Despite graduating in a few weeks, a Citrus County senior is creating a new group to give back to youth in her community. She's starting a youth symphony to help students further their musical education.

  • Teen created Citrus County Youth Wind Symphony
  • Free program helps high schoolers, middle schoolers
  • Held at First Presbyterian Church of Crystal River

Music filled the halls of the First Presbyterian Church of Crystal River Sunday night. But, while choirs are typically the musical source in churches, this music was made by students. They were auditioning for their chance to join the Citrus County Youth Wind Symphony.

It's the brainchild of Lecanto High School senior Morgan Lozzi.

"This program's completely free and it's to help unite the high schoolers and middle schoolers and provide a band program they can come to every week that's outside of their normal band program," Morgan said.

Morgan has been to several honor bands throughout her musical career so far. She said she learned so much being in those bands and wanted to give a similar opportunity to her peers.

“It gets boring just being in your band program for a while because you're with the same people every day, the same director. It's an everyday routine that you do," Morgan said. "So being able to escape from that once a week and do a different program outside of your program, you learn from different people,you're sitting next to different people, you're playing different music. It's just all different. And you get a different learning experience.”

The First Presbyterian Church of Crystal River has offered up their facility for the group to rehearse in. In total, they are hoping to recruit about 40 students from seventh to 12th grade to be part of the symphony.

Morgan said this is the first extracurricular band of its kind in the county. It's completely student run, with different leaders in charge of each section. Students who came to audition said they were excited for a new opportunity to grow.

"I was excited to join with new people and see what they can help me out with and what I can help them out with,” Marshall Lozzi explained.

And despite graduating in the fall and heading to St. Leo University to study music, Morgan said she will be back each Monday night  to continue leading the group.

The group rehearses every Monday night at 6:30 p.m. They haven't quite met their 40 person goal so if a seventh to 12th grade student in Citrus County is interested in joining, Morgan says to come out to the next rehearsal.