SOGO September 2010 Newsletter by Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia

The Little Pernambuco Tree story by ~ Robert Ray illustrations by ~ student artists compiled by ~ SOGO Available for purchase Oct. 2. SOGO - So Y’Know Newsletter

YOUNG LIVES being shaped THROUGH MUSIC

So many miles under the plane…

ast May was another stellar Spring Concert for SOGO. We featured quintessential American music with all our groups finishing off a very strong tenth anniversary season. Then, to continue the celebration, in July our own SOGO Conservatory Brass Choir and Faculty Woodwind Quintet took off for Italy with performances in Venice – the birthplace of brass music, a spa town in Tuscany, a church off the main square of Rome and a most memorable experience performing Puccini’s music in the medieval town of Lucca – Puccini’s birthplace – with an impromptu guest soloist. You just would have had to be there. So, how do you follow up a tenth anniversary season and an international tour? With: • A Children’s Concert where we roll out our recently published children’s book The Little Pernambuco Tree featuring local students’ artwork • The Fall Concert featuring Drew Norton on Marimba and Schumann Symphony No. 4 • Special commission helping the Washington Center to celebrate its 25th anniversary • The SOGO HoHo – our Brass Choir’s Holiday Variety Show that will be even more of a variety show with highlights from a decade of shows • The Messiah Sing-Along celebration in collaboration with other local performing groups – truly a community event! • The Winter Concert featuring Will Wertjes on piano and Bizet’s music from Carmen • The Spring Concert highlighting Hollywood film music • Chamber ensembles performing by request throughout the community • Continuing education in theory, composition and music history • Planning for our first ever youth orchestra festival to be held in 2012

It is a very full plate and promises to be a great season with exciting new projects and continuing growth. As SOGO staff, we look forward to our new season and the joys of working with incredible youth in a very positive atmosphere. Greg Allison, Artistic Director

September 2010 Vol. 11 No. 1

The Little Pernambuco Tree – a children’s story about growing up.

n 2003 Robert Ray, owner of the R.L. Ray Violin Shop, gifted SOGO with a story he wrote for his daughter. The story, written about a pau-brasil tree growing up in the forests of Brazil, underscores the importance of our elders’ (the parent trees) guidance and protection as we mature. A violin bow maker, Robert uses the wood from the pau-brasil (more commonly known as the pernambuco tree) for carving bows. The wood has been used for hundreds of years by bow makers because of its elasticity, density, strength, and ability to hold a curve. The Pau-brasil grows in the forests of the coastal plain of Brazil known as the Mata Atlantica. Beginning in the 16th century, the plentiful forests were exploited for mahogany and pernambuco wood or simply leveled for sugar cane plantations, a more profitable gain. Despite the long commercial history of pau-brasil and its status as Brazil’s namesake and national tree, little is known about the tree’s growing habits or habitats. An international group of bow makers has organized the International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative (IPCI) with a specific mission: save the pernambuco tree. They are dedicated to research, replanting programs, educational outreach and other conservation measures. In 2006, the SOGO Board of Directors dedicated the concert season to “Save a Tree…Build an Orchestra”, by bringing to light the work of the IPCI to save and replant the Pernambuco forests. That year, Mark Thome, a local composer, was commissioned to put the story to music. The Little Pernambuco Tree was performed on a children’s concert tour in January of that season, and on March 4, 2007 it debuted at the Washington Center with the Academy Orchestra, Greg Allison conducting, and the Secretary of State, Sam Reed, narrating. SOGO opens their 11th season with a Children’s Concert Saturday, October 2, 1 p.m. at the Washington Center. It is there that the seven year project culminates in the release of The Little Pernambuco Tree children’s book. The audience will hear the story and view the delightful children’s artwork set to the rich orchestral sounds by composer Mark Thome. The piece conjures up tropical forests, blustery rainstorms, youthful adventure, familiar trials and uncommon hope. Program includes: • Percussion Features – Drew Norton soloist • Impresario Overture, Mozart • Sabre Dance, Khatchuturan • Flight of the Bumble Bee, Rimsky-Korsakov • The Little Pernambuco Tree, Thome Tickets: $4.50 - $16.50 plus $2.50 service charge Olytix.org or 360.753.8586 Illustrations, by student artists, throughout the newsletter are a preview of artwork included in the new book to be released at the Children’s Concert on Saturday, October 2.

