An energetic year-end music recital showcased the talents of students at Yemin Orde Youth Village who participated in voice-development and music lessons.
The vibe was electric, and not just because the snug performance space at the top of Beit Joie, which 
houses the Village’s art and music studios, was filled with drums, electric guitars and pianos, mics and amplifiers. The small music studio also included expectant vocalists and instrumentalists awaiting their cue, and with an excited audience of classmates and staff members.
Beit Joie’s music studio is a handsome venue—a large wooden stage painted black, acoustic cork-lined walls and ceiling, exposed roof trusses of bright red steel. It’s real theater.
A showcase of music and musical personalities
The young musicians presented a range of musical styles—classical pieces, folk melodies, and, of course, pop tunes and rock. Vocalists included singer-songwriters who delivered raw lyrics about parents. One boy sang of loving and missing his mother far away in France. Another girl sang of her longing for attention from an absent and neglectful father.
Personalities of the musicians were reflected in their presentations, too. For example, the accomplished pianist who gave her audience such a look when they clapped before the piece was finished; the shy flutist as slim as her instrument, who played a light, Hungarian folk tune; the bold boy with a strong, modulated singing voice; the brave boy who had studied piano for only two months but played the keyboard with concentration and poise.
Accompanists included the youngsters’ teachers, among them Music Program Director Nitzan Ben-Simhon, a professional musician and popular educator. Nitzan also directs the Village’s choir, which toured cities in the United States in 2016.
Ending the concert on a high note
A band that included youth from one of the Village’s children’s homes, their informal educator and Nitzan closed the evening with a pulsing rap-rock number that left the audience wanting more and wishing for a dance party.
Yemin Orde provides its fragile youth with therapeutic care and programs, such as music and art therapy, that allow for self-expression and provide an outlet to express anger, fear or frustration. These important programs are funded through philanthropy and reflect the Village’s standard of excellence, both in education and in its emotional support of its at-risk youth.
Click here to learn more about the Yemin Orde difference.