Employment, News | Written By Northwest Center Staff

Northwest Center & Seattle Symphony Partnership Is Still Going Strong

A video call grid showing more than twenty participants in their homes, many holding up objects and appearing to sing or play along with music together.

For nearly a year, Northwest Center Employment Services clients have been collaborating with musicians from the Seattle Symphony to compose a new orchestral piece. Best Buddies of Washington also joined the partnership to connect NWC clients and symphony musicians in friendship. The piece Northwest Center and the Symphony have composed together, titled “Together, This Journey,” was set to debut at the Symphony’s Beethoven Festival in June. Unfortunately, COVID-19 put all live performances on hold. But that hasn’t stopped our crews from continuing to collaborate at a distance on music and fun.

During Washington state’s stay-at-home order, NWC and Symphony folks shared some of the music that was getting them through the quarantine—classical and non-classical alike. Click the links to enjoy some favorites from our teams (thanks to Erica Brody, Director, Mission Advancement for Best Buddies Washington for compiling):

Two side-by-side photos from a percussion workshop, above the text "Digital Beethoven Fest." In the left photo, a person wearing glasses guides a young person named Chris as he plays a xylophone with mallets. In the right photo, a person wearing a name tag plays a xylophone while a second person holds a small hand drum. A dark silhouette of a flame or bird shape appears beside the event name text on a pink and orange background.

In June, “Together, This Journey” was the topic of a discussion with composer Charles Corey and Seattle Symphony principal oboe Mary Lynch as part of the Symphony’s Digital Beethoven Fest. Listen to the conversation here.

In July, Seattle newspaper The Stranger shared the group’s Message to the City that includes their wishes for the future and their thanks to our first responders. Watch the Northwest Center, Best Buddies, and Symphony message here.

While we’re not yet sure when “Together, This Journey” will finally get the live performance it deserves, we’re grateful to our Northwest Center composers, the Seattle Symphony, and Best Buddies for giving all of us something to look forward to.

Digital Beethoven Fest photo courtesy of Seattle Symphony.

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