For nearly 350 elementary through high school student musicians across seven counties in Southeast Michigan, OYO provides an opportunity to do more than learn an instrument. It gives young people a place to discover their passion, challenge themselves, build meaningful relationships, and develop into confident musicians, individuals, and leaders.
OYO’s mission is to inspire young people through the power of music to become outstanding musicians, individuals, and leaders. Through its four-tiered orchestra system, students of different ages, backgrounds, and abilities have the opportunity to experience the discipline, creativity, and collaboration that come with performing in an orchestra.
The impact of that experience can extend far beyond the concert stage.
Music and the arts give young people opportunities to become lifelong observers, learners, and appreciators of creativity and culture. They encourage students to listen closely, work together, take responsibility for their contributions, and continually strive to improve.
For Bill Milicevic, Senior Director, who participated in OYO as a teenager, the experience became an important influence on the person they would eventually become. Being surrounded by talented peers and dedicated directors created an environment that was highly focused and challenging in a way that was difficult to find elsewhere. That experience helped shape their decisions about what they wanted to study, pursue professionally, and ultimately how they wanted to make an impact on others.
That same opportunity continues to be available to students today.
Through OYO’s Chamber Ensembles program, students can take their musical experience a step further by performing in small groups of approximately three to five musicians. Unlike a full orchestra setting, chamber music gives each student individual responsibility for their part and requires them to listen, communicate, collaborate, and lead.
The result is an experience that develops skills that reach well beyond music. Students build independence, confidence, teamwork, and leadership while working alongside peers who share their passion.
For many participants, those relationships can last a lifetime. Nicole Shogren, Executive Director of OYO continues to play chamber music with friends they first met through the program as a high school student, a reflection of the lasting connections that can come from shared experiences in music.
Our 2025 Banksgiving contribution will help Oakland Youth Orchestras enrich and expand accessibility to its Chamber Ensembles program. The 8- to 10-week program welcomes students of all ages and skill levels and provides an additional opportunity for them to deepen their musical abilities while growing as individuals.
At First State Bank, we are proud to support organizations that create opportunities for young people to discover what they are capable of achieving. Oakland Youth Orchestras demonstrates how an investment in the arts can have a lasting impact, not only by developing talented musicians, but by helping young people build the confidence, independence, relationships, and leadership skills they can carry with them throughout their lives.
We are honored to support OYO through Banksgiving and to help expand opportunities for the next generation of musicians and leaders across Southeast Michigan.
Congratulations to Oakland Youth Orchestras, our 2025 Banksgiving Art, Education & Culture winner.