We have been so proud to sponsor Caesura Youth Orchestra since its inception three years ago, and to watch its success in our local community. Not only does it give the children access to musical education that they would not otherwise have, but the experience of participating in an orchestra, being a part of something larger, and experiencing the reward of what can be accomplished by a group pulling together, these are invaluable experiences and social skills that will profoundly impact these children's futures for the better.
I am a classroom teacher at an elementary school where Caesura Youth Orchestra offers an after school program. Last year several of my students were a part of this wonderful program. One little girl in my class in particular responded strongly to the opportunity to develop skill in music as well as to belong to a group that worked together.. In the beginning of the year she struggled with academics, self confidence and lacked age-appropriate social skills. She was very excited about the music program, however. As the year wore on she showed a marked improvement in academics and maturity. I credit Caesura and the opportunity it afforded with the positive growth
in this little girl.
Caesura is an excellent music program for kids in the Glendale Area. David started this project about 4 years ago and it continues to grow. I had the opportunity to teach for the first three of the years the program. I can say first hand that it is such a wonderful opportunity for all the kids. In Los Angeles it is hard to find a quality non-profit musical education with the focus being on the kids and their growth and not a numbers game. I care deeply about this orchestra and want to continue to help as much as I can. Thank you so much to Dave for building this project from the ground up.
My heart is with the children of Caesura Youth Orchestra. They learned music notes for the first time and now with all the effort and support of the founder of CYO and devoted teachers, the children are playing their instruments not only in classes but in concerts. I grew up studying music from age 6 with all Italian teachers and within a family of musicians. After dedication to hours on end practicing piano, I taught for 39 years, playing for student recitals, for official church jobs in three countries and playing in concerts and accompanying professional opera singers.
I praise and recommend the Caesura Youth Orchestra. My family currently has a fourteen-year-old who started learning music at the age of 4. Now he is an accomplished young artist playing trombone locally, throughout the state, nationally and internationally.
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Caesura Youth Orchestra provides a great service to our community. I've seen 3 years of progress watching their performances. They grow more and more each time in discipline and musical skill. They are adorable, hard working kids that come from very challenging backgrounds, and they deserve all the help they can get.
The students are evaluated every year by their music and their classroom teachers, and the impact is clear; students are improving behavior, learning critical social and leadership skills and are being steered in a very positive direction at a point that is crucial to their life-time development.
I'm a volunteer and Board member with this organization and I'm continually impressed with the students exiting out of this program. The evaluations from teachers at the end of the year consistently show improvement in behavior, leadership, and grades after participating in the Caesura program for two years in a row! When you speak with the kids, they are enjoying themselves and learning a lot. As time goes on we've had kids who've graduated to middle school and out of the program return to help out the 3rd - 5th graders and keep playing. Principals and teachers are asking Caesura to expand into their campuses but additional funding is needed in order to expand. After watching it at work from the inside over the last two years, I'd highly recommend Caesura Youth Orchestra if you're looking for a nonprofit to invest in.
Each time I have an opportunity to hear the students from Cerritos Elementary School perform, I am amazed at how accomplished they have become in such a short amount of time. This speaks to the heart and spirit of Caesura Youth Orchestra. Each teacher and leader is passionate about these kids and giving them the musical education they deserve. I am proud to personally support them, and proud to have my congregation, Glendale City Church, supporting them!
This group has blossomed in the last 2 1/2 years since Dave Ferguson came to me to help; and as the music director where those students will attend I am now beginning to see the fruits of caesuras labors.
I had the great honor of composing a piece specifically for this wonderful orchestra's Christmas program. The children's performance was inspiring. Their level of focus, expression, and musicianship was very professional.
Led by their astonishing President, Dave Ferguson, this the CYO or Caesura Youth Orchestra continues to blow me away. First, what most Glendale CA residents don't know about Dave is his own voice/recording/singing prominence. Excellence and with the top music people in the world. Other great artists who share their own craft with the kids, i.e. the violin. It's an astonishing operation, up close. An observation made possible by both Caesura, Dave - and the great elementary school that hosts, feeds Dave's program, Dave's kids.
I observed this phenomenon up close and personal, came and visited - one of the kids turned around and said, "Hey - what's with the old man?" And another kid said, oh, yeah - he's known to the President (Dave), is here courtesy of Dave - and only to observe. While his white hair is scary (to kids, even to self), the kids then accepted me - a few said "Hi old man," but it was in a funny way - not meant or said with malice. And I'm not that sensitive of a person - if someone said it in a traffic dispute it'd have a whole different context/meaning. This was said by some nice, good-humored children - gifted children that Dave and CYO (our SDA Church in Glendale, the "city church.") have helped in the most prominent of ways. Dave's a leader - character comes first - they need to develop good habits - as in "Be on time."
So, yeah, paint me astonished by what these children - by what this orchestra - by what Dave has accomplished.
A-city-of-Glendale-treasure no less than our other great children's orchestra which CYO is often both likened and confused-with (Glendale Youth Orchestra or GYO).
You see these kids a few months in - or a year in - and you begin hearing things like they're developing as young kids - they're improving in the classroom - for the first time they're thinking "college" - tons of good things have happened and will continue to happen around both President Dave Ferguson and his magical operation called "Caesura" or "Caesura Youth Orchestra."
