Keeping Tempo Volume 7, Number 2, November 2015
Inside this issue: Student Spotlight: Paul Hutchings
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YOBC Wins Practice-AThon Again
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Fab Fest: The Beat Goes On! Save the Date: March 12
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Executive Director’s Corner: Sir Steve and the Villainous Panel
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Crossing Classical Boundaries: Mary Fahl With YOBC
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Important Dates:
November 21–22: YOBC fall concerts December 6, 3:15 PM: TreeFest, Bensalem— YOBC Chamber Groups
December 19, 11:15 AM, Oxford Valley Mall— YOBC Chamber Groups
January 10, 2016: Regular rehearsals resume
March 12, 7:00 –10:00 PM: New Hope Winery, Fab Fest! The Beat Goes On...
Students in Concert Moves into Morrisville: YOBC’s Outreach Program Expands Planning is under way for an expansion of YOBC’s Students in Concert (SIC) program to the Morrisville School District in January 2016. The new 16-week program will provide two teachers to give 45-minute group violin lessons to middle school students after school two days a week. Approximately 20 violins will be supplied by the school district and the 21st Century Foundation. YOBC has received grants to fund this program. The Morrisville School District currently has no music program of its own, although Pro-Line Music has been running an afterschool band program for elementary students. The tiny district serves only 898 students and has been facing severe budget restrictions for some time. Board Vice President for Development, Joe Hochreiter, has secured much of the financial resources for the SIC program through personal appeals. A large portion of the funding comes through the Bucks County Commissioners, PECO, and the
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, with the remainder from private donors. SIC is a community outreach program of the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County. Its mission is to help ensure that all students in Bucks County have access to instrumental music programs and the benefits that the study of music provides. YOBC has administered a successful SIC program for Bristol Township School District middle school band students for three years. The BTSD program has
served over 240 students, including 53 who are currently enrolled. The SIC program is administered by YOBC Board member Steve Kyle, a retired Neshaminy instrumental music teacher with 35 years of experience, and a professional string bass player who performs with many area orchestras and ensembles. Mr. Kyle acts as a liaison between YOBC, the SIC school teachers and the instrumental music teachers selected to provide the lessons. YOBC is also in discussion with the Bristol Borough School District about an SIC program there. Visit www.yobc.org for more information or to contribute to these programs.
Bristol Township SIC students work with guest conductor, William Owens, at their 2014 music festival.
tudent
potlight: Paul Hutchings
My experience with YOBC has that, YOBC can be an even better largely been one that drives me to experience for everyone. keep moving forward with my musiAs many people may tell you, simcal life. When I first joined in seventh ply practicing for a longer period of grade, I wanted nothing more than to time isn’t necessarily a good thing. be in the Advanced Division and go Sometimes, less is on the tours to great places more; quality over and play great music. I pracquantity—I am a big ticed very hard that year and believer in both of my hard work paid off. I those sayings. My graduated into what was practice times average then the only Advanced Diviaround an 1–1 1/2 sion band: Wind Ensemble. hours each day (except Once in the Advanced Divifor YOBC and lesson sion, I aspired to participate days). I change up in the Concerto Competition what I practice each and be a soloist like so many day so as to not get of the other great musicians bored and to cope with around me. Again, YOBC having so much matePaul Hutchings pushed me to do more than I rial to practice as well. previously thought I could. Some days I touch on many things, The experience I had as a soloist other days I can easily spend 30–45 last year really gave me a different minutes on one exercise or passage. perspective on things and also enWhen you focus and get down into it, couraged me to be more