A community youth orchestra made its Hollywood debut on Monday, playing alongside a world music band in a music video that premiered worldwide.
Twenty children ages 6 to 14 from the Boyle Heights Community Youth Orchestra played violin, cello, and viola in the video for White Sun's new song "Long Time Sun."
"We fell in love," said Gurujas Khalsa, lead singer for the band. "We fell in love with this program, and these kids, and with the director."
Suzanne Gildin, the founder and director of the Boyle Heights Community Youth Orchestra, said that the kids sat for three hours in a studio in Burbank to have a "true Hollywood experience with ready, set, action."
The children also got to work with music director Laura Merians, who has directed music videos for Icelandic singer Björk, and were conducted by Adam Berry who is an Emmy-award winning composer and White Sun band member.
The video was made in English and Spanish.
Gildin, who started the program with 65 students in 2012, wanted to give children in Boyle Heights and elsewhere a music education, mostly because of cuts in elementary school music programs.
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The program loans instruments to children and provides three different levels of music education free of charge.
Khalsa said working with the orchestra is inspiring.
"When we were on set with these children, they were so professional, more professional I have to say than us adults," said Khalsa. "They were very patient, and they were very talented."
