Newsletter - September 2016

September 2016 Vol. XVII No. 1

Providing a challenging, fully integrated music experience for the young musician because of support from people like you.

1629 22nd Ave SE, Olympia WA 98501 360-352-1438 studentorchestras.org

My Voice Acts to Truly Represent Students

FROM THE DESK OF GREG ALLISON

SOGO’s Executive Student Board

Very Dear Friends,

Your support allows SOGO musicians to develop leadership skills and learn what it takes to run a successful nonprofit organization by serving on SOGO’s executive student board. Violinist Hyunjin Kim describes her role on the executive student board as “a bridge between the students and the SOGO board of directors.”

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It’s allowed me to go out of my comfort zone and be a voice for the student body.

I am really excited to begin our son with Student Orchestras of seventeenth seaEach season, I feel the ties of Greater Olympia. growing stronger. The commun our musical family built in and through SOGO is ity that has been filled with energetic, thoughtful, and passionate mem bers and families.

The roots of this unique opportunity lie in SOGO’s origins: 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.

The South Sound an amazing region, and we planis to even more involved with the get com munity and education programs.

We have a wonderful season plan your favorite composers includin ned with some of win, Sibelius, Mozart, and Bac g Strauss, Gershporary composers like Pender, h along with contemThe young musicians, conductorZdechlik, and Reed. artists work together to bring s, and teaching life with a vibrancy that is fresamazing music to h and vital.

Join with us and celebrate this able music making along with all season of remarkcome with the journey to exce the benefits that llence for our members and their families.

Executive student board members attend monthly SOGO board meetings, plan social events, give input about board decisions, and provide a student perspective.

“To know that my voice acts to truly represent students and influence the future of SOGO is what makes SOGO a student led orchestra, ” says Hyunjin.

Warmest regards, Greg Allison, Artistic Director

Cellist Lexi Kaminski says serving on the executive student board has “allowed me to go out of my comfort zone and be a voice for the student body.”

Horn player Henry Nordhorn is serving his third year on the board. “It’s forced me to make decisions that concern a lot of other people.” Henry notes that Hyunjin and Lexi “sometimes have vastly different opinions from myself. We usually have to make compromises and divide up the workload because none of us can convince the others completely.”

Hyunjin adds, “It’s taught me a lot about the business side of the arts. To have a greater awareness of what it takes to get good music to an audience has taught me skills that I can apply as a musician and a leader.”

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Years ago, the Debut Orchestra, comprised of entry-level or elementary musicians, was led by co-conductors and SOGO is excited to be able to bring that experience back to young musicians. Working with co-conductors means that there will be separate teaching times for strings players and winds and percussion. Rehearsals will also include time as a full orchestra in preparation for concerts.

With this new configuration, Debut musicians will receive more in depth instruction specific to their instrument along with continued work with SOGO teaching artists.

Henry, Hyunjin, and Lexi are excited to welcome flute player Megan Smith and violinist Dylan Jones to the executive student board this year.

To know that my voice acts to truly represent students and influence the future of SOGO is what makes SOGO a student led orchestra.

More In Depth Instruction For Debut Orchestra

Executive student board member Hyunjin Kim

Our two new Debut Orchestra co-conductors are Travis Sipher and Jennifer Marin. Mr. Sipher is the orchestra director at Capital High School and Jefferson Middle School and Ms. Marin is the band director at Griffin School and previously worked with the Debut Orchestra for the first nine years of SOGO. Mr. Sipher and Ms. Marin are looking forward to working with the Debut Orchestra.

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1629 22nd Ave SE, Olympia WA 98501

Debut co-conductors Jennifer Marin and Travis Sipher discussing the season’s first Debut rehearsal.

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Maestro Welsh: This Time It’s Personal The 2017-2018 season will be my last as conductor of the SOGO Conservatory Orchestra. As I start this year I can’t help but think back on almost 20 years of work. I still hold dear the standing ovation in that first concert after we finished Beethoven’s Egmont Overture!

