Keeping Tempo May 2016

Keeping Tempo Volume 7, Number 4, May 2016

Inside this issue: Student Spotlight: Ryan Wilkowski

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Executive Director’s Corner: Bring on the Festivities!

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Two Founding Members of Prima Strings Graduate in 2016

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Hands-On Saxophone Museum Is an Educational Playground

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YOBC Violist Awarded KANG Scholarship

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Jerry Nowak Memorial Scholarship

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Important Dates:    

May 22—Mary Fahl: Crossing Classical Boundaries, 4:00 PM June 5—Tom Baust History & Performing Art Event, 12:00–4:00 PM June 20–Registration Deadline for 2016–17 25th anniversary season July 25—Bon Voyage Concert for YOBC Tour

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September 10— Orientation and Curtain Raiser events

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September 11: Regular rehearsals begin

David Kim Will Be Artist in Residence for YOBC’s 25th Anniversary Season When Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster David Kim completed his performance with YOBC’s Symphony Orchestra at the 2014 spring concert, it was not the end of our relationship. Acting as a consultant on the musical development of YOBC, Mr. Kim has just agreed to be YOBC’s Artist in Residence during the 25th anniversary season.

In addition to providing a violin master class (scheduled for February 2017), Mr. Kim has assisted us in bringing three of his Philadelphia Orchestra colleagues to provide master classes to YOBC students on their instruments. So far we have received confirmation from Jennifer Montone, the principal French horn player and Hai-Ye Ni, principal cello for master classes next season.

The 2014 concert and master class David Kim offered that season are frequently cited by our graduates as one of the highlights of their YOBC experience. All YOBC violinists will be invited to

attend the February master class.

A total of six students, from Concertino through Symphony Orchestra, will be chosen by lottery to perform as soloists at the master class.

We are grateful for Mr. Kim's David Kim poses with YOBC students after his guest performance in Spring 2014. assistance in bringing a variety of world-class muinstruction to drive our sicians to provide instrucmusical goals of contion and support. This tinuing to create outfulfills one of YOBC’s upstanding classical music coming strategic prioriexperiences for our stuties to provide the best dents.

Philadelphia Orchestra members — Jennifer Montone, Principal French horn and Hai-Ye Ni, principal cello— will present master classes to YOBC students.

tudent

potlight: Ryan Wilkowski

Ryan Wilkowski is a member of YOBC’s Wind Ensemble where he plays the euphonium. He is just completing his first year in YOBC following his successful audition last spring. Ryan is from the Centennial school district where he is currently an eighth grader at Klinger Middle School Ryan started playing his instrument when he was in fourth grade. “My fourth grade band director thought that I would like the euphonium.” In seventh grade he learned about YOBC when he took part in a unique experience.

“I heard about YOBC when a lot of my friends and I attended the sitin with [the Wind Symphony].”

That year Mrs. Sweetsir opened up one rehearsal to the community and invited members to bring their friends. Ryan was one of about a dozen guests who participated in YOBC for a day.

In addition to YOBC, Ryan

New Publishing Schedule Because of staffing and time constraints — but certainly not a shortage of news — Keeping Tempo will switch to a new, three-times-year publishing schedule. Future issues will come out in August, December, and May. Student, alumni, and parent contributions are always welcome. Keep us posted on your summer activities! The next issue will come out August 15. Deadline for submissions is July 20. Have a magical, musical summer!

plays his euphonium in concert band at school, Christmas songs at holiday gatherings, and recently played in the BCMEA festival. He also plays the trombone in jazz band. Ryan plans on “going further into music, and hopefully I can become a professional musician.”

Executive Director’s Corner: Bring On the Festivities!

My friend turns 50 this month and I am anticipating all the fun we will have at his party, ribbing him about his advanced years! We will recite corny poems, resurrect old stories and give less-thanclever advice to our “old friend” on how to age gracefully. Taking time to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and holidays is something that most of us do throughout our lives. It seems to be important to us to mark these occasions in special ways.

A party is always fun, but there is something deeper that makes these moments meaningful to us. They are life’s signposts. They remind us to look back to where we have come from to appreciate and remember what is truly important. And Page 2

they remind us to look ahead to our future to consider how we want to spend our lives and reset our course.

Next year is a big signpost for YOBC. We will be marking 25 Our board of directors will complete work on a strategic plan which will guide our artistic and educational mission over the next five years. years of creating opportunities for young musicians. We will be celebrating in a grand way with exciting guest artists, incredible master classes, parties, commissions, receptions, and special concerts. But our big anniversary

year will also provide an opportunity for a time of reflection.

We will look back and reconnect with our past, the students we have served, and people who have shaped our mission. And we will look ahead to consider how we will continue our mission.

This will be a time of special opportunity for YOBC. Our board of directors will complete work on a strategic plan which will guide our artistic and educational mission over the next five years. This work will play a crucial role in the lives of the next generation of YOBC students.

Happy anniversary YOBC! Let the festivities begin!

