Orchestra Academy continues to bridge gap in the arts for Colorado students

The Orchestra Academy in Brighton is designed to make sure every student who wants to play an instrument gets that chance. 

Notes and melodies vibrate against the walls at Prairie View High School, as students in the Orchestra Academy prepare for an upcoming show.

"I played the violin. I started playing it, I'd say, like a year and a half ago around there," said student Zadie Autobee.

For these students, however, it's more than just about making music.

"In my opinion, it's just really fun," said student Taylor Stopperen.

It's a moment where children can come together and express themselves.

"My thought process was like, there are a lot of kids who want to learn these things, and I have the skills to teach groups, so why don't we just work with the schools to bring it to them?" said Lisa Parker, founder and director of the Orchestra Academy.

That's what motivated orchestra teacher Lisa Parker nearly seven years ago to start the orchestra academy. It's a program for students in the 27 J school district in Brighton who lack an existing orchestra program in their school.

"Over time, it grew so fast. We started out with 27 kids, and before I knew it, we had three orchestras and 100 kids altogether," she said.

Seven years later, that program trickled down to Denver.

"They have a great program at the high school, but nothing for elementary or middle school," said Parker. "So, that's when I started in Denver. That's only been there for like, a couple of years or something. I'm just finding that schools don't have the resources to keep orchestras going."

"I've been playing the cello since September," said Stopperen.

No matter what age or skill, students here say getting the chance to make music helps them believe more in what they're capable of achieving,

"You kind of have to put yourself out there so you can be heard and help the orchestra as a whole. You can't just shy away," said Autobee. "It helped me expand my knowledge of music. It helped me learn different things like scales and key signatures and time signatures, and I feel like it helped me grow as a person, helped me become more confident and less shy."

Parker says she hopes to bring more programs like this to other parts of the metro area.

"It's just a great community activity, and it's a confidence booster. Music has been shown to help with math and reasoning and confidence, and everything," said Parker. "Two of my kids now play at the Denver School of the Arts. One of my kids who started just won his division in the Rising Stars Festival for his violin solo. So, yeah, it's fun. I'm like, a proud grandma."

"I want to be able to play it to a semiprofessional level," said Autobee, "community orchestras and stuff like that, when I grow up."