We Are America’s Story is Soundscapes’ 2026 Community Concert, presented as part of the Virginia Community Music Festival at Christopher Newport University. This inspiring program celebrates how music reflects the American story—our shared journey of identity, belonging, and voice. The concert opens with Lift Every Voice and Sing, inviting the audience to join in song. Through moving performances and recorded reflections from students, families, and teachers, the program explores how music shapes who we are as individuals and as a nation. The evening culminates with Pick Up Your Instruments, the original Soundscapes anthem written by students, uniting all ensembles on stage in a powerful finale honoring freedom, diversity, and creativity—the heart of America’s story.
About Soundscapes
Soundscapes is an El Sistema–inspired organization transforming the lives of young people in Hampton Roads through intensive music education and ensemble performance. Its Daily Programs at Carver Elementary, Greenwood Elementary, and Discovery STEM Academy are tuition-free afterschool programs that provide a safe, nurturing environment where students develop social, emotional, and musical skills through daily music-making. These programs create a continuum of learning that leads into Soundscapes’ Community Ensembles: the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, Peninsula Youth Jazz Band, and the Soundscapes Performance Ensemble. The first two ensembles are open to young musicians across the community and operate on a sliding-scale tuition model, while the Performance Ensemble provides pre-professional training for high-achieving students. Together, Soundscapes programs nurture confident, compassionate, and creative young people who use music to make a difference in their communities.
