HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTING SPARKS RESPONSE FROM LOCAL MUSIC STUDENTS 

Jean Milew composed  A New America  for Midwest Young  Artists Conservatory’s  Summer Festival Orchestra to perform on their final concert, July 23 at the MYAC  Center in Highwood. 

Highwood, IL — Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (MYAC) students are busy with orchestra, j azz, choral, and chamber music activities every summer. This year when tragedy struck Highland Park, MYAC founder and president Allan Dennis approached composer Jean Milew to create a  musical response that MYAC students could bring to their community. The MYAC Summer  Festival Orchestra will perform Dr. Milew’s piece on their July 23 culminating summer concert. 

Dr. Milew is a composer with more than one connection to MYAC: three of her children  participate in MYAC’s orchestras, and she is a member of the staff. Composing music in  response to a tragedy from within the affected community was new for Jean. “Quite simply, it  was emotionally exhausting,” she said. “Physically, it felt as if my insides were tied in knots the  entire time I was composing. The gun violence in our country has been something that I have  found increasingly upsetting. On July 4, it moved into my own backyard.  I was still struggling with  how to even come to terms with this when Allan approached me to write a piece.” 

“We have so many students from Highland Park that are part of the MYAC family,” said Allan  Dennis. “We at MYAC want all our family to know  that we care about how they are dealing with  this.”  Dr. Dennis sees this music as a place for healing to begin. “Our response starts with us  performing and focusing on music to heal our own souls. The hope is that it will also heal other  peoples’ souls and bring us all closer together.”