Orchestrating Lifelong Participation in the Arts 1629 22nd Ave SE, Olympia WA 98501 | 360-352-1438 | studentorchestras.org studentorchestras@gmail.com | facebook.com/studentorchestras | Fall 2019 Vol. XX No. 1
“For 20 years I have watched students become more confident, respectful and disciplined” By Debbra Warren, donor since 2000
SOGO was born out of love of music, devotion to learning and teaching, and a need from students. It was the summer of 1999 when about 5 students knocked on Greg and Krina Allison’s door and pleaded with them, asking them to help create a new organization. They knew that Greg and Krina still believed in music for students. There were many meetings, excitement and most of all student participation that went into creating SOGO. I, not having much background in music but definitely believed in what I had seen with their students, wanted to help. So I began donating monthly to SOGO and have continued throughout its life. (Continued on p.2)
You’re Invited to the SOGO 20th Birthday Bash!! Please join us to celebrate our 20th birthday season at the fall SOGO concert on Sunday, November 3 at 4pm. “There is so much to celebrate,” says Music Director Cameron May. “But, as always, what is most worth celebrating is that great people come together to play great music.” In that spirit, the first concert will “take the musicians through exciting pieces from the standard repertoire that they will hopefully find rewarding and will almost certainly play again during their musical careers,” says May. “Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain is particularly appropriate given the proximity of our concert date to Halloween, and Bizet’s L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2 gives the orchestra a chance to play some French music, which we didn’t get to in the previous season. The Brahms Hungarian Dance is a sort of delicious dessert that will bring the concert to a rousing close!” Be sure to arrive early for a pre-concert gathering on
Welcome TwinStar Credit Union!
SOGO’s Newest Messiah Sing-Along Sponsor
SOGO is pleased to welcome TwinStar Credit Union as our newest Messiah Sing-Along sponsor! Amanda Stevens, TwinStar Community Development Manager, talked with us about her first Sing-Along experiences and why TwinStar supports youth and the arts in our community.
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Tell us about your first Messiah Sing-Along. How did it feel to be part of this community event? I remember how impressed I was that the Washington Center was filled to the brim with enthusiastic singers and enjoyers of one of the greatest oratorios ever composed! I loved the casual atmosphere, and the maestro letting us know
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Are you a SOGO alumni? Do you know someone who is? We want to hear from you! Email us at SOGOAlumni3@gmail.com Please help us honor everyone — past and present — who has helped make SOGO a reality. Sunday, November 3, 3:15-3:45pm Washington Center Mezzanine Concert begins at 4pm We want to celebrate with as many musicians, donors, supporters, and board members from our first years as possible! We’ll be up on the Mezz at 3:15 to reminisce about the old days, honor those who were part of SOGO’s origins, and enjoy light refreshments. Concert tickets: washingtoncenter.org or (360) 753-8586.
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You’re Invited, cont’d
For 20 years I have watched, cont’d For 20 years I have watched students become more confident, respectful and disciplined through their time in SOGO and have watched many move on to successful careers in music. In an odd sort of way, I think of these kids as ones I have helped along the way. Although I don’t know most of these students personally, I know names and hear great stories about their accomplishments. I am blessed and honored to have played a small part in helping these students participate in what can often be a life changing period in their personal life. It’s been my pleasure, Debbra Warren Become a monthly patron to spread your contribution throughout the year. It’s easy - just check “Make this a monthly donation” when you donate online at studentorchestras.org.
the Washington Center’s Mezzanine at 3:15pm. We will reminisce about the old days, honor those who were part of SOGO’s origins, and enjoy light refreshments. The birthday celebration will last all year, with the Brass Choir’s 20 Years of HOHO, the traditional Messiah SingAlong (it’s on a Friday this year!), and a look at SOGO’s growth at the winter concert in March. Our 20th season will culminate with a performance of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy by all three SOGO orchestras together at the May concert. “After the rousing success of last year’s Director Cameron May Mambo, I wanted this season to feature Music beams with pride at the spring a similar mass number. 2020 heralds SOGO concert. Beethoven’s 250th birthday, which almost every orchestra is celebrating. This plus the uniting message of Ode to Joy made it a logical choice for this year’s mass number. Tickets for the fall concert — Sunday, November 3, 4pm at the Washington Center — go on sale in September. Premium seating is limited so get your tickets early. washingtoncenter.org | (360) 753-8586
Welcome TwinStar, cont’d
We Gratefully Thank Our Community Partners and Sponsors
that if we go completely off the rails, we’ll stop, gather ourselves, and power through. If someone is not confident in their classical singing abilities, it’s easy to blend into the crowd and give it a go. And at the end of the night, you’ve just made beautiful music with hundreds of people!
