Keeping Tempo February 2015

Keeping Tempo Volume 6, Number 3, February 2015

Inside this issue: Student Spotlight: Tasha Schapiro

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Conductors’ Notes: Percussion Ensemble Debuts New Music

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Director’s Corner: Aruba Tuba to the Rescue

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YOBC’s 2016 International Tour: French Alps, Provence, Riviera

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Cairn University Steps Up to Offer YOBC a Temporary Home

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Flutronix Inspires YOBC Flutists to Improvise

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Suite for Saxophone Quartet Dedicated to YOBC Ensemble

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Important Dates: 

February 19, 2015: Fanfare Winds Concert, Cairn University

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February 21, 2015: Chamber Recital, Cairn University 8:00 PM

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March 7, 2015: Annual Live Show & Auction Benefit, New Hope Winery

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April 17–18: YOBC Spring Concerts

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May 2: YOBC Pops Concert, Delaware Valley College, Doylestown

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May 16–17: Auditions for New Students

YOBC’s March 7 Live Auction & Show Benefit: The Highlight of the Development Calendar Join the YOBC Board of Directors, families, and supporters on Saturday, March 7, for the annual Live Auction and Show Benefit at New Hope Winery. From 6:00–8:00 PM enjoy food, wines, and friends while you peruse the silent auction items and bid on some of the special live auction offerings. The auction is followed by a performance

by Griffin House, a Nashville singer-songwriter who has been described as “one of the most intriguing new songwriters

to emerge in recent memory.” Tickets to the event are available at all YOBC rehearsals and online at www.yobc.org.

The Benefit is just one of the fundraising efforts YOBC engages in throughout the year.

Fundraising helps support YOBC programs — including new ensembles and new opportunities with master classes and workshops — that are not covered by tuition. In fact, tuition covers only 62% of YOBC’s costs. These opportunities are intended to be enriching and affirming for student musicians at every level, impacting their lives by creating challenging opportunities for growth in a supportive environment. Although our programs focus on music education, instruction goes far beyond musical training to develop essential life skills such as setting and achievYOBC’s development efforts help keep tuition as low as possible. Tuition covers ing goals, working 62% of YOBC’s program costs. with others in a

Griffin House

positive and collaborative manner, and selfdiscipline and personal responsibility.

To help YOBC in its development efforts, the Board of Directors has engaged Kathy Welsh Beveridge of Spark Nonprofit Consulting. Kathy is working to help raise YOBC’s visibility in the community and greatly expand the base of support and community engagement in the mission.

YOBC is actively seeking new Board members and supporters in a number of areas. We encourage anyone interested in more information about serving on the Board or YOBC’s development efforts to reach out to us.

tudent

potlight: Tasha Schapiro

Tasha Schapiro goes to Pennsbury High School where she is in eleventh grade. Currently a member of YOBC’s Fanfare Winds, Symphony Orchestra, and Fanfare Woodwind Quintet, she started playing French horn in the fourth grade. She was introduced to the horn by a neighbor who had just started playing and allowed her to try out his instrument. Tasha loved how it sounded and was able to play most of a scale on that first attempt.

She says, “I never even looked at a different instrument when it came time to choose.”

Tasha’s first encounter with YOBC was through her sister, Han-

nah, an oboist who was already in YOBC. Her private teacher at the time was Mrs. Sweetsir, who also encouraged her to join. Tasha auditioned for YOBC when she was in fifth grade because, she says, “I wanted a chance to play more, as well as the chance to play more advanced music than I was receiving in school.”

Tasha is the principal chair for her school's top band and orchestra and has participated in the PMEA District, Regional, All-State, and (upcoming) NAfME All-Eastern music festivals. She also plays as a substitute when asked for the Delaware Valley Wind Symphony, the Bucks

County Symphony, and the Warminster Symphony.

Tasha also plays piano, is learning harp, and does competitive gymnastics.

Tasha says her plans for the future include “surviving high school without collapsing from exhaustion, double majoring in college (chemistry/physics and horn performance), and... I’m not sure what else right now. (The surviving high school part is taking up most of my time.)”

