One of our favorite parts of ACG’s mission is building deep connections and watching the beauty of them unfold. Here is a letter from one of our dearest connections from our ACGYO program, Lennox Kolics. Learn more about Youth and Community Ensembles here.
My name is Lennox. I’m barely an adult, but I’ve ventured out on a lot of limbs trying to figure out what will propel my life. At the heart of it all, I’m a lover of stories, and this is mine so far.
I began playing classical guitar when I was 5, and it was the only extracurricular I was able to stick to. In 6th grade, my private instructor Matt Hinsley recommended I audition for the ACG Youth Orchestra that Joe Williams was starting up, leading to the best decision I’ve ever made: joining the ensemble. It was invigorating and new, challenging and tiring, but rewarding above all. During the first few years, I was always the youngest member yet had been there the longest, so it feels like the ACGYO and I grew up together. Our repertoire expanded and became more advanced, we performed at increasing frequencies for crowds of all sizes, and we ventured further from home to share our music. As I evolved as a human and musician, so did ACGYO. Under the guidance of the nonpareil Dr. Joe, we developed the trusting give-and-take of ensemble music-making, and I came to understand the intricacies of the relationship between fellow ensemble members, the conductor, the music, and our instruments. Over the years, breathing life into the scores before us and making the pieces our own became instinctual — we didn’t just play songs anymore, we made them into stories. It wasn’t primarily about getting it right, but about creating beautiful things together; I came to see that that’s what life is about too.
As I tried to translate this into my future, ACG helped me explore the possibilities as an intern. There was no coffee-fetching, just guidance and trust as I worked alongside various teams. When I expressed interest in audio engineering, they immediately got me to a studio, and now I’m in college studying Music Technology and Film, continuing to do A/V work with ACG. Without ACG, I’m not sure I’d have all the answers that they gave me through music. I wouldn’t understand what beauty is or what gives me purpose — I wouldn’t know who I am. I couldn’t be more grateful for the wonderful people in this organization who have gone out of their way to support me for the majority of my life now, and I look forward to knowing them for the rest of it.
Sincerely,
Lennox Kolics
Below is “Hello, I just wanted to see how you were doing” by Cassie Shankman, performed by the ACG Youth Orchestra. Watch more Youth and Community Ensembles here.