LEAD. INSPIRE. PERFORM. August/September 2023 Vol. 24 No. 1
SUMMER MUSIC ADVENTURES!
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s the summer edges toward its close, SOGO scarcely missed a beat during our supposed ‘time off.’ There was fun around every corner, and it started off with our SOGO MOJO (Musicians Out Jammin’ Olympia) quartet. Led by teaching artist Mary Jo Rydholm, the quartet was honored to be asked to perform on stage with FABBA at the Washington Center on July 23. If that wasn’t exhilarating enough, the students did a promo on King-5 for the ABBA tribute act (more on pg 2).
NOVEMBER SEASON CONCERT Sunday November 5 , 4pm Washington Center 360.753.8586 Tickets on sale soon.
CONCERT SPONSOR
Just weeks before the MOJO performance, young musicians joined in SOGO’s one-week Summer Music adventure. They played their instruments and explored Jazz, Composition, Theory, Fiddling, Bucket Band, Choir, Guitar, and more. A different experience was happening inside a workshop these last few months, requiring carpentry skills and plenty of nifty tools. The end game was to create a ‘real’ concert podium for the SOGO conductors to stand on at the Washington Center. Thank you to Mr. May, senior
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(Cameron’s father), for helping us retire the old duct-taped podium that was pretty precarious at times. Meanwhile, in the SOGO office (AKA Mr. and Mrs. Allison’s home), two new team members came on board in July, Erika hailing from ‘Jersey’ and Sorcha representing Ireland. We couldn’t have a more diverse group running SOGO if we had planned it! Erika Lari is our marketing whiz, and Sorcha Barr-Deneen, our first-ever business manager, who doesn’t put up with any shenanigans! SOGO is experiencing expansion, and we needed more hands to help equip the organization moving forward. The SOGO Kick-Off is Sunday, August 27. Deidre Fuchs, Rehearsal Manager, will be there to welcome all the students back to rehearsals. We also look forward to our audience members at the opening concert Sunday, November 5, 4pm. Watch for tickets going on sale in September by checking out the SOGO website at studentorchestras.org.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
OGO has recently received a generous grant from the ACT 1 Theatre organization of Tacoma. During the previous season, Karen Wilson and Meggin Turk (pictured above) attended SOGO’s Sunday rehearsals. Throughout the afternoon, they delighted in listening to each of the SOGO orchestras. Their visit culminated with a stop at the Conservatory rehearsal, where they presented a donation on behalf of their Entertainment Explosion organization.
Fast forward ten months, and an unexpected piece of mail arrived in SOGO’s mailbox, addressed from the ACT 1 Theatre. Enclosed within was a check along with a gracious note from Virginia Winger, the organization’s treasurer. In the note, Virginia conveyed their decision to award SOGO with funding and extended their best wishes for the upcoming 23-24 season. Naturally, this prompted questions. Who were these benefactors? Further
investigation led to a conversation with Virginia, who revealed her connection to Karen where she learned the details of their visit to SOGO. As a valued donor, you possess the power to make a significant impact within our community. Whether by spreading the word about SOGO to others, inviting friends to our concerts, or offering financial support, you play a crucial role in driving positive change. Your involvement truly makes a difference.
1629 22nd Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501 | 360.352.1438 | StudentOrchestras.org | sogo@studentorchestras.org