North Park students to play Carnegie Hall
By Bethania Palma Markus, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/10/2010 04:17:05 PM PST

Clarinet soloist Natasha Cuenco, 12, watches student Conductor Ilse Llamas-Medina, 14, leads students as they practice playing "Promenade" at North Park Middle School in Pico Rivera on Thursday January 7, 2010. Students from North Park Middle School will play at New York's world-famous Carnegie Hall in April. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Keith Durflinger)

PICO RIVERA - Some of the world's most renowned musicians have played New York City's historic Carnegie Hall. In April, music students from North Park Middle School are helping disadvantaged children from the L.A. area get their time in the spotlight.

In a program developed by North Park music director Ron Wakefield, seventh- and eighth-graders from the North Park band teach music to abused and neglected children from various facilities throughout the area. It will be North Park's fourth Carnegie Hall appearance, Wakefield said, but a first for their companions.

He developed the outreach program, "Kids Helping Kids" to foster compassion in his students, he said.

"It develops a great amount of love and certainly a deep appreciation for the things that they have," he said. "You don't hear the North Park kids complain very much about the things they don't have, because they've seen so many kids who are less fortunate than they are."

The program has spread to the East Coast and he expects the Carnegie Hall band to include at least 50 disadvantaged children from cities like Baltimore, Harlem and Brooklyn, the 52-year-old clarinetist from Whittier said.

The concert program will include Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture," Schubert's "Ave Maria," and children's favorites like "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" arranged specially for the orchestra.

North Park clarinetist Natasha Cuenco, 12, will debut as a soloist, as will conductor Ilse Llamas-Medina, 14.

Llamas-Medina demonstrated her skills Friday, lifting her baton and leading the brass, wind and percussion band in "Promenade," a piece composed for them.

Students said they were excited about their New York concert, but said they love teaching here at home too.

"When they come (for lessons) they're leaving all their problems, focussing on the music and enjoying themselves," said Sarina Ross, 14. "They get more confident and they start expressing
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themselves more, and they're not as upset or angry or sad as they once were."

bethania.palma@sgvn.com

562-698-0955, ext. 3028