VCU Symphony aims to inspire high schoolers through non-traditional piece

Peggy Stansbery, Staff Writer

The VCU Symphony plays “Paradise Valley Serenade,” a piece referring to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Detroit known as Black Bottom, according to Daniel Myssyk, professor of music and director of orchestral activities at VCU, who learned this information from Akropolis Quintet.

Black Bottom is known for its residents’ significant contributions to American music, including jazz music and the blues, between the 1930s and 1950s, according to Myssyk.

Black Bottom ceased to exist by the 1960s; it was completely wiped out, re-developed and gentrified, according to Myssyk. The piece is a “homage” to the neighborhood.

“I think people are going to be blown away because the piece is so energetic,” Myssyk said. “It has moments where you can really reflect on the loss of a neighborhood like that and what it meant to its residents. So it is lost but not forgotten.”

The VCU Symphony will take this piece and its full orchestra, accompanied by its faculty wind quintet, on the road to perform in northern Virginia on Feb. 23 and 24, according to Myssyk. 

They will perform three pieces and offer clinics and master classes at Broad Run High School, Lightridge High School and West Springfield High School, according to Myssyk.

The performances in Northern Virginia aim to motivate students to consider VCU’s music program and showcase “Paradise Valley Serenade,” a new and unique piece written by Black composer Jeff Scott, Myssyk said. 

“We are opening the flood doors to music that we are less familiar with as a symphonic ensemble, including faculty in the mix and reaching out to students from high schools in the hope that they will remember us, consider us seriously and will want to come to VCU,” Myssyk said. 

Myssyk chose the piece because he tries to have a “balanced” program with standard pieces from the orchestral repertoire and pieces from different genres that are less known, he said. 

“Paradise Valley Serenade” offers a “lesser known story” and utilizes an “abundance of the jazz idiom,” which is seldom programmed by symphony orchestras, to reflect the history of Paradise Valley, according to Myssyk.

Myssyk additionally chose the piece to help spread music written by minorities and expose the students to its story and music, he said. 

“We live in a world as conductors and music directors where we can play an important role in spreading music that was written by composers who were not as well represented on the stage as they should have had,” Myssyk said. “Now, the opportunities are approaching us as a musician to make every effort to include as many voices as we can in our programming.” 

Arianna Greggs, VCU violin performance major, will be performing with the symphony on its northern Virginia tour, according to Greggs. 

Greggs said she hopes the high schoolers see that many people in the symphony are around their age and furthering their musical careers, showing them that it is possible to pursue music.

“I know a lot of jobs today are really focused around technology, but it is like what would the world do without performing arts,” Greggs said. “I think a lot of people overlook and do not see it as a career choice anymore. So I think a really good thing for high schoolers is to see that it is still an option.”

Greggs is excited to perform “Paradise Valley Serenade” because she enjoys playing pieces by African American and lesser known composers, she said. It is “new and exciting” due to its swung rhythms.

The piece is “really big” for the classical world because it is very different from traditional classical pieces with its modern themes and jazz aspects, Greggs said. 

“In order for the classical community to continue to grow and adjust to newer times I think it is good to play pieces by newer and upcoming composers,” Greggs said. 

Anna Mitchell, teaching assistant for the VCU symphony orchestra, plays the viola with the VCU symphony, according to Mitchell. 

Mitchell is excited to spread her love for music and inspire high schoolers to further their “music education and activities” in college, she said. 

“I’m excited to show these students that you can still be involved in music in a very meaningful way in college,” Mitchell said. “And that there will always be routes for them to keep making music even if it is not their primary field of study.”

Many of these students might be primarily playing classical music, Mitchell said. The orchestra playing “Paradise Valley Serenade” helps show the students that there are opportunities to play music outside of the “classical realm,” Mitchell said. 

“I think it is really electrifying to hear something that is new and unique compared to everything you have done before,” Mitchell said. “I hope seeing this makes some of them feel like they want to keep doing this for the rest of their lives.” 

The VCU Symphony will additionally be performing at the Singleton Center on March 1 at 8 p.m.