>> Sreenivasan: GLASS CEILINGS

ARE ALWAYS HARD TO CRACK, AND

THE ONE THAT STANDS ABOVE

SYMPHONY CONDUCTORS IN THE

CLASSICAL MUSIC WORLD IS NO

DIFFERENT FROM THE REST.

BUT WOMENARE SLOWLY RISING IN

THE RANKS OF THE NATION'S

SMALLER ENSEMBLES.

AND TOMORROW, AT A PERFORMANCE

BY THE SAN FRANCISCO CIVIC

SYMPHONY, ONE SUCH WOMAN WILL

TAKE TO THE PODIUM.

PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S SPECIAL

CORRESPONDENT JOANNE JENNINGS

HAS THE STORY OF ONE MAESTRO'S

JOURNEY FROM A POOR NEIGHBORHOOD

IN EAST LOS ANGELES TO THE

ROSTRUM IN SAN FRANCISCO.

THIS STORY IS PART OF OUR

ONGOING SERIES ABOUT POVERTY AND

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA, "CHASING

THE DREAM."

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: IT'S THE FIRST

REHEARSAL OF THE SEASON FOR SAN

FRANCISCO'’S CIVIC SYMPHONY.

THE ALL-VOLUNTEER ORCHESTRA IS

COMPOSED OF SOME 90 AMATEUR

MUSICIANS, RANGING IN AGE FROM

18 TO 80.

>> SOME OF THEM ARE RETIRED;

SOME OF THEM ARE STUDENTS; A LOT

OF PROFESSIONALS EITHER IN THE

TECH INDUSTRY, IN THE ARTS,

BUSINESS OWNERS, LAWYERS,

DOCTORS, YOU NAME IT.

HEAVY ON THE ACCENTS, PLEASE.

HMM?

AH!

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: AT THE HELM IS

38-YEAR-OLD JESSICA BEJARANO.

SHE'S NOT YOUR TYPICAL CLASSICAL

MUSIC CONDUCTOR.

>> BEING THAT I GREW UP IN A

POVERTY-STRICKEN CITY OF LOS

ANGELES, PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC,

CLASSICAL MUSIC WASN'’T A THING.

IT WASNOT A THING.

SO, IT WASN'T PART OF THE PUBLIC

SCHOOL EDUCATION.

IT WASN'T PART OF MY FAMILY

TRADITION.

IT WASN'T PART OF, YOU KNOW,

PARTIES THAT WE WOULD GO TO.

WE WOULDN'T GO TO THE SYMPHONY

HALL.

LIKE, THAT WASN'T ATHING.

( ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: THE MEXICAN

AMERICAN CONDUCTOR WAS RAISED BY

A SINGLE MOTHER IN A TOUGH

SECTION OF EAST LOS ANGELES.

>> SHE WORKED THREE DIFFERENT

JOBS AND RAISED, YOU KNOW, MY

BROTHER AND MY LITTLE SISTER.

AND SHE DID THE BEST THAT SHE

COULD, YOU KNOW, TO... TO GIVE

US THE BEST LIFE THAT SHE COULD.

I CLEARLY REMEMBER, YOU KNOW,

WHEN IT WAS TRASH NIGHTS, MY

MOTHER AND MY AUNT WOULD

LITERALLY WALK AROUND THE CITY

AND COLLECT CANS AND BOTTLES TO

RECYCLE THEM.

THEY WOULD COLLECT, YOU KNOW,

BROKEN APPLIANCES THAT THEY

WOULD FIX AND SELL AT A YARD

SALE OR AT A SWAP MEET.

AND I REMEMBER AT THAT POINT

FEELING VERY ASHAMED AND

EMBARRASSED THAT MY MOTHER WAS

A... A TRASH DIGGER.

>> Reporter: WHILE HER MOTHER

WORKED HARD TO KEEP FOOD ON THE

TABLE, AT TEN YEARS OLD,

BEJARANO DEVELOPED AN INTEREST

IN MUSIC.

>> IT KEPT ME ENGAGED IN SCHOOL.

