SEVENTEEN: Making Music Meaningful

SEVENTEEN: Making Music Meaningful

From First Online With Fran by Frances McGarry

July 7, 2025 · 30 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impactful experience of young activists engaging with students through music shortly after an election.

I was pleasantly surprised and [found it] incredibly fulfilling when we brought kids who I interviewed down to Florida and thank you to the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra -- they gave us the opportunity to bring these young activists into schools and introduce these young activists -- this is three days after the last election so other kids in these schools were feeling very defeated; in the beginning they were afraid to ask questions...and our kids were in their 20s now and said, "OK, so you're upset.so, what are you gonna do?" There was an exchange of energy between the two of them that was so absolutely gratifying. That was the cherry on top for me. ~Portia Kamons, librettist SEVENTEEN is a symphonic portrait of young Americans confronting an unprecedented range of challenges, from gun violence to climate change. An orchestral work in four movements with spoken libretto of verbatim text, it’s a powerful representation of young lives at the cusp of adulthood in America today. Portia Kamons is a writer and producer of theater, music, live events, and feature film. In New York City with En Garde Arts, she produced FATHER WAS A PECULIAR MAN, ANOTHER PERSON IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY…

People in this episode

Guest: ~Portia Kamons

Topics covered

  • music
  • activism
  • youth
  • orchestral performance

Keywords

  • SEVENTEEN
  • Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
  • young Americans
  • challenges
  • libretto

Mentioned in this episode

Products: SEVENTEEN

Books & works: SEVENTEEN, FATHER WAS A PECULIAR MAN, ANOTHER PERSON IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY, BASETRACK LIVE

Places: Florida, America, New York City, Los Angeles

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