“Thank you doesn’t even begin to express the gratitude that I have.”
2025 OrKidstra Graduate Mariam shares her story
Dear Reader,
When I come to OrKidstra, I always know that I’m going to be greeted with warm smiles and love, unconditional love. No matter who you are, you can always find kindness here at OrKidstra.
My name is Mariam. I’m 18 years old, I play the flute, and I’m proud to be an OrKidstra Graduate. I first started coming to OrKidstra over nine years ago in the first six months of the new Vanier Hub.
When I first came to Canada from Syria in 2012, it was really a shock to me. I was still a little kid, and I didn’t speak English. So for three years, I was just really lonely. A snowy night in December of 2016 is when things started to change… The first time I saw OrKidstra, I was in awe and delight. Children who looked just like me were on stage playing with such passion and harmony. I wish I could do that too, I thought to myself.
A while later, my family and I went to rehearsals in the hopes of joining the community. We were welcomed to OrKidstra with warmth and kindness as if we had always been a part of the family. Although clueless and a beginner, I joined the band. I was nervous and scared when I first held the flute in my hands. This intricate instrument seemed so complicated until it became as familiar as a friend. My heart and my soul’s companion, it soon became.
Belonging was a foreign concept to me. But I quickly realized that this is where I was meant to be.
At OrKidstra, I soon met new friends, and it helped me integrate with the Ottawa community. That’s the thing I love most about OrKidstra—the community that we have here. It’s like a big family: you don’t feel alone. So if you ever need help, you can always find somebody to talk to or seek some advice from. If you’re feeling sad, OrKidstra will always brighten your day up.
What I love most about playing music, and the flute specifically, is that I get to express things that I can’t usually say with words.If I didn’t come to OrKidstra, I definitely wouldn’t have discovered music. Playing together in a group makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger. Everyone is equally important to the larger unified sound of our community.
OrKidstra taught me to play every note with love, but also to practice love in my everyday life.
Some of the skills that I developed in OrKidstra are courage, commitment, and collaboration.For me, courage meant not being afraid of making mistakes or being wrong. I learned how to find pride in my errors as they were proof of my learning. OrKidstra taught me to trust in myself and to follow through with my decisions: excellence is perseverance in the face of adversity. Everybody stumbles before they soar.
This fall, I started the cybersecurity program at Carleton University. I think that being a part of OrKidstra has helped prepare me for university by teaching me valuable life and work ethic skills. As a flute player, it is necessary for me to practice on a daily basis in order to progress in my musicianship: this understanding has made the transition from high school to university much smoother! OrKidstra has helped me with my career goals because it taught me that my actions will impact everybody around me. I want to work towards making a better society through the use of technology and science.
Mariam
Various photos from Mariam’s nine years at OrKidstra (Photos: Greg Allison)
