Young musicians get a lesson

More than 50 young instrumentalists from Millard North High School got a close-up look at the world of professional musicians Thursday when they visited the Holland Performing Arts Center for mentoring and instruction from members of the Omaha Symphony.

Debbie Martinez, orchestra director at Millard North, said the students love playing at the Holland.

“You don’t get this at any school in the district,” she said, gesturing to the concert hall. “And they like meeting the symphony members, getting that real-life, real-world experience to actually apply to their instruments.”

Symphony musicians said they, too, look forward to working with students as part of the Omaha Symphony Music Mentors program.

“Their enthusiasm is very high, and they’re ready to take in what information they can,” said Anne Nagosky, a violinist with the symphony.

“It’s kind of cool,” agreed Rico Amador, another symphony violinist.

“You can really hear the difference, from the beginning of the session to the end of the session, how much they’ve grown musically. They get to sit next to a top-quality musician that’s really passionate about what they do,” he said.

The students “gain an appreciation for what it takes, how good you have to sound to get to this level.”

Nagosky said she enjoyed chatting with and getting to know the students.

“Sometimes the non-musical parts of this are as much fun as the musical parts,” she said.

Drew Ritchie, a junior cellist, was tuning up on the Holland stage.

“I really like working with the Omaha Symphony musicians. They give good tips. And it’s nice to see what it sounds like to play in a really nice hall, he said.

“It helps a lot to see someone who’s really dedicated to their instrument and their craft.”

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