At a holiday concert in Lafayette Park in Los Angeles last December, the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles at Heart of Los Angeles, known as YOLA at HOLA, performed its heart out to the delight of the audience, comprising mostly parents. “That’s my boy” or “that’s my girl“ gushed the looks on the faces of doting parents, bringing to mind the 1962 movie “The Music Man.”
Presently, YOLA, a program that uses music to develop better futures for youngsters ages 6–17 from underserved communities in Los Angeles, is set for a “really big schu,” as the late Ed Sullivan would say. That big show is at Super Bowl 50 halftime next Sunday at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, which partners with YOLA, made the surprise announcement that YOLA is to have a moment in the sun with pop sensation Coldplay and other Grammy Award winners, reported to be Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, on the stage.
“This is a wonderful honor and an extraordinary showcase for YOLA, as well as a tribute to youth orchestras worldwide,” said Gustavo Dudamel, music director of the LA Philharmonic, in a press release. Mr. Dudamel will be leading the youth orchestra.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Coldplay’s lead vocalist Chris Martin, a fan of Classical music and a friend of Mr. Dudamel, was a factor in the Super Bowl inviting Mr. Dudamel and his group. Other efforts to bend the ears of Super Bowl officials, such as an unofficial Facebook page, had been up for a few years. The Facebook site notes that Mr. Dudamel is to Classical music what Tiger Woods is to golf—thanks to him, a heretofore largely patrician, white domain is finally accessible to everyone else.
