The Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra is a non-profit, school dropout prevention program of the Virgin Islands Territorial Court. Presiding Judge Verne A. Hodge conceived this program in 1980, because of his frustration with the confinement of talented youngsters who had gone astray. It was his idea that judges and courts should do more than simply confine youthful offenders by becoming more actively involved in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. Ambassadors of Goodwill The members of the Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra are known as the Ambassadors of Goodwill for the United States Virgin Islands, as they have rendered outstanding performances throughout the Caribbean and the United States, including Queen's Park Savannah in Trinidad and Tobago ; The Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California: Disneyland: Knott's Berry Farm; Washington D.C.; Howard University; Reinhold Center, University of the Virgin Islands; Taiwan, Republic of China; and Tokyo, Japan. They have performed in concert with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. This album commemorates the Rising Stars first appearance in Chicago during the summer of 1997 when they will play a well-balanced assortment of musical selections, including classical, reggae, calypso, contemporary, religious and patriotic songs. A Note from the Producer Second Impressions All arrangements were put in place and on May 10th, 1997,1 arrived in St. Thomas with my portable recording system to work with The Rising Stars fraternity. I was given a tour of their new facility which houses air-conditioned classrooms and a studio as well as administrative offices. The complex serves 120 members of the orchestra, who are all school children between the ages of 10 and 18. Lasting Impressions The three racks were arranged in the shape of a horseshoe and microphones were placed near to the open end of the configuration. While the players were rehearsing, I took the opportunity to walk through the band and marvelled at the degree of clarity of sound. I am sure that two-tiered racks offer a neat solution to the problem of absorption of the high frequency components of sound by crowds when steelbands are on the road at carnival time. The instruments were so dispersed that the sound was balanced wherever I stood.
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St. Thomas carnival The Pre-trial Intervention Program
Written by Simeon L. Sandiford
Thursday, 21 July 2011 22:21
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