After 17 people were killed at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018 — the deadliest mass shooting at a U.S. high school — producer Portia Kamons and composer Ron Ramin felt called to action.
“We set out to create something to soothe America’s collective grief,” Kamons said, “but as we met the young people leading the charge for meaningful change, we chose to make this project about them.”
The result was “Seventeen,” a 25-minute musical work in four parts that will have its world premiere in Orlando on Nov. 8 when the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra presents the piece in Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. It’s free, but registration is required.
Featuring the actual words of young people from around the country who are striving to make change, “Seventeen” will be followed by a community discussion.
“‘Seventeen’ is about giving voice to the next generation,” said Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra music director Eric Jacobsen. “Let it be a calling card for those who want to speak.”
In the days and weeks following the Parkland shooting, teenage change-makers created a movement, and Kamons realized “the bigger story was the rise of civic engagement in young people.”
“All credit to the young people of Parkland — and they were kids at the time,” Kamons said. “They galvanized that.”
She set out to meet youthful citizens, using social media and other contacts to find those willing to talk to her. The interviews she conducted, with activists on the cusp of adulthood, form the libretto to “Seventeen.” The piece is written so that anywhere “Seventeen” is performed, local youths can relay the words of their peers.
“I wanted a way for young people in the community to be part of this,” Kamons said.
As the interviews progressed, she found the scope of the work growing to match the teens’ concerns. They worried about human rights, climate change, mental health, racial equality, civil liberties, LGBTQ+ safety and more.
“This is not a a piece about gun violence,” Kamons said. “It’s a celebration of how to be a citizen.”
She interviewed 17 teens; once she had their thoughts, it was time for Ramin to create the right music.
“I wanted to see what the words were, how we could frame this as a story with music,” said Ramin, who has spent much of his career scoring movies.
“I didn’t want to mirror what they’re saying” with his music, Ramin said. “I wanted to support what they’re saying.”
The words are taken verbatim from the interviews, Kamons said, so there are “ums” and “likes” and pauses. But “some of it is poetry,” and some of it is darkly funny.
“They have such a sense of humor about the worst things,” Kamons said. “Some of that made it in.”
The other members of the team behind “Seventeen” are Jamie Bernstein, an author and activist herself, and Jacobsen.
Ramin and Bernstein — the daughter of composer Leonard Bernstein — have a long family history, as Jacobsen explained.“The beauty of bringing Orlando a work by Ron Ramin that celebrates the voices of a younger generation in the same week that we are featuring the brilliant Jamie Bernstein, is like the stars lining up and winking at you,” he said. “Ron’s father, Sid, arranged and orchestrated Jamie’s father’s ‘West Side Story.’ Yes the ‘West Side Story.’”
Bernstein will be in town this weekend to narrate a Philharmonic program on her father, so it did appear the stars had aligned for the “Seventeen” premiere. She will direct the teen Central Floridians providing the piece’s narration.
“Orlando has been very generous,” said Ramin. “Orlando said, this is not just a piece of music, it’s a community event.”
The program is free through the Philharmonic’s open-rehearsal initiative, part of its ongoing education and community programs. (Find information about other free open rehearsals at orlandophil.org/open-rehearsals.)
After the performance, the creative team will lead a discussion and question-and-answer session on the topics raised by the teens in the work. Such dialogue was one of the creators’ goals.
“If we write a piece about the inner life of these young Americans, can we inspire conversation?” Kamons said. “Can we crack open a little light?”
The creative team would like to see all ages and backgrounds represented in the audience.
“We hope the traditional symphonic audience will come and listen to the voices of these young people,” Ramin said. “It’s not a piece just for young people; it’s about young people. It’s for all ages to help them understand each other.”
Maybe understanding can lead to confident action: “We hope listeners will leave the concert hall with a sense of optimism,” Ramin said.
And maybe “Seventeen” can inspire by showcasing the passion of the leaders of tomorrow.
“‘Seventeen’ speaks powerfully to their generation’s spirit and determination,” Kamons said. “This is their story, in their own words.”
‘Seventeen’
- Where: Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando
- When: Doors open at 6:40 p.m. for a 7:05 performance on Nov. 8
- Cost: Free, but registration is required at orlandophil.org/event/seventeen/
- Info: SeventeenInAmerica.com
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