IT KEPT ME LOOKING FORWARD TO

THE NEXT DAY WHERE I CAN PULL

OUT THE TRUMPET OUT OF THE CASE

AND PLAY IN THE BAND.

>> Reporter: YOU'VE SAID THAT

MUSIC SAVED YOUR LIFE.

I MEAN, WAS... IS IT THAT

DRAMATIC?

>> I WOULD SAY IT WAS VERY

DRAMATIC BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,

UNFORTUNATELY, KIDS GET

ARRESTED, KIDS ARE MURDERED,

KIDS ARE IMPRISONED, KIDS GET

PREGNANT, YOU KNOW.

AND SO, I DEFIEDALL THOSE ODDS.

I DIDN'T BECOME ANY OF THOSE

STATISTICS BECAUSE MUSIC WAS

ALWAYS THERE TO KEEP ME, YOU

KNOW, ON A STRAIGHT PATH.

>> Reporter: BEJARANO PLAYED

TRUMPET IN HER HIGH SCHOOL'S

MARCHING BAND, BUT SHE WASN'T

EXPOSED TO CLASSICAL MUSIC UNTIL

SHE ENROLLED IN AN ORCHESTRAL

CLASS AT PASADENA CITY COLLEGE.

>> SO, I'M SITTING THERE PLAYING

THE TRUMPET IN THE ORCHESTRA AND

JUST PLAYING THIS REPERTOIRE AND

HEARING THE MUSIC AROUND ME.

IT WAS JUST LIKE, "OH, MY GOD,

WHAT IS THIS?

WHATIS THIS?"

I WAS INSTANTLY DRAWN TO... TO

THE MUSIC, TO THE ENSEMBLE, TO

THE SETTING, TO THE WHOLE

EXPERIENCE OF IT.

>> Reporter: BEJARANO DECIDED

SHE WANTED TO BE A CONDUCTOR AND

A MUSIC EDUCATOR.

SHE WAS AWARDED A SCHOLARSHIP AT

THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING AND

EARNED A MASTER'’S DEGREE AT U.C.

DAVIS.

BUT DESPITE HER ACHIEVEMENTS,

BEJARANO WASN'T ALWAYS TAKEN

SERIOUSLY.

>> I REMEMBER, AT ONE POINT, I

WAS ASKED IF I WAS SERIOUS ABOUT

BEING A CONDUCTOR.

AND I SAID, "YEAH, ABSOLUTELY."

AND THE TEACHER PROCEEDED TO

SAY, "MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO BACK

TO YOUR COUNTRY BECAUSE IT'S NOT

GOING TO HAPPEN IN MINE."

AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE LESSON

WAS DONE, AND I WAS ASKED TO

LEAVE THE OFFICE.

AND I... I REMEMBER LEAVING

CONFUSED MORE THAN ANYTHING.

I WASN'T UPSET.

I WASN'T ANGRY.

I WASN'’T SAD.

I DIDN'’T CRY.

LIKE, I WAS JUST LIKE IN A DAZE

OF, LIKE, DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?

>> Reporter: DID IT MAKE YOU

MORE DETERMINED?

>> OH, OF COURSE!

I ALLOWED EVERY EXPERIENCE TO

TEACH ME SOMETHING.

EVERY TIME I WAS TOLD "NO, YOU

CAN'T BE A DIRECTOR" OR "NO,

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN HERE,"

INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, FEELING

DEFLATED, I WOULD TAKE THAT "NO"

OR THAT NEGATIVE ENERGY AND USE

IT TO CATAPULT ME EVEN FURTHER

INTO MY CAREER.

EVEN FURTHER INTO, YOU KNOW, MY

DREAMS BECOMING A REALITY.

IT WAS MORE OF AN HONOR TO,

LIKE, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO

ACTUALLY PERFORM HERE.

>> Reporter: IN A FIELD

DOMINATED BY MEN, BEJARANO

DREAMS OF EVENTUALLY LEADING ONE

OF THE NATION'S LARGEST

ORCHESTRAS.

