U.S. music lesson brings students across the border to perform with Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra

Hailey McConnaughy, Laine Brown and Ella Culbreath were among 46 students from the Toledo School of Arts in Ohio who were brought to Windsor to perform musical works with the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra on Mar. 10, 2022. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News)

What started out as a group of U.S. music students rehearsing works created by Canadian composers has led to a trip across the border for a collaboration with the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra.

About 50 students in Ohio were assigned to explore music that found its early days in Canada, according to Jay Welenc, band and orchestra music teacher at the Toledo School for the Arts.

A year prior, he had an idea — to bring his students to Windsor and perform that same music with a Canadian orchestra. But a cross-border school field trip during the height of COVID-19 was out of the question.

But on Thursday, for the very first time, 46 music and choral students from the Toledo School for the Arts were able to cross over into Canada and perform with peers in the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra.

"It's my first time in Canada ever and I definitely need to come back," said 17-year-old cellist Hailey McConnaughy. "The atmosphere is so welcoming. I've never felt so at home is somewhere that isn't my home."

For McConnaughy, there was a noticeable distinction between the orchestral playing styles of her more-familiar Ohio ensemble and what she heard from players in Windsor.

But meshing each other's "personal sounds" was "pretty awesome," she said, adding it was "really incredible" to get direction from a different conductor.

"Mr. Welenc and the guest conductor [here in Windsor] have really different styles," said McConnaughy.

Among the lead instructions during Friday's visit was Daniel Wiley, associate conductor for the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.

While music crosses all borders, Wiley said, he considers welcoming students from the U.S. to be quite "incredible" due to the isolating nature of the pandemic.

"As a former teacher, even thinking about taking a tour of students in a pandemic is crazy," said Wiley. "But thinking about taking them internationally, it blows my mind."

For Wiley, one of the main points he wanted to get across to everyone in the crowd, regardless of if they were from Toledo or Windsor, is the importance of "taking calculated risks."

"It's not just about teaching them how to play their instruments better. But it's also making them more aware of the world around them… So there's a bit of teaching them how to be people, as well as learning how to play their instrument."

At different times on Friday, orchestral students from Toledo rehearsed instrumental pieces in the Capitol Theatre while their choir counterparts practiced in the University of Windsor School of Creative Arts building. Both groups were able to observe the other.

"It was super fun. I really liked it, "said 18-year-old advanced choir student Ella Culbreath who visited the former Armouries building. "The history behind the building itself was just absolutely amazing."

According to Laine Brown, euphonium player in the Toledo School of Arts Band, Wiley's lesson on Friday taught her the importance of "focusing more on expressions of the music rather than actually playing the note."

"Because a lot of my notes and song basis were whole notes and half notes, just typically boring things. But the way that he was phrasing it made it a lot more interesting and a lot more fun to play," said Brown, adding this was also her first time in Windsor.

"I've never been really out of the States before but this is definitely a great experience. Now that I have my passport, I'm hoping that I can move around a little bit more."

Before heading back to Toledo on Saturday, the students will be spending the day at the Chimczuk Museum, John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area and Devonshire Mall.