Bravo! Vail Presto Club

Bravo! Vail Provides Opportunities for Youth to Connect Through Music

Today’s parents and educators are seeking more meaningful ways for children to engage with each other in person, away from phones and social media, especially as youth face rising levels of anxiety and depression. These shared experiences can help build a sense of community and belonging, critical to developing a child’s self-esteem and overall well-being.

The process of connecting through the power of music resonates with us at Bravo! Vail and has inspired many of our Education and Engagement Programs. This includes our new Presto Club, launching as part of the 2023 Festival season. Through Presto Club, youth ages 8-14 will meet at select concerts and enjoy the music together while having fun and making friends.

Designed and led by Bravo! Vail’s Teen Council, Presto Club participants can attend pre-concert games and icebreakers at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and then sit together on the lawn while enjoying refreshments and listening to the evening’s concert. As they take in the music, participants can engage with an interactive booklet made up of puzzles, imaginative prompts, and art activities relevant to that evening’s program. At intermission, the group is invited to take part in meet-and-greet events by artists involved in that evening’s performance.

All Presto Club activities are supervised by Bravo! Vail Education and Engagement staff and members of our Teen Council, a leadership, volunteer, and social group made up of local teenagers. This means that youth are welcome to either join peers at a Presto Club concert or experience the performance with their families. Parents can then socialize while knowing their child is safe and having fun engaging in once-in-a-lifetime musical opportunities.

While Presto Club is Bravo! Vail’s newest program connecting youth through music, it is one of several that we offer. Music Makers Haciendo Música, for example, brings Eagle and Lake County students together to learn and play music after school. These low- cost, group lessons in violin, piano, and chamber music take place during the school year and culminate each semester in group recitals and ensemble performances throughout the community.

This year’s Music Makers students will have the opportunity to create meaningful connections with other talented young musicians in Colorado through Young Musicians Day, taking place on June 30 and July 1. Partnering with the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, and Boulder Children’s Chorale, students will receive musical training and performance opportunities, while engaging with Bravo! Vail artists, including composer Angélica Negrón and singer Lido Pimienta.

For children under the age of eight, Bravo! Vail’s Little Listeners @ the Library programs provide fun concerts, encouraging children to interact and move together while learning about the music they hear. These free 30-minute performances take place at the Vail, Gypsum, Avon, and Eagle public libraries during the Festival and feature Bravo! Vail guest artists—this year, the Galvin Cello Quartet, Dalí Quartet, Viano String Quartet, and the Isidore String Quartet. Not only do Little Listeners @ the Library concerts provide little ones with the freedom to move and engage with each other, but the casual environment also gives parents the opportunity to meet and interact as well.

Regardless of age, Bravo! Vail sees music as an important bridge to connecting with one another. For our youth, we hope this sparks a sense of belonging and love for music that transcends any one experience and resonates well into the future.

For more information about Bravo! Vail’s Presto Club or any of our Education and Engagement programs, please visit BravoVail.org or contact me at education@bravovail.org.