IN 2007, MARIN ALSOP WAS

APPOINTED MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE

BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA,

MAKING HER THE FIRST WOMAN TO

HOLD SUCH A POSITION.

>> AND SINCE THEN, SHE'SSTILL

THE ONLY WOMAN THAT IS MUSIC

DIRECTOR OF A TIER ONE

ORCHESTRA.

AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY

IT'S BEEN SO DIFFICULT FOR

WOMEN, AND I'M HOPING THAT IT

WILL CHANGE AS TIME UNFOLDS.

(STUDENT ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: WHEN SHE'S NOT

CONDUCTING, BEJARANO CAN BE

FOUND TEACHING MUSIC AT

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN

FRANCISCO.

>> SHORT, AND THEN LONG.

(STUDENT ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: WOVEN INTO HER

LESSONS ARE STORIES ABOUT THE

COMPOSERS WHOSE MUSIC HER

STUDENTS ARE PLAYING.

TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, TCHAIKOVSKY.

>> THE STORY OF THIS MAN AND

WHAT HE WENT THROUGH IN RUSSIA--

AND HIM BEING, YOU KNOW, A GAY

MAN-- AND HIS ONLY VEHICLE OF

EXPRESSION, HIS ONLY WAY OF

LOVING WAS THROUGH HIS MUSIC.

(STUDENT ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

AND WHEN YOU LISTEN TO HIS

MUSIC, YOU FEEL IT, YOU HEAR IT.

(STUDENT ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: FOR BEJARANO, SOME

COMPOSITIONS ARE DEEPLY

PERSONAL, LIKE BEETHOVEN'S PIANO

CONCERTO #5.

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> I WOULD LISTEN TO THE SECOND

MOVEMENT OF THE BEETHOVEN PIANO

CONCERTO EVERY MORNING, AND IT

WAS LIKE A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

FOR ME.

IT... IT WOULD... IT MOTIVATE

ME.

IT WAS LIKE MY MUSICAL WHEATIES,

YOU KNOW, AND IT HELPED ME

TRANSITION.

IT... IT.... FOR ME, THAT PIECE

ALSO SAVED MY LIFE.

>> Reporter: HOW SO?

>> IT GAVE ME PEACE, IT GAVE ME

INNER BEAUTY, AND IT WOULD GIVE

ME MOMENTUM FOR THE DAY.

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: AND SO, WHEN

BEJARANO'S MOTHER FELL ILL

IN 2012, IT FELT NATURAL TO PLAY

IT FOR HER.

>> I REMEMBER I PLAYED THAT

MOVEMENT FOR HER BEFORE SHE

PASSED AWAY, THINKING THAT

BECAUSE IT SAVED MY LIFE, IT

WOULD SAVE HER LIFE.

AND I PLAYED IT FOR HER, AND IT

DIDN'T SAVE HER LIFE.

AND SO, I WAS MAD AT MUSIC

FOR... AFTER THAT FOR A WHILE.

NOW, AS AN ADULT, YOU KNOW,

LOOKING BACK AT WHAT MY MOM DID,

THE SACRIFICES THAT SHE MADE TO

GIVE US LIFE, TO GIVE US A

FIGHTING CHANCE-- WHAT A WOMAN.

WHAT A WOMAN!

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: IT TOOK A YEAR FOR

BEJARANO TO RETURN TO HER MUSIC.

>> I GOT BACK INTO THE SWING

OF... OF MY LIFE WITH EVEN MORE

MOMENTUM AND... AND EVEN MORE

THIRST.

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

>> Reporter: THIS PAST OCTOBER,

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HER

MOTHER'S DEATH, BEJARANO BROUGHT

BEETHOVEN'S PIANO CONCERTO #5 TO

THE STAGE.

>> THE FACT OF US PUTTING IT

TOGETHER AND ON STAGE IS... IS A

PRETTY BIG DEAL FOR ME.

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING )

LIKE, I AM BACK IN MUSIC, AND

I'’M... I'M GOOD.

I'M READY.

(ORCHESTRA CONCLUDES )

(APPLAUSE )