San Diego, Tijuana Youth symphonies unite for historic cross-border efficiency

This weekend, 85 musicians from San Diego’s Youth Symphony and neighboring Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana packed the Epstein Household Amphitheater on the College of California, San Diego, for a historic efficiency.

“No matter where you’re from, music can be something that unites,” stated Lilian Franqui one of many musicians breaking down boundaries.

When she was 7 years outdated, Franqui picked up a violin at an instrument “petting zoo.” 

Now, greater than a decade later, she’s planning to make a profession in it. 

“When you’re playing, there’s no talk about borders. There’s no talk about ‘them versus us’ that I see a lot of, especially in the news,” Franqui stated. “I think that this music really allows us to be, you know, closer together.”

The efficiency was a part of an effort to bridge communities by creativity and innovation throughout this yr’s “World Design Capital” designation.

“You may not understand each other. Speak the same language, but you know, the same notes you can play the same,” Sophia Getman, a Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana member, stated. 

Nevertheless it’s not at all times in tune – or simple.

Some performers from Tijuana waited no less than three hours to cross the border to rehearsal.

“It’s been a learning lesson for many of the students in the San Diego Youth Symphony certainly, because, for a lot of them, you can easily take for granted driving to rehearsal, coming to rehearsal, and making music, and maybe it’s a 20-minute car ride or a 30-minute car ride, but for some of the musicians that have joined us, it can, it can be an all-day ordeal,” stated Sameer Patel, conductor and creative director of the San Diego Youth Symphony.

This distinctive collaboration has culminated in a particular composition known as “Ilimitados”, which means limitless.

“Limitless is symbolic of hope, of opportunities,” Anthony Kim, concertmaster for the San Diego Youth Symphony. “In regard to the border region, I hope this helps instigate peace and unity.”

Patel hopes it hits the best notes and resonates far past this stage. 

“Music is about the greatest expression of our common humanity, and I think when we have a piece of music like this and opportunities to come together that showcases our common humanity, that you know, you can see that that there’s little that actually separates us,” Patel stated. 

Andres Gutierrez

Andres Gutierrez is a CBS Information reporter based mostly in Las Vegas. Most just lately a reporter with CBS Information Detroit, Andres brings greater than a decade of award-winning breaking information reporting and fill-in anchor expertise throughout a number of markets together with Kansas Metropolis, Missouri and Dallas, Texas. Whereas masking Detroit, he reported on main nationwide tales, together with the mass capturing at Michigan State College, and the historic six-week strike by the United Auto Staff. Gutierrez additionally performed a serious position in CBS Information and Stations’ in-depth protection throughout platforms of the trials of James and Jennifer Crumbley – the primary mother and father within the U.S. to be held criminally accountable for a college capturing dedicated by their baby. Gutierrez graduated from New York College and is a member of the Nationwide Affiliation of Hispanic Journalists.