Conductors’ Notes: Percussion Ensemble Debuts New Music Greetings, YOBC friends! My name is Bill Trigg, and I am the new Percussion Ensemble conductor for YOBC. I also teach percussion at The College of New Jersey, and perform with numerous orchestras and chamber ensembles in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. I am pleased to report that the YOBC Percussion Ensemble has grown to six players, up from four this past fall. We are still looking for more percussion students at every level, especially in the Symphony Orchestra, so if you or your children know any young percussionists looking

CORRECTION The November 2014 issue of Keeping Tempo (Volume 6, No. 2) mistakenly attributed the article on page 2 to the wrong Emily. The article, “Report: Double Reed Camp” was written

by Emily Day. Emily Day is a bassoonist in YOBC’s Symphony Orchestra, Fanfare Winds, and Fanfare Woodwind Quintet. A corrected version of the newsletter is posted in the archives available on ISSUU.com.

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for a great performing experience, please recommend us to them!

One of my other musical hats is as a composer. I have written works for solo percussion, for percussion ensemble, for modern dance choreography, and for strings. I am pleased to announce that my latest work for percussion ensemble will be premiered on February 21, in the YOBC Chamber Music Concert. The piece, written especially for this group of students, is tentatively titled “Percussion Sextet.” I am not always the greatest title writer. My compositions usually either have an amusing title that slipped into my head with a great amount of luck, or generic titles, such as “Sextet,” “Quartet,” “Sonata,” etc. I challenged the students to come up with one, but the most amusing was “Titled” (since the score and parts list it as “Untitled”)!

The work is scored for glockenspiel, bass drum, guiro (a Latin percussion instrument made from a hollowed out gourd which is dried and has ridges cut into it—a type of scraper), vibraphone, cowbell (no, I don’t need any MORE cowbell!), timpani, triangle, snare

drum, tambourine, temple blocks, cymbal, maracas, and drumset. It has three sections: a fast opening section with a duet for snare drum and temple blocks, and two little melodies—one for glockenspiel, the other for vibraphone; a slow middle section with creative sound effects; and a fast, rock-style ending section featuring solos for each player.

The ensemble will also be performing a new arrangement of a piece we did in the fall concert, titled “Asi te Sone.” “Asi te Sone” is a Guatemalan piece originally played by a marimba choir with percussion accompaniment. The marimba, which is a cousin of the xylophone, is the national instrument of Guatemala.

The marimba and the xylophone are both made of rosewood, but the marimba is pitched lower and has a darker tone quality than the xylophone. My arrangement is for marimba four hands, vibraphone (a second cousin, similar to the xylophone, but with metal keys), snare drum, glockenspiel, timpani, and congas.

We are looking forward to performing both pieces for you on February 21.

See you then!

—Bill Trigg, Conductor YOBC Percussion Ensemble Keeping Tempo

Executive Director’s Corner: Aruba Tuba to the Rescue Face-numbing cold, howling winds, and mountains of snow that make you feel like you are driving through an Arctic ice cave: these are not the kinds of things that usually entice one to a vacation destination.

But last week the Sweetsirs bundled up and headed to Maine for a little getaway. Vacation activities were slightly unusual. We climbed out of second story windows to shovel snow off the roof, reattached wind-blown doors, spun the car in circles as we tried to navigate the roads, and huddled around our electric heater trying to warm up.

Now I know this is going to sound a little weird, but it was really fun! That’s because fighting the winter elements turned out to be just what we needed: a change of pace. Doing something totally different invigorated us and sent us back to our normal activities with fresh energy and ideas. Like the taste bud–tingling, citric tartness of a zesty lemon sorbet, a change of

Volume 6, Number 3, February 2015

pace can cleanse the palate of our daily routine so that the next “course’” may be enjoyed with fresh perspective.

This idea is important in teaching too. We are wired to learn, but without a little change of pace built into the routine, we can lose critical prerequisites for learning like curiosity, imagination, and interest. Intentionally providing change-of-pace learning experiences is like drinking a double shot of espresso. It stimulates creativity and engagement and keeps learning fresh and fun!

One day, after an hour of intensive rehearsal, the eyes of Wind Symphony students were glazed over, signaling a state of serious learning-fatigue. It was time for a change of pace! We pulled out a new piece of music called “Aruba Tuba.”

The percussion section traded in their snare drums for maracas, claves, and a cowbell and our tuba player moved to the front of the band. For the next 10 minutes we

laughed our way through a lighthearted rendition of Caribbean sounds and rhythms featuring our own tuba player as soloist. The rehearsal was bubbling over with curiosity, imagination, and interest.

This February, Flutronix, a classically trained, pop-flute duo from New York, presented a workshop for YOBC flutists on improvisation and performance technology.

