TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Orchestra To Play At Olympic Event

ADVERTISEMENT

By LIZ BLEAU, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 5, 2007

VALRICO - Music has always opened doors for SuLing Chou Caballero, director of the Bloomingdale High School Orchestra.

She sees a planned trip for orchestra members to Beijing during the Olympic Games in 2008 as one of those opportunities and hopes to raise enough money to send as many of the orchestra's 125 members as possible.

"For me, that is the goal of this trip, to give students the chance to learn through music," she said. "It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The orchestra has been invited to perform in an international youth festival as part of the Olympics from June 23 to July 2.

"Youth from around the world, about 30 countries to date, will be playing side by side," Caballero said.

All guest musicians will have a Chinese partner who will serve as host and perform beside them, sharing a music stand.

"It will be interesting for the musicians to see their likes and dislikes. That's the great thing about music, that it's a chance to tell the same story, even though you may not speak the same language," Caballero said.

Caballero, whose father is Chinese, has visited China four times and is interested in comparing life there today with how it was when she last visited 10 years ago. Daily life for average citizens there was much more strict and controlled than it is today, she said.

"When I was there, all the students had to have the same haircut. Everyone woke up at the same time," she said. "I will be interested to see how things have changed."
Caballero has arranged for donations to be tax-deductible and is working on fundraising and securing corporate gifts and sponsorships. A March concert is planned at the Tampa Theatre, but it will take more than that to raise the $3,000-per-student cost for the trip.

Thirty-five students have committed to making the trip, she said, but she would like at least 35 more to participate, enough for a full orchestra.

Stephanie Worley, 17, who plays violin, said she is happy to be going.

"It's China. It's an amazing opportunity," she said. "The benefits of going far outweigh any monetary costs. I never thought at my age I would get to go to China, Europe maybe. China seems so foreign and exotic."

Her family is paying for her travel. Alicia Westerhoff, 18, a senior who plays the viola, hopes a sponsor will come forward so she can afford to go. Otherwise, she will have to stay home.

"I'm going off to college right after this trip, so that amount of money will go a long way toward my college costs. That could pay for all my books," she said. "It would be a great experience and I wish I could go. I would go if I could get a sponsorship."

Jacob Keith, 16, a violinist, said he is looking forward to visiting and performing in China. He traveled to New York last summer with the Patel Youth Orchestra and played at Carnegie Hall, "an incredible experience," he said.

"I jumped on this next opportunity that music has provided me," he said. His parents will cover his travel expenses.

For information or to help with the trip costs, contact Caballero at (813) 744-8018, Ext. 263, or suling.caballero @sdhc.k12.fl.us.

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at (813) 865-1557 or lbleau@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT