Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia’s spring concert partners with Path to Dignity Project 

Rachel Benton

Throughout the week, I found myself giving way to nostalgia for my days as a choir student. I loved performing in our annual holiday concerts because I am a true sucker for Christmas music, but my true favorites were the spring concerts. At this point in the school year, the competitions and testing were over and I could just have fun on stage. I would be curious to hear if it’s the same for today’s students. 

There’s just something tangible and special about the energy that comes this time of year. The sun is shining brightly and everyone is eagerly anticipating summer vacation and ending their school year (or even their high school education) on the right note.  

I have found spring concerts to be the most enjoyable from the audience too because they capture all the musical skills gained throughout the year and become quite sentimental as students celebrate their time shared together.  

Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO) will be having their spring concert on Sunday, May 17, at 4 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts.  

I highly encourage you to get a ticket as this extraordinary concert will not only celebrate the end of the year, but shine a light on a very worthy cause, inviting students and audiences alike to take action to make the world a better place.  

Click here to learn more.

Partnership with Paths to Dignity Project 

Last summer, Greg Allison, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Conservatory Orchestra and Brass Choir for SOGO, attended the League of American Orchestras annual conference in Salt Lake City where there was a lot of discussion surrounding music and health. One of the things that caught his eye (or rather his ear) was the repeated mention of the Paths to Dignity Project.  

As mentioned on their website, “The Paths To Dignity Project weaves homeless advocacy with music to inspire, to educate, to bring hope and to rekindle dignity.”

Founded by Mitchell Newman and composer Lucas Richman, the organization has created intentional opportunities for the unhoused community to interact with healing powers of classical music.  

A key component of this project was Richman’s composition, “Concerto No. 1 for Violin: Paths to Dignity,” which has a sort of film score quality to its sound. SOGO will be performing the movement, “Shelter for My Child,” from this piece in their spring concert with violin soloist Dillon Welch.

“It is absolutely stunning, just really gorgeous,” Allison said. “The kids really love it.” 

To learn more about this remarkable piece, I had the opportunity to chat with Richman himself.  

“This particular movement addresses all the children, who are in this situation through no fault of their own,” Richman stated. “They want nothing more than to be happy and live their lives, and it is our responsibility to take care of them.”  

There is a musical motif in this movement that derives its material from the Hebrew word that encourages the ideas of justice and charity, "tzedakah." Going deeper, it means making sure that everyone has food, water and shelter.  

“There was a young lady who came up to me after one of the first performances of this piece … she was in tears, devastated, absolutely beside herself.”  

Richman continued, "She said, ‘You wrote this piece for me! Six months ago, I was on the streets with my first child. Someone reached out their hand and took me in, and now I am off the streets and have a better living situation for my child.'"

Living in Olympia, I have heard too many harmful stereotypes spoken about the homeless community. When we stereotype, we forget about a person‘s humanity — their dignity. No one wants to be homeless and the circumstances surrounding how they got there are often products of an inadequate health care system and economy. 

What I appreciate about what Newman and Richman are doing is that they are uniting us at our core, reaching our souls through the universal language of music, which does not need words to speak something powerful.  

We all want to be loved, have more than just the bare necessities, and want this even more so for our children. I employ you to attend this concert not just because the music will sound great, but because I think our hearts need to remember this message now more than ever. 

May we be a community embracing tzedakah.  

 Richman will be in Olympia for a week, coming both to the SOGO spring concert and joining SOGO in visiting Panorama, the Olympia Gospel Mission and Senior Center.  

 Be sure to get your tickets to the SOGO spring concert here.

Rachel is a writer, arts advocate, performing arts enthusiast, and passionate about our beloved Thurston County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and Political Science and minor in Music. You can enjoy more of Rachel's writings by visiting her website. All inquiries for Rachel can be submitted here.