WRTI's Meridee Duddleston returns to St. Francis de Sales school in SW Philadelphia to check in on TUNE UP PHILLY - a unique after-school classical music program launched in 2010. Program Director Stanford Thompson, teaching artists, and parents share their thoughts on this Phila. Youth Orchestra project modeled after Venezuela's youth orchestra system.
A five-day-a-week training program in West Philadelphia aims to provide a safe haven and cultivate lasting skills through classical music. At St. Francis de Sales school, students in grades one through seven are the focal point of the newly launched after-school project: TUNE UP PHILLY. It's the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's version of Venezuela's youth orchestras and ensembles known as El Sistema. WRTI's Meridee Duddleston learns about its transformative potential.
