SANDPOINT — Music is a universal language, which the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint seeks to capture through it's International Young Musician Exchange program.

"What I love about music, is that you can play a note, and someone in Russia knows what that note is," said 14-year-old Alejandro Rocha Schiaffino, of Mexicali, Mexico. "Even though he doesn't speak your language, he knows what you are playing."

Rocha Schiaffino is one of three young musicians from Mexicali in Sandpoint this week for the MCS International Youth Orchestra Camp. Another student from Germany is attending the camp as well. Ruth Klinginsmith, MCS co-founder and summer camp coordinator, said the concept behind the program is the provide opportunities for local students as well as international students.

The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint partnered with the Cultural Institute of Baja California's Rio Nuevo Youth Orchestra in 2011 as a summer exchange opportunity for young musicians.

"Music can bring unity and community no matter what your background is, your culture and the language that you speak," Klinginsmith said. "It just puts everybody on an equal level with no restrictions."

Yul Galvan Coto, 18, and Salvador Lara Ochoa, 17, the other two teens from Mexicali, also said they love music because of its universal attributes.

With the help of a translator, Galvan Coto said while he doesn't speak English well, he can understand it. It is the same with music, he said, as music is an international language that brings unity, connection and communication. Music brings a sense of togetherness, he said.

Lara Ochoa said just as there are different people, there are different styles of music. When two people like a specific style of music, such as the "pop" genre, it can result in a connection when they realize they have something in common, he said. Galvan Coto, who said he enjoys contemporary music, said the many different genres open up many possibilities for musical combinations to "make something big," or the "newest thing." 

Lara Ochoa, who plays the flute, said he has been with the Rio Nuevo Youth Orchestra for seven years. Galvan Coto and Rocha Schiaffino, who play the clarinet and oboe respectively, have been with the orchestra for five years.

This is the first time all three have participated in the youth exchange program, and for Galvan Coto, it is his first time in the United States.

"It's beautiful," he said of the U.S.

All three young men said they plan to dedicate their lives to music, each with the ultimate goal of getting masters degrees in music and performing. Galvan Coto also said while he wants to perform, he wouldn't mind teaching as well. Lara Ochoa said he wants to study in college to enter a conservatory and perform.

When asked what he hopes to gain from the experience with the International Youth Orchestra Camp, Rocha Schiaffino said he wants to gain the ability of teaching other students who play the oboe, because he and the others are mentors for younger children. Lara Ochoa said, more than anything, he wants to meet new people, learn new styles of music and get recognition.

Galvan Coto said he wants to learn from others, as well as explore his own abilities.

"He is very excited to play his solo piece," said Nichol Reed, who was helping to translate for the trio as her family hosts the exchange students each year. "It's a piece he has been wanting to play, and he is really, really excited about that. He wants other people to hear him."

He wants people to hear it and wants the experience for himself as well, he said, as he is unsure when or if he will be able to visit the United States again. Galvan Coto will play his solo on Wednesday at the Heartwood Center during a performance titled "Sounds of Summer."

Nichol Reed's mother, Elinor Reed is the exchange ambassador and host mother for the international musicians since the program started in 2011, and said they have hosted many youth over the years.

"We have a lot fun," Elinor Reed said. "We have such a beautiful group of students come in every year. It is very special for us to have them and we really enjoy having them with us."

The trio from Mexicali performed with the youth orchestra at the Festival of Sandpoint's family concert on Sunday, and the MCS camp commenced on Monday. Advanced students are invited to participate in a string master class from 5-6 p.m. tonight, where they can learn from guest artist Philip Baldwin of the Spokane Youth Symphony. Students interested in advancing their skills can call MCS at 208-265-4444 to register for the class. Cost is $25. The lesson will be held at MCS studios, 110 Main Street. The public is invited to sit in free of charge.

On Wednesday, the group will be performing their solos, as well as some duets. For that performance, Klinginsmith said they will be highlighting and celebrating international connections. "Sounds of Summer" will be held from 7-8 p.m. at the Heartwood Center, 615 Oak Street Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students.

As the camp comes to a conclusion, the final concert will be held Friday evening. The "Music Without Borders" concert will be a time for the community to meet the guests and welcome them, and hear their "amazing" music," Klinginsmith said. Friday's concert is also benefit concert for Uryadi's Village Orphanage in Ethiopia. Fifty percent of all ticket sales will go to the orphanage, Klinginsmith said.

It will be a "Star Wars" themed concert, Klinginsmith said, which will include some glow-in-the-dark violin bows and special effects, and guests can come in costume as well. The concert will be held from 3-4 p.m. Friday in the Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave.

The teens will then spend a week with the Spokane Youth Symphony camp, and will return to Sandpoint on Aug. 19 where they will perform an opening piece for Shakespeare in the Park at the Bonner County Fairgrounds on Aug. 19.  

Information: sandpointconservatory.org

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.