Kids show off musical talent in Maple Valley symphony

Symphonies aren't just for the big city.

The Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra gives kids in rural parts of Southeast King County a chance to display their musical talent without traveling too far from home.

The symphony, formed in the fall, was started because founder Elisa Lewis saw a need for local kids to have a professional musical outlet, something other than school band.

Sixteen-year-old Garrett Reynolds traveled to play with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra for about five years. Now that there's a youth symphony in his hometown, he says it's a lot easier to participate.

"It encourages more people to play," Reynolds said.

Traveling a significant distance becomes a difficult time commitment, he said.

Until now, Anita Knight said her family had wrestled with the thought of driving all the way into the city to give her son Micah, 11, a chance to play in an orchestra.

"It's just been an incredible blessing for our family," Knight said.

Musical experiences like these are an important part of development, orchestra conductor Maggii Weitzel said.

With iPods and the Internet, kids can easily forget what it's like to create music, said Weitzel, a University of Washington graduate student.

While the group is geared toward kids in junior high and high school, it's open to any kid who can play an instrument and keep up with the orchestra.

"If you can play in it, you can be in it," Lewis said.

The symphony debuted Wednesday night at the holiday-lights celebration at Lake Wilderness in Maple Valley.

Weitzel said she was proud of how much the group has learned since they started. The group started with eight members and now has 22 kids participating.

Many of the youth-symphony members also play in the Tahoma High School band.

"This is a unique style of music compared to what we do in band," said Charles Tilander, 16, who plays trombone.

Lewis hopes the orchestra will serve kids throughout Southeast King County.

Maple Valley is not the only Southeast King County city to have a youth symphony.

Renton created one in 1986. It has about 40 members and is open to junior-high and high-school students.

Lauren Vane: 253-234-8604 or lvane@seattletimes.com