—Colleen Sweetsir Keeping Tempo

Two Founding Members of Prima Strings Graduate in 2016 YOBC started 25 years ago with one ensemble—a 60-member Symphony Orchestra. Over the years, new ensembles were created to respond to the needs of the community. As recently as 10 years ago, YOBC still turned away at least a dozen young students who weren’t quite ready for Concertino.

Molly Jensen was the conductor of our Junior Division ensemble at that time. She recognized the interest among the youngest players to support a new ensemble. And thus Prima Strings was born.

Of the original 15 members of Prima Strings, seven of them are still participating in YOBC ensembles. This year two of the founding Prima Strings members are the first to graduate after seven years in YOBC. Dashiell Papula, cello, and Samantha Purdy, violin, have both moved through YOBC’s progressive ensembles to reach top seats in YOBC’s Symphony Orchestra. Samantha is the principal second violin and Dashiell is the principal cello in Symphony, a member of the Honors String Quartet, and a Concerto Competition winner for 2015–16.

Dashiell and Samantha in the first Prima Strings concert, fall 2009 .

Dashiell remembers that he played a song called “Polly Wolly Doodle” for his first audition. “The judges were Ms. Molly and her husband. After getting through it, they requested that I play the music with more dynamics. I did, and to my surprise I was admitted into Prima Strings (although who knows if I would have had I not been the lone cellist to audition).

A long way from “Polly Wolly Doodle.”

Volume 7, Number 4, May 2016

“My success in the audition inspired me to focus more of my time on the cello. Once we arrived upon the date for my first ever YOBC rehearsal, I was full of excitement. Although I do not have many specific memories of rehearsal, I remember enjoying every piece of music we played, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on Concertino music.”

With Prima Strings now accepting students as young as 8, YOBC sees students who have spent more than half their lives in the organization by the time they graduate.

This year’s graduates are heading off to college in the fall. Samantha will be attending the University of Pittsburgh on a pre-Physician’s Assisant track and Dashiell will be attending Pennsylvania State University for mechanical engineering. Dashiell says, “I plan on continuing to play the cello throughout college because it brings much joy to my life.”

This weekend’s auditions include two young string players born in 2008, hoping to be the newest members of YOBC’s Prima Strings.

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Hands-On Saxophone Museum Is an Educational Playground graph of Babe Ruth (who was a Recently, YOBC dad and Board saxophone player himself) with Lou member David Osenberg organized Gehrig sitting next to him. Next he a field trip for several YOBC musishowed us a contraption used by cians to the North Jersey homeBilly True which allowed him to based museum of Dr. Paul Cohen. play three saxophones at once along Dr. Cohen is one of the world’s leadwith the two C-melody instruments ing classical saxophonists as well as that were an integral part of his a noted scholar, with a collection of performance. over 150 instruments. The following Finally, we entered the main is a report by Drew Luniewski about room where Dr. Cohen kept all of this unique outing. his saxophones on display. He told “I was ecstatic when Mr. Osenus that it was a saxophone ‘petting berg first mentioned the possibility zoo’ and that we were allowed to of visiting Dr. Cohen’s museum. I touch and play all of the saxophones had seen a video online featuring as long as we promised to follow his members of the United States Army ground rules for all of his visitors: If Band playing Dr. Cohen’s instruyou pick up a horn, you must get a ments and I was immediately inpicture with it, and everyone must trigued. As it turns out, Mr. Osenask at least two questions. berg was able to get an interview We then went around picking up with Dr. Cohen for his radio station. various instruments: straight alto After the interview he asked about saxophones, straight tenor saxothe possibility of the saxophone phones, slide saxophones, a bass quartet visiting. Dr. Cohen immedisaxophone, a curved sopranino saxoately responded by inviting us not phone, a keyless alto saxophone, a only to come and view his collection, keyless curved soprano saxophone, but to bring our saxophones and the first saxophone created out of mouthpieces so that we could play plastic, a sarrusophone, them. and the monstrous conOn the trip we trabass saxophone. As listened to one of soon as we picked up a Dr. Cohen’s CDs in new instrument, Dr. which he walks the Cohen would begin to listener through the explain its history: the history of the saxoyear its production began, phone, highlighting which company made it, some horns from his where and how he accollection. I particuquired it, how the sound larly remember the and range compared to track in which he other horns. reviews the history We learned that Dr. of the soprano saxoCohen had begun collectphone, explaining ing the horns as he that the tuning worked another job that standard was origirequired lots of traveling. nally higher than He knew the distribution the current 440 Hz locations of the rare inwhen the soprano struments and he would saxophone was first John Bilcik search for them, explaininvented. The CD ing his aspirations to begin a muended just as we entered Dr. seum for his collection.

Cohen’s neighborhood—a bit earAs a saxophone player, this trip lier than expected. was something like an educational He invited us to enter his house playground—a combination of quick (which doubles as the museum) and facts and rare, foreign instruments. immediately showed us a photoPage 4

Drew Luniewski

I am thankful that Dr. Cohen allowed us to get a personal session in his museum, and I only wish that we had more time there!”

