Local Students Lead Virtual Orchestra

BOSTON -- Some local music lovers get the chance to live their dream when they grabbed a virtual baton at Symphony Hall and saw what it's like to lead one of the world's most famous orchestras.

NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd reported that it was part of the symphony's youth concert series. About 2,300 youngsters from Boston schools were treated to a performance Thursday at Symphony Hall.

After watching the concert, some of the youngsters had an opportunity to see for themselves what is it like to conduct an orchestra.

The conductor, Federico Cortese, took a few students behind the scenes to give them some tips while allowing them to try their hand at conducting, using a computer program virtual maestro.

"Any little game, anything that can make them relate to what an orchestra does, what a conductor does, what music sounds, and how it sounds when it is faster than when it's slower, anything can be intriguing for a kid," Cortese said.

Some of the kids said it was a great experience and helped motivate them to learn more about music.

"It makes you feel a lot better about it, like you have an understanding on what to do," one student said.

"Actually, I really love music. It made me feel like R&B is not the only music. That's good," another student said.

"There were a couple of kids that were amazingly solid in how they kept the tempo going," Cortese said.