Playing an instrument is like falling in love at first note– the students in Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Kim Noltemy Young Musicians Program know that first-hand. “When I saw the clarinet and the beautiful tonality and voices, I was really inspired,” 9th-grade clarinet player Anthony Marquez said. “And it’s stuck with me for a while.” The program started in 2019 in response to a lack of funding for music and arts programs in Southern Dallas schools. This year marks the program’s 5th year. “They really blossom,” DSO Kim Noltemy Young Musicians Manager of Teaching and Learning Ashley Alarcon said. “I see a lot of confidence boosting in their character.” “I like jazz,” 7th-grade trumpet player King Conners said. “I get to play good solos and fun songs, and I can go up a lot of octaves. I can play really low and really high.” Since it started, more than 1,800 students have gone through the program. There is no charge for lessons or use of instruments. The program is free, with the help of donors. “This program has helped me with my struggles of violin,” 5th-grade violin player Zuri Granados said. “And if I wouldn’t have been in this program, I would have still been struggling.” Students don’t just learn how to play music, they develop other educational and life skills through the process. “You can improve, also, your mentality focus, and it helps you calm down,” Marquez said. “Like, I had a lot of anxiety problems as a kid and it makes me really relax.” “I’m happy and excited that I get to play,” Conners said. “It’s also fun,” Granados added. “I have a passion for education because I feel like it’s very important to pass music along,” Alarcon said. “It makes me feel like, at the end of the day, they’re becoming better citizens.” The DSO Kim Noltemy Young Musicians Program will be performing a free concert at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 16 at the Morton H. Myerson Symphony Center.