THE BUFORD HIGHWAY ORCHESTRA PROJECT

purpose

BHOP stands as WLBH’s first direct service program that connects music around the educational and social needs of Buford Highway’s youth. According to the National Association for Music Education, the benefits of music for young children include (among many) developments of language and reasoning, mastery of memorization, increased coordination, a sense of achievement, emotional development, and overall improvement of work. As advocates of the power of art, culture, and social impact, we believe this initiative speaks to the importance of public-humanities programming in our communities.

We Love Buford Highway will host two community concerts per year.

Support Our Youth, Make a donation, today.

For more information, please contact Juana Alzaga at juana.alzaga@welovebuhi.org.

For contributions to support this program, contact Lily Pabian at lily@welovebuhi.org.

the musicians

The Buford Highway Orchestra Project is a direct service program tied to our Arts & Culture pillar. Led by long-time community advocate and music educator, Juana Alzaga, ‘BHOP’ is the first of its kind, being offered to students between third to fifth grades of Dekalb County Public School’s District I which is an area comprised primarily of Title I schools, a federal designation where 40% of the area’s students are qualified for free and reduced meals.

Each member of the Buford Highway Orchestra receives an instrument donated by local strings instrument company, William Harris Lee & Co, as well as a music stand and a book. Juana Alzaga will prepare the musicians and We Love BuHi will host two annual community concerts.

origin story

Our Executive Director Lily Pabian, who grew up on Buford Highway, was Juana Alzaga’s student and mentee over thirty years ago. They recently reconnected and this project is born out of the importance of music, art, and education for children on Buford Highway. Music, like other forms of art, speaks a universal language, and we want to make sure our community musicians have access to resources and mentorship that will allow them to tap into this form of art.

“I am honored and thrilled to launch this project with We Love BuHi, bringing a unique opportunity for disadvantaged children along the Buford Highway corridor. We presently have 14 eager children that meet every Tuesday and Thursday. Due to the pandemic, we meet on Zoom as we start learning the language of music, but we are eager to move to in-person classes when possible.” —Juana Alzaga

“Playing in an orchestra changed my life, but I started late and by that age it took much more work on my end to catch on. This project is super personal for both Juana and I; she was my teacher and mentor over thirty years ago, and I want the children of Buford Highway to have that too.” —Lily Pabian