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Why does TwinStar Credit Union believe it’s important to support youth and the arts?
TwinStar Credit Union was started by a math teacher at Olympia High School in 1938. Because our roots are in education, we love to support learning opportunities for youth, and SOGO is an excellent fit. These students are able to pull off professional-level music, and not only is it an excellent learning opportunity for them, but also the audience as well! SOGO’s Messiah Sing-Along is a great place for parents to introduce their children to classical music, and we love to support great family entertainment. A family outing can be expensive, but because this event is absolutely free, it gives everyone the equal opportunity to enjoy a great masterwork.
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Amanda Stevens, TwinStar Community Development Manager, with her personal Messiah score.
A family outing can be expensive, but because the Messiah Sing-Along is absolutely free, it gives everyone the equal opportunity to enjoy a great masterwork. ~Amanda Stevens, TwinStar Credit Union
What else should people know about TwinStar?
Community commitment is at the heart of TwinStar. Most credit unions were formed around small communities and have a dedication to people similar to ours. TwinStar Credit Union firmly believes that healthier and happier people make great communities and that’s the kind of place we want to live. SOGO is an important piece of that puzzle and we are honored at the opportunity to partner with such a well-regarded organization. If SOGO’s programming fits your giving priorities, consider sponsoring a concert during the season. A Concert Sponsorship is a great way for your business to be recognized as a supporter of youth and the arts. Contact studentorchestras@gmail.com for more information.
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Thank You for Supporting Young Musicians for 20 Years Top: Aaron Wilson, 2000 Top Middle: Olympia Arts Walk, 2001 Bottom Middle: Peter Gahn and Jackie Fay, 2000 Bottom: Emma Richart, 2004
In August of 2000 two ambitious local high school music students, with the help of other young musicians, their families and music teachers, created SOGO. Ample energy and a fresh vision for building a student-led organization make SOGO unique. Now in our 20th season, SOGO has 125 young musicians from over 30 different schools in four counties. Artistic Director Greg Allison says SOGO’s success has been in large part due our community. “We have many people who really desire to help our students. We have a supportive base of donors and the music community.” “It’s been so rewarding to work with great kids and a great faculty,” continues Allison. “We’ve had many students who are not in or pursuing music as vocation, but music has been and will continue to be a major influence in their lives. And we’ve also had a variety of people for whom SOGO was the beginning of a professional career.” Allison rattles off a list of names: Violinist Nathan Rødahl was a dedicated alumnus and then SOGO Teaching Artist who now teaches orchestra in the Port Angeles School District. Chase Chang, who conducted the Academy Orchestra with Allison, met his wife through SOGO and is an orchestra teacher in the Bellevue School District. Bridget Long is pursuing a Masters Degree in Oboe Performance at University of Washington. Alumnus Dr. Aaron Wilson is a professor of low brass at Brandon University in Manitoba. Alumna Emma Richart Grice earned a Masters of Music and maintains a private horn studio. “We have plenty of those stories,” says Allison. “It doesn’t matter what business you’re in. You know the saying about real estate - location, location, location? In teaching it’s relationships, relationships, relationships.” “The celebration of 20 years is monumental, especially with a new Music Director. I’m looking forward to Cameron May’s second season and to seeing everyone celebrate our 20th birthday.” See page 4 for a list of events for this season. First SOGO Concert, Season 1
SOGO Holiday Brass Choir Show, Season 1
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“Blues Brothers” Photo Shoot, Season 2
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Fall Events
Why Art and Music Matter
October 5 “Conduct Us”
By Vu Le
Fall Arts Walk Saturday, 2-4pm Washington Center | FREE
When I was eight, my family moved to the US. Like other immigrants and refugees forced to leave their homeland due to war and poverty, we lost the community we knew. Each morning, I watched Care Bear and Thunder Cats, dreading when those two shows ended, because I knew I would have to walk to the bus and be taken to a place where I understood nothing and couldn’t say much. I was teased constantly, in large part because I had a terrible haircut. My father is talented at many things, but his haircutting skills were negligible, and he insisted on carrying his rusty jaggedtooth scissors from Vietnam and cut our hair to save money. You know those kids with the bowl haircuts? I envied them. I was an awkward, lonely kid with a bad haircut who hated school.
