Thanks for visiting the website. I am a college music professor and YA was one of my sabbatical research projects. I wanted to create a history of the group and understand why this and other high quality youth performance organizations dissolved. As importantly, I had hoped to solve the mystery of the missing music (alas, it is believe to have been taken to a landfill upon the passing of Mr. Kahn, although I do have a few random parts).
Many people shared their materials. I have boxes more to upload, so more is to come. Thank you to Lindy Mack, Alana Reed, and Celia Esposito-Noy for sending volumes of items and information my way. I also want to thank Lawrence Kahn and Denys Bardo for talking with me about their memories of the group.
A sincerest thank-you goes to Claude Figeroid, who welcomed me into his home as we worked through boxes and boxes of materials. He sent me home with reel-to-reel recordings, which will be uploaded, and many more materials that aren’t yet on this site or our Flickr page. I’m working through all of it as best I am able.
I received a message from someone who wondered, “Why YA?” It was the cast, plain and simple. While I was in the group from 1979 to 1981, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment playing the tenor sax book with top-caliber musicians, vocalists, and dancers (I promise you it was not those awful outfits). I’d certainly never have been to Norman, Oklahoma, if it wasn’t for Pepsi sending us for the opening of a new Shaklee plant!
I look forward to hearing from you and invite you to upload JPGs to our group’s Flickr page. I’ll continue to do the same.
Finally, your corrections and additions are sincerely appreciated. Every effort was made to ensure the content was correct, and if something isn’t right, I count on former cast members to let me know. Thank you, and have a “great day!”
—Vicki Purslow