This short documentary explores the effects of the pandemic from youth musicians’ perspectives. Eight Anchorage high school musicians share their experiences during the pandemic: the early struggles, how the pandemic continues to affect their lives, how music helps them cope, and what gives them hope moving forward.
Two years ago, live music performance and in-person music education ceased. Youth musicians, and those with musical potential found their dreams on hold. While all youth experienced disruptions to their favorite endeavors, sports and other activities stabilized, while performance is slow to return. In short, the pandemic devastated the music education and performance community.This film addresses the impacts of life without music for many young people who need music as an outlet for stress, anxiety, and emotional wellbeing
This Isn’t Going To Be Forever …is a youth-created film.
ABOUT THE CREATORS
E Chythlook and Anna Lea Hyer are the Performing Directors for Alaska Youth Orchestras and represent their collogues in the Anchorage Youth Symphony on AYO’s Board of Directors. E is a Senior at South High School and Anna Lea is a Junior at Bartlett High School. Six others musicians are featured in this film: Ben (Service), Ethan (Eagle River), John (South), Luis (Polaris), Matthew (Chugiak), and Owen (South). Alaska Teen Media Institute – Youth Filmmakers, Daisy Carter and Forrest Rogers are the team behind the camera and in the editing bay.
This project is made possible through a “Youth Matter” grant from the Anchorage Youth Development Coalition
The Wellness Initiative
AYO’s Virtual Symphony program debuted in late 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, as a community mental health and wellness program serving musicians all across our great state. More than 60 musicians of all ages and skill levels, from Ketchikan to Unalakleet, met weekly to create a new kind of music community with the goal of building wellness through music.
As the world began to return to “normal” this past season, AYO worked hard to adapt all programs in a way that they will best serve our community. It became clear that the virtual symphony model, while it was tremendously successful, was no longer the best way we could serve our community. So the program transitioned to offering online music education workshops, something our community needed, took advantage of, and enjoyed.
Meanwhile, AYO’s 2021-22 youth leadership team (Performing Directors) were conducting an exciting, youth-led Wellness project which studied and documented the impacts of the pandemic on music education (See the documentary below). They also looked at how listening to music and playing music helped them cope, as well as how the shutdown showed them the value of group music opportunities. The success and findings of this project has helped us establish the future of the Virtual Symphony program, refocusing on Wellness and adding youth leadership development.
AYO is excited to announce the addition of the AYO Wellness Initiative; a youth-led leadership development program that identifies outreach projects that pursue Wellness through music. Open to all AYO musicians who want to participate, the Wellness Initiative is supported by Cari Zawodny (bio below), a youth development expert who has worked with a wide variety of youth organizations. Funding will be provided by grants relating to the projects selected and by corporations and donors passionate about youth leadership. The 2022-23 AYO Wellness Initiative project is currently applying for funding and will be announced as soon as that process is complete.
AYO is honored to support youth leadership development in a manner that is in keeping with our mission and vision. We look forward to a future of meaningful projects that build wellness through music!
Cari Zawodny
Youth Leadership Expert
For the past decade Cari Zawodny has focused her career on amplifying Youth Voice in Alaska. Currently, Cari works with Anchorage Youth Vote through the League of Women Voters, The Spirit of Youth Teen Advisory Council, Alaska Teen Media Institute, and Alaska Youth Orchestras Performing Directors. While the missions of these organizations vary, they all believe in the power of young people to improve our Alaska communities, and Cari’s role is to support the youth members through successful project development and implementation. All of the projects she has helped nurture use media, community service, education, civil discourse, and the arts to make Alaska a better place for young people. Cari has also worked with Story Works Alaska, Anchorage Youth Development Coalition, and served as Executive Director of Anchorage’s Promise. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Theatre Arts, Film and Television Production from Montana State University.
Alaska Virtual Symphony
Playing music all across Alaska, AVS was a pandemic-era project (2020-21) that built community and wellness through music. Funded by a grant from the Department of Health and Social Services, AVS had participants of all age and skill lives from Ketchikan to Unalakleet!