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September 2014 Vol. XV No. 1
Anxiety, Big Shoes, and Developing a Deeper Appreciation for Music and Culture By Katie Hovde, SOGO alumna
My SOGO story starts when I was 8 years old. I had only been playing the violin for 3 years and had never played in an orchestra before. I remember crying before my first rehearsal because I was so afraid of being the worst one there and not knowing what to do. However, when I got to rehearsal and saw all the other kids, my anxiety quickly went away and it was replaced with fun and excitement. This feeling carried on through the 10 years that I was involved in SOGO.
Because of SOGO, I was able to recognize my full potential as a musician and as a person. In my last year, Mr. Welsh placed me in the Conservatory concertmistress spot; it was like I was 8 years old all over again. I was afraid of not doing well enough and letting my section down, I was afraid that I wouldn’t live up to the very big shoes I had to fill. But yet again, there was nothing to be afraid of. After graduating SOGO, I began attendance at Central Washington University. The orchestra there is of extraordinarily high caliber and was unlike any kind of orchestra I had played in; even SOGO or any of the All-State orchestras. However, I wasn’t too nervous or anxious, unlike a lot of other musicians I met. I knew what to do in an orchestra and how to participate in the music. We played some repertoire that I had already played in SOGO, and as time went on, the more I realized that I would in no way be the musician that I am today without SOGO. I am currently working on a Bachelor of Arts in Music and (Cont’d on p. 3)
reminders First Rehearsal - 9/14 Parent Meeting - 9/14 Calvary Chapel 4:45 - 5:15 p.m. New Rehearsal Location Calvary Chapel 919 Division Street NW, Olympia, WA
We Dig Our New Digs
Olympia’s Calvary Chapel will be our new rehearsal venue. Many thanks to Calvary Chapel for coming to our rescue and allowing us to use their space!
• Located at 919 Division Street NW, Olympia, near Jefferson Middle School • Ample room for full orchestra rehearsals • Breakout rooms for sectional and chamber group rehearsals • Parking is available around the church building and in the adjacent Jefferson Middle School parking lot
Jump Starting theBySeason Maestro John Welsh We started out this year with our first try at holding something before our regular rehearsal sessions – a Chamber Music Workshop. Our experience shows that when Conservatory Orchestra members work on chamber music, as we did last winter, it yields a more cohesive ensemble as a whole. So, on August 24 and 25
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