The next two seasons will include music that is important to me – both milestones in my career and favorites. This season includes: Mozart’s Symphony Concertante for Violin and Viola – one of my favorite Mozart works; Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 – one of my favorite composers and one

The opportunity to participate in the founding of this organization came to me in a low point in my musical career. It even provided much needed and appreciated financial assistance during that time. So my heartfelt gratitude goes out to SOGO and the musical community of Olympia.

The next two seasons will include music that is important to me – both milestones in my career and favorites.

I can’t begin to tell you what the association with the young people in our organization has meant to me. I cherish seeing our former members being successful in their lives, whether it be in music or other fields.

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I cherish seeing our former members being successful in their lives, whether it be in music or other fields.

I would like to believe that my tenets (treating members as professional musicians, working to create a non-competitive environment, and performing “real” classical art music) have helped in their personal and musical growth.

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As to the musical and administrative staff of SOGO, I can’t express enough admiration for their skills and dedication. The volunteers and donors have given the time and effort that has enabled us to go from the beginning when we weren’t even an established nonprofit organization to one of Olympia’s most dynamic musical organizations.

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of the first symphonies I learned as an undergraduate student; Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue – I was the soloist in 1963 as a sophomore at Miami University (that is in Ohio!) with the college orchestra; and R. Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration – the first of two pieces I learned as a freshman.

The performance of Death and Transfiguration is a milestone for SOGO. The Olympia Symphony Orchestra is performing it in November.

They will be coming alongside SOGO students for a rehearsal in April and for our performance in May. This represents a giant step in SOGO’s ever increasing role in the Olympia musical scene.

The 2017-2018 season will feature more of my favorite pieces by Mozart, Brahms, and Beethoven. They will feature alumni of SOGO and artists that have appeared with SOGO over the years. I hope you are as excited as I am!

Maestro John Welsh

“SOGO Has Changed Our Son’s Life”

Henry Nordhorn was an eager fifth grade trumpet player when SOGO’s Greg Allison put a French horn in his hands. It was a natural fit (a Nord-horn horn player!) and Henry soon joined the SOGO Debut Orchestra. “I liked the sound better than the trumpet,” says Henry. “And when I was in fifth grade I thought it was really cool that I was the only one playing the horn.”

“We could not have afforded SOGO without the support of donors who bring down the cost of tuition,” says Henry’s mom Ginny. “And we are very grateful to them, because SOGO has changed our son’s life.”

Henry is now planning a career in music and will be featured in Carl Maria von Weber’s Concertino for Horn in E minor on November 6 at the Washington Center. “SOGO has been able to push me by playing with a high caliber of musicians,” he says. He describes the piece as “energetic without being fast or rushed.”

“The piece is a challenge,” says Henry. “I get to do stuff I’ve never done in any other piece before, like reaching some of the high notes and learning how to do multiphonics.” Multiphonics requires the hornist to play one note while humming a second note. When done correctly, a third and fourth note resonate to create a chord.

“It was originally written for a natural horn,” continues Henry, “which is crazy because natural horns have no valves.

With the natural horn, you can put in a tuning slide called a crook that changes the horn to play in the key you need, but you have to change all of the notes with your face. Playing this concertino with a modern horn means that your face still does a lot of I like that lots of times work but your fingers have a lot of really tricky patterns.”

Look for next month’s newsletter to learn about Conservatory violinist Andrew Huang, who will also be featured at the November 6 concert playing Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Get your tickets to the November 6 concert at the Washington Center online at olytix.org or call 360-753-8585.

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the horn just sits in the back until the glory moment. I think the job of the French horn is to glorify the orchestra!

1629 22nd Ave SE, Olympia WA 98501

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“I like that lots of times the horn just sits in the back until the glory moment when its time for the horn to shine. I think the job of the French horn is to glorify the orchestra!”

Patrons Like You Ensure Young Musicians Get the Full Orchestral Experience

I Think Those Lessons Paid Off!