assertive, that’s when you really improve, and since I was now a soloist instead of time doesn’t really matter at that just a member of a large ensemble. In point. In fact it often goes by faster a way it forced me to come out of my than you think. But again, don’t set shell a little bit, although the experiyour standards by time, set goals inence was also humbling. My advice stead, and when you’ve met a decent for everyone currently in YOBC: go number of goals for the day, that may the extra mile. Don’t just be content be the time to end your practice on a with practicing the music and being positive feeling. able to play it without messing up My dream is to be a film comand getting called out on it. Strive for poser, like John Williams, Jerry Goldthat next level, and if everyone does smith, and others. I have spent a lot
of time over the past two years writing music, listening to many different types of music, and meeting people who will be the future filmmakers. However, this does not mean that I am giving up playing trumpet—most certainly not. Being a musician gives you an insight and perspective into the capabilities and possibilities of that instrument like no other. It doesn’t matter what someone else might tell you; you know your instrument like no one else. I frequently send parts of pieces that I’ve written to current and former YOBC friends who play other instruments to get feedback. I hope at some point in the future to eventually learn all of the instruments, an idea shown to me by one of my favorite composers, Stephen Mellilo. I guess what I’m trying to say is: don’t limit yourself to one thing and ignore everything else. Learn as much as you can about everything, because you never know when it may help you reach your goals and become successful. Paul Hutchings is a senior at Central Bucks High School West. He is the principal trumpet in YOBC’s Fanfare Winds and Symphony Orchestra and was a soloist in the YOBC spring 2015 concert, performing the Artiunian Trumpet Concerto with Fanfare Winds. Paul plays trumpet in the CB West Jazz Band and Symphonic Band and has participated in numerous PMEA festivals and several nationwide competitions.
YOBC Wins Practice-A-Thon Again YOBC has just concluded another successful Practice-A-Thon, and our thanks to all the musicians who participated. Practice-A-Thon raised nearly $7,000 for YOBC programs, with students logging over 70,000 minutes of practice time during the 15-day event! Prizes of $100 will be awarded to the top practicer and the top money-raiser. And one hardworking ensemble will win a pizza party for having the highest average practice time among its memPage 2
bers. YOBC will also award $20 vouchers for logo wear to top practicers in each ensemble. The Practice-A-Thon winners will be announced at the fall concerts, November 21–22. But everyone wins the Practice-A-Thon – especially the audience – as you will hear when the students present the results of all their hard work at this month’s performances. YOBC is grateful for the support of friends and family who encouraged these young musicians. Keeping Tempo
Save the
Fab Fest: The Beat Goes On! Hey all you mods and rockers, flower children, and other groovy people! Hang loose with YOBC at Fab Fest on Saturday, March 12, 7:00–10:00 PM. The annual benefit will be a 1960s costume party, held once again at New Hope Winery. This year, a live Beatles tribute band will re-create the Rubber Soul album to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its release—with Fab Four favorites like “Michelle,” “Norwegian Wood,” and
“Drive My Car”—beep beep yeah! Be prepared to dance holes in your soles. Prizes will be awarded for the best 1960s costume, so who is your favorite 1960s style icon? Do you dig the British Invasion look, or the hippies and the counterculture? Pillbox or paisley? Crushed velvet or brocade? The 1960s featured a variety of trends and challenged many fashion traditions. So choose your threads wisely.
Date: Mar ch 12
Guests can expect a great variety of sartorial flair at this year’s event. And the beat goes on: the event will include a silent and live auction with lots of far out items to bid on, righteous hors d’oeuvres, wine, and plenty of cool people to rap with. Tickets for the event are $80 or 2/$150. They go on sale at YOBC’s fall concerts November 21–22, upcoming spring rehearsals, and online at yobc.org. Don’t be a drag: be there or be square. Join the fun on March 12.… It’ll be a gas, ya dig?