It was a totally outside-the-box, change-of-pace experience. YOBC will close its season on May 2 with our first-ever Pops Concert. Symphony Orchestra, Fanfare Winds, and YOBC alumni will join forces to perform some of the most exciting—and challenging—popular music ever written. YOBC intentionally plans change-of-pace musical experiences like these to stimulate the curiosity, imagination, and interest of our students and keep learning fresh and fun.

—Colleen Sweetsir YOBC Executive Director

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YOBC’s 2016 International Tour: French Alps, Provence, Riviera Allons enfants! YOBC is now accepting applications for its next international tour during the summer of 2016. Plans are under way for a trip to the French Alps (Chamonix), Provence, and the Riviera. The tour promises another exciting series of concerts in magnificent European venues with enthusiastic audiences, including the prestigious, international Festival de Musique in Menton.

The 2016 tour is open to YOBC students in the Advanced Division during the 2015–16 season: Symphony Orchestra, Fanfare Winds, Philharmonia, and Wind Ensemble.

Parents and siblings accompanying them are also eligible for the tour.

Siblings who are interested in playing in the tour ensemble can audition for Mr. Loughran in September.

All adults will be required to serve

as chaperones during the tour.

The 2016 international tour is once again being coordinated by Monica and Gerardo Konig, who have planned the last two YOBC’s 2012 tour ensemble performs at Menton. trips to the Mediterranean in 2012 Information, including approxiand Italy in 2014. Working with mate dates and costs, is available an Italian tour company, Festival on the YOBC website. Applications Orchestre Giovanili, they strive and a $100 deposit can be now be to offer young musicians a unique completed online. Log in is required experience in Europe, with the for access to the application form. chance “to participate in an inThe deadline to register is Septemtense experience and full immerber 27, 2015. All fees are refundable sion of classical and contempountil that date. rary music.”

Cairn University Steps Up to Offer YOBC a

It was an icy, rainy day… and just a few days before, YOBC learned that the buildings at Bucks would all be closed down for electrical work over the weekend. Mrs. Sweetsir scrambled to rearrange rehearsals for 16 ensembles and 250 musicians and Cairn University graciously provided a lovely temporary home.

The January 20 rehearsal was French-themed to coincide with the announcement of the next interna-

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tional tour (see above). Certain conductors came dressed à la mode française. The snack stand, organized by Patti Young, offered French cookies, madeleines, and even an Eiffel Tower–shaped pretzel! The giant pretzel was raffled off and Concertino’s Alison LaPat was the lucky winner who got to take it home.

Cairn provided beautiful facili-

ties for YOBC’s rehearsals, although some groups (Fanfare Winds) had to rehearse standing up! No one had to go outside in the miserable weather, but students followed pink signs through the maze of hallways and stairs to find their rehearsal rooms. One volunteer logged 2.89 miles!

Great thanks to Cairn for providing a home away from home on such short notice. And thanks to all the volunteers and adaptable students who made the rehearsals run smoothly and successfully.

Keeping Tempo

Flutronix Inspires YOBC Flutists to Improvise How old is the oldest flute? Around play unscripted music in front of 20200 BC the first drawings of a flute It took me out of my comfort some fellow flutists, their band inappeared on Greek artifacts. Howstructors, and the internationally zone; they showed us the need ever, the oldest flutes were found in known flute duo. to color in with our own Germany and Slovenia, dating back However, this duo knew how to personal expression. about 40,000 years. A Japanese flute ease a nervous crowd by first giving was even made of an outstanding perbones. Later flutes everything together by playing broformance of Logginswere found to be ken chords in the corresponding It was a lot of fun making up Hull’s own composition, made of wood or key. In the end, a catchy tune was “Stacked.” This song our own music. bamboo. In the Midcreated! At the end of the workfeatured six individual dle Ages, flutes were shop, students were able to put toflute parts that created used by hunters, magicians, shepgether their own version of the song a round through use of a special pedal herds, and musicians. England and “Stacked.” The two and half hours connected to the amp. The result was the young 13 colonies used these spent concentrating on music an impression of the music being flutes for entertainment on long jour(despite the excitement of Super “stacked,” hence the title. Joachin and neys across the Atlantic Ocean. Not Bowl Sunday) was well rewarded Loggins-Hull were then able to teach until the 16th century did the with knowledge, exflute evolve to resemble the perience, and a special modern flute today. Today, the treat: a free Flutronix flute is used for classical music, CD. jazz, rai, and much more! But Flutronix coming in two women from New York to teach flutists about City decided to stray from the improvisation defihistorical textbooks and start a nitely set the students flute era of their own. outside their comfort Nathalie Joachin and Allizone, but once they son Loggins-Hull, two shining took the chance, it was flutists, like to do things a little worth it. Music isn’t differently. Their original urjust a few notes on a ban art pop sound demonpiece of paper. It’s strates a unique blend of classical dangerous, unpredictable, and passtudents how to improvise. “Listening music, hip-hop, electronic programsionate, something that can only is key!” they said. Being aware of the ming, and R&B beats. This flute duo come out of really expressing the music around you and blending in is known as “Flutronix” because of music through dynamics, articulayour sound was important. the mix of flute and electronics in tion, and taking Students learned their unique sound. Flutronix prerisks. ImprovisaIt was interesting how that there were three sents and lectures for prestigious mution was able to test main parts to composing, they used a sound-loop sic schools, such as The Juilliard the students not improvising, and playing over and over.

