For the upcoming Imagine US: Celebrating America at 250, IPR has appointed two Interlochen Arts Academy student tour ambassadors to keep us informed about how tour preparations are going.
This week, we get the latest from Sydney Kassekert, a senior in the Singer-Songwriter program at Interlochen.
Listen to Sydney's latest dispatch on demand, or read an edited transcript below.
The song she's writing for Yo-Yo Ma and how it's going
I have the final draft of the song (called "Imagine") ready. I made a couple of edits to the lyrics. We have a full run of the show this Saturday, and I'm really excited to get everything on its feet.
On her vision of America at 250 for the song
As I look forward to the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 100th anniversary of Interlochen, I created this song as a celebration of the ideas and ideals that we have shaped to build this country and this community.
I'm trying to voice the fact that our nation was founded on the principles of liberty and justice and equality. "Imagine" is a voice that focuses on the concepts and the realities of the American experiment.
The dress she's wearing on tour
We have two designers, Peregrine [Schulz] and Annie [Bye], who are also Interlochen students. They're creating this special piece that speaks to American tradition.
I told them I'd prefer a dress instead of pants, and they said okay. It has birds on the dress, which sounds crazy, but it's fun and beautiful.
Yo-Yo Ma wears the UN pin [a Sustainable Development Goals lapel pin] whenever he performs, so we're taking that lens and putting it on the dress in a way that Yo-Yo Ma and I can have that special moment.
The costumes are going in these boxes when we're on tour, and we're not allowed to grab them until we're at the venue. Afterwards, the dress will probably go up in Corson Auditorium on display for everyone to see.
Who Wesley is
Wesley's the best. He's one of my really good friends, and he's been working with me on "Imagine" since October.
He sits there with his cello and says, "Let me be Yo-Yo Ma." I've been humming different parts to him, and he's like, "Oh, that works," or "no, that doesn't work." He's been the thread that's weaving this all together with me.
He loves Yo-Yo Ma, so he's been nerding out and is excited.
About the tour
This March, Interlochen Arts Academy students are hitting the road and going on tour.
After a kickoff performance in Interlochen, they’ll then travel to Detroit, Philadelphia, and Boston.
The tour is called Imagine US: Celebrating America at 250.
The tour program includes the premiere of a new cello concerto, composed by Wynton Marsalis and featuring Yo-Yo Ma as the soloist. The students are also performing the Symphony no. 4 by Charles Ives and RE|Member, a work by Reena Esmail.
In each city, Arts Academy Orchestra members will play alongside professional musicians from the host cities' orchestras: the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
All of these orchestra pieces are woven together with multidisciplinary elements.
Classical IPR has invited two Interlochen Arts Academy students to serve as tour ambassadors, giving us regular dispatches as they prepare for the tour. They’ll send updates from the road once they’re on tour, and then we’ll talk with them after they return to find out how it all went.
Get the latest from IPR's tour ambassadors every Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. on Classical IPR or on demand online.