Executive Director’s Corner: Sir Steve and the Villainous Panel Once upon a time, the Kitchen Princess awoke to find that the front panel on her cabinet had fallen off. In its place was a gaping rectangular hole. “I can face almost anything,” she declared, “if only I can start my day in an orderly kitchen!” Hark! Just then, a knight in shining armor arrived. Sir Steve the Handy did battle with the Villainous Panel. In minutes, the prince had restored the panel to its former glory and saved the damsel in distress. The Kitchen Princess clapped her hands in delight and declared her undying love for Sir Steve, and they lived happily ever after. But the very next day, the Villainous Panel had fallen off again! The distraught Kitchen Princess inspected the Villainous Panel and found that her true love had used his weapon of choice – the glue gun – to fight the foe! “Dear Prince!” she exclaimed, “Your battle was quick, but alas, your victory did not last, and there shall be no happily ever after!” “Fear not, dear Kitchen Princess!” declared Steve the Handy, and he did battle with the Villainous Panel again. This time, he armed himself with Carpenter’s Glue, and metal clamps—honorable weapons that required much time and patience. The battle waged on, one hour, two hours, six hours...24 hours. Finally, Sir Steve emerged from the kitchen, victorious over the Villainous Panel. Volume 7, Number 2, November 2015
YOBC is committed to making “Dear Princess,” declared Sir the benefits of rigorous music educaSteve, “I have learned that the ‘Quick tion programs available to all stuFix’ is a myth! It takes time and real dents through our ensemble proeffort to accomplish something of grams and our community outreach value.” And so…the Kitchen Princess program, Students In Concert. We and Sir Steve the Handy did live hapare grateful for the dedication and pily ever after! support of YOBC parents, who over “What a lovely story!” you might the years have contributed their say, “but what does this have to do time and resources to help us create with YOBC?” In 1993, a study of colstrong music education programs lege students showed that they perwhich strive to benefit all children of formed better on spatial reasoning Bucks County. tests after listening to a Mozart sonata. That led to claims that listening to Mozart temporarily increases IQs, giving birth to the Mozart Effect. It was an attractive idea: a quick fix requiring little effort and producing big results. But, as Sir Steve learned, it takes time and real effort to accomplish something of value. Subsequent studies have shown that intense musical training is what generates new processes within the brain and impacts creativity, cognition, and learning. And “intense” is a key concept that every YOBC parent and student understands. School music proYOBC loves its parent volunteers! Thanks to over 250 of you who make everything we do posgrams, private lessons, YOBC sible—Sundays, concert days, and throughout on Sundays, concerts and practhe year, the YOBC community works together tice, practice, practice! This to keep things running smoothly. kind of intensity has lasting benefits.
Thank You, Volunteers!
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70 Canoebirch Road Levittown, PA 19057 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 24 seasons the organization has grown fro m a single, 60-member ensemble to 16 ensembles with over 275 young musician s.
Crossing Classical Boundaries: Mary Fahl with YOBC Crossing Classical Boundaries is a musical exploration that started with a simple idea: what could a nonclassical musician create, in a broadly defined, yet true-to-form classical idiom, if given access to a full Symphony Orchestra or a full Symphonic Band? The ideal outcome would be a concert that stretches musical boundaries for both the artist and our students. YOBC offers Crossing Cultural Boundaries to bring in artists who take classical music beyond its traditional boundaries to explore new forms of music. At the 20th Anniversary Gala Concert in May 2011, YOBC was joined by Chris Brubeck and Triple Play for our inaugural concert in this series. In spring 2013 Grammy-award winning musi-
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cian and composer Mark O'Connor led workshops and performed with all YOBC string players. This year singersongwriter Mary Fahl will headline a concert with YOBC’s Symphony Orchestra and Fanfare Winds on May 22, 2016. The season-capping Pops concert will take place in the new performance space at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown. Mary Fahl first achieved fame in the mid-1990s as the lead singer and co-founder of a folk-rock/adult alternative group, October Project. Based in Bucks County, her musical inspirations for her solo career have expanded to include classical, medieval and world music. Her expressive,
transcendent voice has been described as “a voice for the gods” (Boston Globe) and “a powerful, beautifully proportioned contralto” (Variety). Mary’s music appeals to a wide range of musical enthusiasts. To learn more about the artist and listen to her music, visit maryfahl.com.
Keeping Tempo