First Rehearsal Sunday, September 19, 2010 First Christian Church, Olympia • 3 p.m. Academy & Debut Orchestra • 4:30 p.m. Brass Choir • 5 p.m. Conservatory Orchestra

Parent Meeting 4:45 p.m. - church sanctuary. Introduction to the season and opportunity to pay tuition and purchase event tickets (season tickets may be purchased through the Washington Center).

“So, are you going to Italy with us?”

That was the question that Greg Allison asked me (Joel Williams, board memeber) two years ago when he began planning the SOGO Italy trip. Please understand that I am NOT an experienced traveler, have feared flying for all of my adult life and never even considered going to Europe. Making a trip to Italy was simply not on my radar. I gave Greg the lame excuse that I didn’t think my son would want me to go, to which he replied “What does that matter? He’s the kid!” Hmmm…good point. So I reconsidered and decided to fly half way around the world, in spite of my fears. I am so glad I did!

SOGO Is an expanding success.

his year we have over 150 student musicians preparing for a great concert season. Joel (L) & Helen

We’ve got deep support in the local community. Businesses sponsor our concerts and advertise in our programs.

One of the great things for me about going was that I was just along for the ride. I didn’t have to perform and I didn’t have any responsibilities other than myself. And my sister, Helen, who is loads of fun, was able to come too! I wasn’t sure that I would want to attend all four concerts because I would have already heard the first concert. And there would be so much shopping to do! However, after listening to the first concert I couldn’t imagine missing any of them. The acoustics were simply amazing! Each venue (three Monticatini, Italy churches and one outdoor courtyard) was beautiful. The audience at the first concert was a bit small but seemed to increase exponentially for each of the succeeding concerts. By the third concert, there was standing room only! The Italians know music and obviously appreciated the performances and performers.

We’ve just completed a wonderfully successful tour in Italy. It is time to reach out to a larger audience. The board and staff are in the early planning stages of a Youth Orchestra Festival. We hope to bring 3 youth orchestras to Olympia in the spring of 2013 for a weekend of musical fun, learning, and presentations. If we are successful in this, we will expand the festival to more orchestras and make it an annual event. Festivals for adult orchestras are common, and they are a growing trend for youth orchestras. Players get a chance to meet and work with their peers. They learn from new conductors. And they are challenged by experts in master classes. An orchestra festival can be a life-changing event for an aspiring musician. And it will be a powerful way to end the concert season.

Aside from the concerts (which brought tears to this mother’s eyes) the trip would have been a wonderful experience if for nothing else than the opportunity to see Michelangelo’s “David”. I could go on and on trying to describe this incredible work of art. Pictures fall so far short of capturing its magnificence. The veins on his right hand looked so real that I half-expected to see the blood pulsing through them! His ribcage looked so real that I was waiting to see him take a breath! Trivia question: Who is David? In my ignorance, I didn’t know until our tour guide explained. Then it all made sense! Michelangelo didn’t name his statue “David” just because he liked the name. He was telling a story. (The answer is at the end of my article).

Watch for more news on this event. There will be many opportunities to volunteer, ranging from publicity to organization to help on-site. Please contact John Fleckenstein at studentorchestras@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with the project.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was quite easy to get around Italy. The language is so similar to English that even though I am foreign-language-challenged, I was able to understand many of the signs and menus. Our tour guide, Luca, was very knowledgeable, patient and calm dealing with his largest tour group ever. Moving 50 tourists around is akin to herding cats! But somehow Luca managed to do his job with grace and dedication.

To find out more about the SOGO Brass Choir Trip to Italy, visit studentorchestras.org.

I was often struck by how old the buildings are in Italy. It really put into perspective how young our nation is. The other thing about the buildings is how beautiful they are. Most of the old structures are adorned with incredible carvings, statues and decoration. They truly are stunning. There are so many other memories of the trip but I’ve gone on long enough. If you ever have the opportunity to go to Italy, I highly recommend it! Ciao! Answer: Michelangelo’s David is the Biblical David of David and Goliath fame.

We’ve had wonderful contributions from parents who pay tuition, make additional monetary contributions, and volunteer their time to make every season a success.

In the Lions Den

“What’s a SOGO?”