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I expected to pay two or three times more for the privilege of being a part of SOGO. Then I learned that the actual cost of playing in SOGO is twice what tuition covers.

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The SOGO revenue budget is built on two sources of income – 50% from tuition and 50% from grants, donations, sponsorships, concert ticket sales and other fundraising efforts.

One of SOGO’s newest parents was shocked at the low cost of tuition.

“When I registered Livvy for SOGO last year, I was honestly surprised at the low tuition amount,” says Amy Rowley. “I expected to pay two or three times more for the privilege of being a part of SOGO. Then, when I joined the board a few months ago, I learned that the actual cost of playing in SOGO is twice what tuition covers.”

Recently a letter went out to parents asking them to cover the remaining 50% of tuition. Parents themselves raised nearly $2,000 to offset the costs and we are now going to our patrons to help shore up the costs.

Use the Donate button at the bottom of our website (studentorchestras.org) or return the enclosed envelope with your donation today to make a difference in the life of a young musician.

$430

Your gift of $430 would provide the remaining 50% of tuition for one student ($395 for Debut and Academy and $465 for Conservatory).

$100

Your gift of $100, together with donations from other generous patrons, would provide scholarships for young musicians who need tuition assistance.

$30

Your gift of $30 would pay for a single rehearsal for one musician, including time with instrument specific teaching artists and the full orchestra.

by Lisa Pearson, SOGO Teaching Artist

I started playing the violin in 2nd grade. A violin teacher had come to my elementary school when I was in 1st grade and played for my class. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I bugged my mom for an entire year, then she finally broke down and enrolled me in lessons.

Thirty-three years later, I'm an orchestra teacher in the Tumwater School District, a violinist in the Olympia Symphony, and a teaching artist for SOGO. I think those lessons paid off!

Viola was something I thought about learning when I was in college. I wanted to be a more diverse, well-rounded string player.

The transition from violin to viola is not terribly difficult, so I took viola lessons as an undergraduate, then later as a graduate student.

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I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

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Patrons like you are helping to ensure that children from families with a strapped budget are able to experience the full spectrum of what SOGO has to offer: learning quality orchestral literature; basic to advanced instrument pedagogy and musical artistry focusing on technique, rhythm, intonation, ensemble and listening skills; and the cherry on top – performing three times each year on stage at the Washington Center.

I'm incredibly thankful that I did this, because I became a very proficient violist and viola teacher. Violinists: learn viola, because EVERYONE needs good violists. You will be in great demand!

SOGO teaching artist Lisa Pearson

How did you choose your instrument? Tell us at Facebook.com/studentorchestras.

BOGO Time!

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Your gift of any amount, combined with gifts from other compassionate donors, will add up quickly to make a difference for these children.

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Watch our Facebook page for BOGO ticket giveaways. You could receive 1 free ticket when 1 ticket of equal or greater value is purchased in the Mezz seating area for MEDIA on the MEZZ. Pull out your smart phones and interact with SOGO musicians in real time during season concerts.

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1629 22nd Ave SE, Olympia WA 98501

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2016-2017 SEASON

SUNDAYS AT 4:00 P.M. WASHINGTON CENTER Season Concerts November 6, March 5, & May 21

TICKETS: $6-$15* | 360.753.8586 Olytix.org | 6 and under free* *plus $3 Center surcharge

HOHO Brass Choir Holiday Show Saturday, December 10, 2 P.M. Westminster Presbyterian, Olympia $5 Students, $10 Adults/Seniors, $25 Family

Messiah Sing-Along Monday, December 19, 7 P.M. Washington Center FREE Admission

SOGO provides a challenging orchestra experience for young musicians. Auditions are taken throughout the year; call 360.352.1438.

Concert Sponsors Cabinets by Trivonna Olympia Federal Savings Olympic Dermatology & Laser Clinic R.L. Ray Violin Shop Tumwater Eye Center & VUE