School, New England Conservatory, only on their musia song: rhythm, melody, the University of Michigan, and New cality, but on their and harmony. Although York Flute Club. One can only imagwillingness to accept a challenge there were some brave volunteers ine the honor it was for YOBC to open-mindedly. I personally felt like who were willing to try improvising in have Flutronix come in for a workthis was a good wakeup call that we front of the group, many of the stushop about shouldn’t just play what’s there on dents were shy and relucimprovising the sheet, but what’s not there as tant to give it a try. After I was scared at first, with the flute well. Music should be what feelings all, this was way out of their when I walked in the room, students. sound like. comfort zones! However, If you ask but the ladies were so nice and Flutronix was able to inThanks to Flutronix, we can spire all the students to try took my fear away when we musicians now color in the black and white improvising. The flutists what they sheet music with our emotions and started to play. were even able to construct think about musicality. We can’t thank Flutheir own song by splitting up into improvising, they may say that it’s an tronix enough for opening our eyes three groups: rhythm, melody, and exciting way to express your musical to the unlimited ways one can inharmony. Students learned that passion freely. The majority of the terpret music. rhythm kept the song steady, melostudents, however, felt paralyzed —Josee Li, Flute dies added spice, and harmony tied with fear at the thought of having to Wind Symphony & Flute Choir Volume 6, Number 3, February 2015

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252 Hollow Branch Lane Yardley, PA 19067 Email: info.yobc@gmail.com

yobc.org

The YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF BUCKS COUNTY, Pennsyl vania (YOBC) was founded in 1991 with the sponsorship and support of Bucks County Community College . Its mission is to create opportunitie s for young musicians to achieve artistic excellence through enriching classical musical experiences. In 23 seasons the organization has grown fro m a single, 60-member ensemble to 16 ensembles with over 240 young musician s.

Suite for Saxophone Quartet Dedicated to YOBC Ensemble After listening to the YOBC Saxophone Ensemble during the fall concert and several holiday outreach events, YOBC’s Assistant Music Director, Steve Sweetsir, approached Jerry Nowak, Music Director at the Delaware Valley Wind Symphony, to ask if the quartet could perform a piece at an upcoming DVWS concert. Mr. Nowak, who is a friend and colleague of the ensemble’s coach, Kathy Mitchell, made a better offer. He composed a brand-new Suite for Saxophone Quartet and Band and dedicated it to Ms. Mitchell and YOBC’s Saxophone Ensemble. The quartet will debut the piece at the DVWS concert March 7 at Cairn University.

Jerry Nowak is one of the most widely published composers and arrangers of the past 40 years. He has published over 860

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compositions and arrangements for instrumental and vocal ensembles.

Early in his career he worked as a woodwind doubler and session singer in New York and Philadelphia. He is a founding member of the Philadelphia Saxophone Quartet, and recently retired from the New Jersey Saxophone Quartet.

YOBC’s Saxophone Ensemble features Billy Young on soprano, Stephen Bolton on alto, Joe Stanford on tenor, and Drew Luniewski on baritone saxophone. Their coach, Kathy Mitchell, is adjunct instructor of music (saxophone) at The College of New Jersey where she teaches saxophone, coaches quartets and ensembles, and instructs master classes.

Tickets for the DWVS concert will be available at the door.

Keeping Tempo