Westmont Magazine Daniel Gee Plays It FORWARD

Daniel Gee’s first concert as music director of the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony October 30 at the Lobero Theatre featured a piece composed by Richard Meyer, who taught Gee and 19 other Temple City fourth graders in a public school cafeteria how to unpack their cellos and rosin their bows for the first time. The poignant moment reflects Gee’s dedication to investing in the community’s youth as Meyer did for Gee.

“Who I am as a musician today is a convergence of the musical training and character formation I received from those who mentored me as a student, particularly in those foundational years of primary and secondary public schooling,” says Gee ’13, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities. “Accessible music education proved to be a tremendous blessing to me and my peers, and I hope this gift can continue to be given to the next generation.”

Through a partnership with Westmont, the Santa Barbara Symphony’s music education programs, which serve students in grades 3 through 12, are the only ones in the region tied to a professional symphony orchestra. With a 57-year history in the community, the youth symphony has produced notable alumni both in and out of music.

More than 50 teenaged musicians from across the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties play in the youth symphony. Gee says these teens, although just a year or two younger than his Westmont students, are going through a completely different stage of life.

“Students are working through different issues, personally and collectively, particularly in questions of belonging and fulfillment,” he says. “So the ultimate question for me is: How do I cultivate a space of both emboldening challenge and empowering collaboration with the goals of building up these students not just as musicians but as human beings? It turns out that ensemble music-making is one of the best places to cultivate these things, a context of both personal responsibility and shared goals. It’s also just fun.”