Drew Luniewski has been a member of YOBC for seven years, most recently in Fanfare Winds and the Saxophone Quartet on tenor saxophone. He graduates from Neshaminy High School in June and will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for aerospace engineering in the fall.

Ike Osenberg Keeping Tempo

YOBC Violist Awarded KANG Scholarship YOBC recently received a check from the Cole T. Ballay “Carpe Diem” Foundation to cover tuition costs for violist Phoebe Vallapureddy. Phoebe was a member of Concertino during the 2015–16 season and has been placed in Ripieno for the upcoming season.

The check represents a scholarship Phoebe received from the Foundation’s Kids Aspiring to New Goals (KANG) scholarship program.

The KANG scholarship is intended for kids aged 11–14 who demonstrate a passion for and commitment to a particular area of learning in the arts, science, or athletics. Phoebe learned about the scholarship from her elementary-school orchestra teacher who nominated her for the award. The applicants for this particular scholarship have to be recommended by a teacher or coach.

Phoebe's teacher nominated her based on her passion for the viola.

According to Nan Ballay, the Foundation’s Treasurer/Secretary, “The combination of [Phoebe’s] mentor’s nomination and her application truly exemplified her motivation and dedication to advance in her passion, the viola.”

The award is meant to be used for advanced learning at specialized camps, individualized instruction, or classes. Phoebe and her family thought YOBC would be the perfect place to use the scholarship award.

The Cole T. Ballay “Carpe Diem” Foundation began as a memorial to a passionate, optimistic young man of 16. His family and friends wanted to honor him in a positive manner. The Foundation’s mission is to provide scholarship opportunities for passionate youth to attain their aspirations through advanced learning.

Phoebe’s mother, Sheri Pargman says, “We are so grateful to the Ballay Foundation for their generos-

ity, and touched by the story of their son.” At YOBC we are pleased with our role in helping Phoebe achieve her musical dreams.

Familiar Faces at the 2016 BCMEA Music Festival Congratulations to the following YOBC students who were selected for the 2016 Bucks County Music Educators Association spring music festival: BCMEA Orchestra Violin Christina Cavalluzzo Rebekah Cheng Mary Kate Durnan Timothy Gehrsitz Daniel Han Emily Makarewicz John Mullin Katie Warren Christian Weiman Kevin Xu

Viola Emma Akbari Amaya Christie James Kong Lyric Scott Avery Twyman Michelle Tyson Cello Ethan Cook Marissa Klein Charlee Pappler Alex Puerto Gabriel Wingert

BCMEA HS BAND Flute Julia Bochenek Isabella Buck Tiera Fogg Payton Kelly Mackenzie Stewart Ye Jin Yun

Bass Elizabeth McGonagle

Clarinet Daniel Bolton Theodore Dalfonso

Flute Megan Geesin

Bass Clarinet Gregory Horn

Clarinet Jarod Mellus Michelle Wang

Alto Sax Stephen Bolton

Bassoon Grace Nickett Volume 7, Number 4, May 2016

Trombone Hannah Gregory Jeremy Horn

Trumpet Will Fox Emily Haines French horn Stephen Hopkins Trombone Catie Chalupa Skyla Martz Tuba Drew Luniewski BCMEA MS Band Clarinet Erika Daubert Lorena Ye Bari Sax Steven Grace Trumpet Jordyn Souder Euphonium Ryan Wilkowski

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70 Canoebirch Road Levittown, PA 19057 Email: info.yobc@gmail.com

yobc.org

The YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF BUCKS COUNTY, Pennsylvania (Y OBC) was founded in 1991 with the spo nsorship and support of Bucks County Co mmunity College. Its mission is to create opportunities for young musicians to achiev e artistic excellence through enriching classical musical experiences. In 24 season s the organization has grown from a single , 60-member ensemble to 16 ensembles wi th over 275 young musicians.

Jerry Nowak Memorial Scholarship Each year, the Delaware Valley Wind Symphony awards a scholarship to young musicians from Bucks County for outstanding musical

achievement. This year, scholarships were awarded to two distinguished young musicians who have won numerous competitions includ-

Photo: Dan Troy

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ing the Concerto Soloist Competition of the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County. Tasha Schapiro, French horn, and Neel Shah, oboe, have participated in BCMEA County, and PMEA District, Regional, and AllState Music Festivals. In addition to sitting principal in YOBC Symphony Orchestra and Fanfare Winds, both students are valued members of the Delaware Valley Wind Symphony.

Jerry Nowak, Delaware Valley Wind Symphony’s founder and long-time music director, established the scholarship fund because he felt it was important to encourage and support young musicians. Following his death last fall, the scholarship was renamed to honor Jerry and his dedication to artistic excellence.

Congratulations to Neel and Tasha for their exceptional musical accomplishments.

Keeping Tempo