew the President, Vice President or happened to play the violin.

DOROTHEA VON HAEFTEN Students from Opus 118 Harlem School of Music in New York City performed at the Children's Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C, on January 18.

Shanice Takeall, 12, doesn't know President Barack Obama, but she does know a thing or two about the violin. Shanice is a student at Opus 118 Harlem School of Music, in New York City. When she first picked up the violin six years ago, she had no idea it would take her so many places.

In December, Shanice and 25 other Opus students ages 8 to 18 learned that they would be performing at the Children's Inaugural Ball, on January 18. "At first my friends didn't believe me," she says. But when she started logging in hours of practice, they knew she wasn't just fiddling around.

Play It Loud, Play It Proud

Shanice wanted to play perfectly, especially if Barack Obama and his family were going to be there. She wanted to send the First Family a message: "This is who we are; this is why we've been practicing so hard."

For Shanice and the other students, Opus has given them a voice where they might not have had one. Their East Harlem neighborhood is a tough place to grow up. The area has struggled with crime and high school dropout rates. Many families are poor.

Roberta Guaspari founded Opus 118 in 1991 after her violin program was cut from local schools. She had seen in her students the power of beautiful music. "In learning to play something as difficult as the violin," Guaspari says, "it empowers them with the knowledge that they can do anything."

Musical Note to Obama

At the ball, the young violinists played a variety of music, including some jazz and blues. They ended with "We Shall Overcome," in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the dream that Obama had made a reality. "It's such a great honor to have him as our 44th President," says Opus student Mitsuko Yabe, 17.

Though Obama's busy schedule kept him away from the ball, Guaspari hopes he will still get the message behind the music. "I'd like to ask him to give children access to music education in the schools again," she says. "It teaches them how to think, to be disciplined and how not to quit." Or, as Mitsuko puts it: "Opus has opened so many doors for me. I wanted to translate that joy to the audience and to Obama."

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