A Musical Melting Pot From the Bronx to Manhattan

They arrive for the audition as young as six years old, often carrying a stringed instrument, which can be easiest to learn at a young age. Mom or Dad or a guardian usually sits in on this first session, but if the child makes the cut and joins the InterSchool Orchestras of New York, parents move into the background as music-making with friends from all walks of life takes center stage.

The 45-year-old nonprofit enrolls 350 kids from across the city, including 10-year-old violinist Tyler Norman, pictured here. For many, it’s their only chance to play in a full orchestra or band. They get coaching from professional musicians and perform at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Nets basketball arena, or a community nursing home. Famous alumni include Tito Muñoz, music director of the Phoenix Symphony.

Perhaps more important, each of the program’s eight ensembles is a musical melting pot that blends Manhattan and the Bronx, public school and private school, the well-off and the barely getting by. More than half of students get financial aid; no one is turned away who can’t pay.

Executive director Karen Geer was once a litigator who worked on the 85th floor of 2 World Trade Center and worried about billable hours. That changed after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. She was late that morning getting to the office, but the tragedy sent her looking for a career with a deeper sense of purpose.

Ms. Geer herself learned to play the tuba at 14. She performed for years but now finds her joy in the music of InterSchool’s students. “It’s a thrill to hear these kids play at such a high level,” she says. “I was a lawyer for a long time. This has more meaning.”