November 3 Season Concert
Sunday at 4pm Washington Center Ticket information below
te!
December 6 New Da Messiah Sing-Along
What first saved me was music. It was the holiday season, and all the kids had to learn songs to perform at the school assembly. Our music teacher was Ms. Adair, and the kids were not very nice to her. They were loud and tossed things and made up their own inappropriate lyrics, and she was always on the verge of exasperation. I was confused how children could behave like this and not get their hands smacked with a long ruler, like I had experienced in Vietnam.
December 14 Holiday Brass Show
Eventually the class did calm down, and we were able to coalesce into some sort of chorus. With my budding English, I could only understand bits and pieces. I did not understand what a “rain deer” was, or why it had a red nose. And Frosty was terrifying, a monster made of snow that, through some ancient arcane magic, came to life and followed the village children around. Math, reading, science, and everything else were overwhelming and I sucked at them. In our little portable classroom reserved for music, however, I could follow along. I could contribute. I could blend in with other voices and seem like any other kid. Ms. Adair was patient and encouraging, helping me pronounce tricky words like “thumpity.” When I sang with the other kids in front of the school, for the first time since my family left everyone we knew, I felt a sense of belonging. (And this is why, to this day, I still love Christmas songs, as repetitive and annoying as many of them are.)
FRIDAY at 7pm Washington Center | FREE
Saturday at 2 pm Westminster Presbyterian Reserve Tickets: $5 Student, $10 Adult/Senior, $26 Family 4+. Purchase at studentorchestras.org or 360.352.1438.
Additional Events March 1, 4pm
Season Concert, Washington Center
April 25, 2-4pm
Instrument Petting Zoo Washington Center | FREE
May 17, 4pm
Unfortunately, the people who benefit most from art and music may not have the awareness or the language yet to express their gratitude. Ms. Adair will never know how [she] affected my life, and the lives of my kids. If you are an artist/musician, and/or if you are with a nonprofit that provides art and music, thank you. Your work makes a bigger difference than you may ever realize. Thank you for using your gifts to help bring forth a more equitable and inclusive world. Vu Le (“voo lay”) is the Executive Director of Rainier Valley Corps, a nonprofit in Seattle. To read this post in its entirety visit NonprofitAF.com.
Season Concert, Washington Center
Summer 2020
Beat Beethoven 5thK Run Olympia Capitol Lake
Season Concert Tickets $7-$21* washingtoncenter.org
360.753.8586 | 6 and under free* *plus $4 Washington Center fee Dates subject to change.
Make your donations go further with South Puget Sound
Oct 29 - Nov 21
PLACE YOUR 2019 HOLIDAY ORDER TODAY! Return the enclosed order form or order online at studentorchestras.org. Orders are due November 8. The Buy Local Holiday Fundraiser is a way to support your youth symphony and the local business community. Thank you to Star Lake Nursery, Sherwood Farms, and Olympic Crest Coffee Co. for your partnership in giving back to the community and for providing an excellent product.
• 100% of your donations go directly to SOGO. Credit card and platform fees are covered by The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound and its sponsors. • Every dollar is stretched through an incentive fund provided by the Dawkins Charitable Trust. • Make a gift at givelocal.thecommunityfoundation.com to boost the value of your donation. Are you a Washington State employee? Sign up with The Washington State Combined Fund Drive’s (CFD) payroll contribution program for a convenient way to give to SOGO. Donations may be made monthly or as one-time contributions. SOGO’s CFD Charity Code is 0456457.