Thomas Heuser: Hello. So glad to be with you for this wonderful Sounds of Community podcast with San Juan Regional Medical Center. My name is Thomas Heuser, and I'm the Music Director of the San Juan Symphony, and I'm joined today...

Meghann Zenteno: My name is Meghann Zenteno and I'm the Executive Director for the San Juan Symphony.

Thomas Heuser: We have so many wonderful supporters in the Farmington community, especially San Juan Regional Medical Center. And today, we are here to talk about how a symphony is more than concerts and classical music. Our organization is really about how music interacts with our community and shapes our daily lives and the lives of those around us. And we are grateful for the chance to speak about this with everyone and talk a little bit about how it impacts our lives and makes those changes.

Meghann Zenteno: The San Juan Symphony has been doing these things for the past 40 years in Durango and Farmington, and across the whole Four Corners region. And today, we're going to explore how music enriches our well-being, strengthens our connections, and speaks to something deeper deep inside of.

Thomas Heuser: To get us started, we're going to talk a little bit about that, the source of well-being that music can be. When you're listening to a concert, very often you'll have emotional reactions to the music. It can be extremely personal, and it's very much a moment to sort of explore the way that the music affects you.

I think one of the things that we talk about at the San Juan Symphony is how these experiences can actually make you more healthy. There is science that talks about how it impacts your physical being and your state of mind in such positive ways. And so, our series of concerts at the San Juan Symphony goes from the fall all the way through the year to the spring, and each one of these events offers an opportunity to have those experiences. It's something where each concert kind of builds on the next. And you can get this great sense of emotional well-being, physical well-being. I know Meghann has done a lot of research about the actual science behind the changes that happen in our bodies and our minds.

Meghann Zenteno: It's true, now the research is out there that engaging with creative experiences, experiencing live music is just as beneficial to our well-being as getting our 10,000 steps or being out in nature. It can actually add literal years to your life.

Thomas Heuser: That's incredible. Well, we are so proud that the San Juan Symphony is able to occupy that place in our community and to be a musical entity that invites audiences throughout the year from all ages and walks of life. And so, in addition to this being a source of personal well-being, of course, the arts and live music contribute to the community culture and the quality of life in our area.

Meghann Zenteno: When the San Juan Symphony performs, it's bringing world-class artistry right here to our region. You don't have to drive to Denver or Santa Fe or Albuquerque to hear it. We have musicians that are of an incredible quality coming right here. We know how important it is for the arts to be a part of community life. Music, in particular, has been a part of society since the first documented society.

Engaging with the arts, it sparks creativity, empathy, and a sense of curiosity. And it's a reminder to all of us that culture isn't something that's far away. It lives right here at home. You can feel the difference in communities with strong arts presence. And we're so lucky at the San Juan Symphony that we exist here in this wonderful community of the four corners that celebrates the arts and celebrates the opportunities to come together and experience all of these different artistic experiences. It's vibrant, we're connected. And we've all felt it before without the arts, without music, something essential is missing. And the symphony is really happy to be able to fill that space here in Farmington.

Thomas Heuser: Of course, these experiences that we're sharing are helping to build our community. You know, there's something really special about experiencing a musical event together. Everyone who's in the concert hall at the same time has this unifying experience that is so powerful. And you could listen to a piece of music at home, of course. But it's not the same as sitting shoulder to shoulder with your neighbors and your friends, and even strangers. You're all swept up in the same shared experience, and that's extremely powerful and we continue to lean on that as the importance of live music in particular. We feel that the experience that we share is over and above because there is a live audience. This was actually one of the lessons that we learned during the COVID shutdown, coincidentally, is that when you're performing music without a live audience, it's nowhere near as impactful for the musicians. With the audience, you feel like you're sharing that with the listener, and it's incredibly powerful to make that connection between the stage and the audience. So again, these shared experiences really enrich the quality of life for the musicians, the audiences, and the community at large. And the San Juan Symphony is so proud to be providing that experience throughout the year.

Meghann Zenteno: San Juan Symphony, of course, we're excited about this present moment and the things that we're doing today and next week and in the coming years. But really, we're talking about the future as well. At the San Juan Symphony, we're really invested in music's impact on the next generation, the youngest learners and the youngest music lovers that are out in our community.

The San Juan Symphony's education umbrella, our San Juan Symphony Youth Orchestra includes students from across the Four Corners area, over a hundred students that are participating weekly and really growing in their musical abilities. We also provide scholarships for private lessons and school concerts where every fourth grader in the area gets to experience a live symphony orchestra really shaping the next generation.

Young musicians learn discipline and teamwork and confidence. And even those that don't pursue music professionally, these experiences instill a lifelong love of the arts, making sure that arts experiences and a community that love the arts is something for the long haul.

Thomas Heuser: Absolutely. And so, we are focused on the here and now. We're focused on the next generation. And of course, here in this present moment, there is some uncertainty in our lives and we want the symphony to be a respite from that. You know, at the deepest level, music is feeding our souls and it's comforting us in hard times. And whether that's personal hard times or societal hard times, we know that music can make that difference in people's lives, and we are happy to be there for everyone. The feelings that are uplifting right now are the most important. And so, we treasure that and want to provide that.

Meghann Zenteno: So today, again, it's been such a pleasure to be here to talk to you about all of these ways that the San Juan Symphony enriches our community by promoting well-being, strengthening our cultural life, creating shared experiences, inspiring the next generation, and nourishing our souls and beings.

Thomas Heuser: It's so important that we have the chance to speak to you about this, but also that you can come and take advantage of it. So, we really hope that this might encourage, inspire you to come out and take on the experiences of the San Juan Symphony in Farmington. We thank you so much to San Juan Regional Medical Center for your continued support. And we want to encourage everyone to bring their friends and family to be a part of the music and experience it with us. Again, my name is Thomas Heuser.

Meghann Zenteno: And I'm Meghann Zenteno. And we're with the San Juan Symphony. And you can find out more information about our group and all of the things we're doing in the community at www.sanjuansymphony.org. Thanks again.