SOGO’s Community Presentation Touches Service Group by Will Wertjes

“What’s a SOGO?” Those were the first words out of my mouth three years ago when my daughter asked to audition. We were new to the area and I was frankly clueless about the whole music scene. Sure, I played viola in school for a few years many (many) years ago, but I’m not a musician. I was never able to make an instrument sing like it’s coming to life. That’s real talent and I was startled by the idea that I had managed to produce a little person that could do that! MY kid? Really?!

s part of SOGO’s community outreach, Mr. and Mrs. Allison, my brother Ross, and I conducted a presentation at the Olympia Host Lions Club on Tuesday, August 10. The Lion’s Club, a group dedicated to community service, meets weekly at the First Baptist Church in downtown Olympia. The group devotes time, energy, and money to help local and global community service projects. Part of the Lions Club objective is to help “people...lead healthier and more productive lives [and] nurture the potential of youth.” I can say that SOGO perfectly embodies that mission statement and that music has had a wonderful impact on my life as well as on many other’s.

quickly learned the answer to my casual question: I learned about the students of SOGO and the dedicated mentors that help them cultivate that gorgeous ability blooming inside them. I learned how the time and effort our musicians invest in their craft create those joyous moments we experience at every concert. While volunteering I learned that my small contributions to SOGO made a huge impact on the success of the program... and I learned to listen to my heart and to say yes when asked to do more.

Before we headed to the Club, Mr. Allison, Ross, and I rehearsed brass trio music to play for the them. Once at the club we serenaded them for 20 minutes with Ross playing trombone, Mr. Allison Flugelhorn, and me trumpet while the members got something to eat. After the official commencement of the meeting it was enjoyable seeing the Club’s traditions. Donations were given, songs were sung, and perennial teasing of certain members occurred. News was shared and prayers said. Very quickly, it was our turn to present. Mrs. Allison spoke first and shared how SOGO began and how it has grown to be able to influence so many young lives. Mr. Allison went on to talk about what SOGO is doing at the present and what goals it has for the future. My brother, Ross, and I also spoke relating our experiences in joining and being a part of SOGO.

I am thrilled to serve on SOGO’s board and am eager to see our musical garden blossom and grow to new heights. What exciting things are in store for us all this year! The sense of discovery that greets each new year at SOGO is exhilarating: what new things will we learn, new people will we meet, new sounds will we explore? What’s next?! .........................Let’s learn together!

Welcome to our new 2010-2011 Board Members Joyce Allen, community volunteer Wendy Clark, child in Academy Jilyna Dick, child in Conservatory Tina Husseini, 2 children in Academy & Conservatory John Oliver, community volunteer Dr. Scholes, child SOGO alumni

Following our discussion, we performed a lively Tango for brass trio by Arthur Frackenpohl called Sedalia. Without any major errors we got through the piece and were met with a hearty show of appreciation from the club. We finished, and soon afterwards the meeting ended. I chatted with several club members on music and how it has been an important part in their lives. After we left, I thought how enjoyable it was to share with these people how SOGO has helped shape hundreds of kids’ lives through music on Sunday afternoons.

Welcome Back... Executive Board Soo Myong Chung, President - community volunteer Colleen Welch, Vice President - child in Conservatory Peter Despot, Secretary - child SOGO alumni John Fleckenstein, Treasurer - 2 children SOGO alumni Board Joan Armstrong, child in Conservatory Christy Bezanson, community volunteer Susan Hill, child in Academy Dana Phelps, child in Conservatory Tom Ward, child in Conservatory Joel Williams, child in Conservatory

Will Wertjes, Nov. 2009 SOGO concert at the Washington Center

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF SOGO’s New Book!

The Little Pernambuco Tree

story by ~ Robert Ray illustrations by ~ Student Artists compiled by ~ Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia The new book will be available for purchase at the upcoming concert.

Children’s Concert Saturday, October 2, 1 p.m. Don’t miss a great introduction to classical music for children.

1 p.m. pre-concert activities include • Instrument Petting Zoo • Hands On Children’s Museum • Wolf Haven International • Stream Team • Timberland Library

2 p.m. concert features Drew Norton, percussion • Impresario Overture, Mozart • Flight of the Bumblebee, Korsakov • Saber Dance, Khachaturian • The Little Pernambuco Tree, Thome