What's Your Favorite Symphony Story?

We found this great Facebook page of people's most memorable symphony stories, and it got us thinking,"What's our favorite symphony story and why?"

We hope you have a terrific New Year and spend some time pondering your own favorite symphony story as we head into 2010!

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=7781543227&topic=8774

BYSO back at Bellevue Square!

It's been many years, but this holiday season BYSO returned to perform at Bellevue Square for the holiday season. With Santa's reindeer "Flying" above our Premiere Orchestra it was quite a festive performance. Led by conductor, Barney Blough, the group performed a number of seasonal pieces from around the globe. Smaller quartets also performed selections for this concert.

The Bellevue Square center court was packed with parents, friends, and shoppers and it was a very festive way to kick off the holiday season!

Announcing Ten Grands Concert

For the third year, students are invited to compete for a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to perform at the Ten Grands Concert on May 21, 2010 at Benaroya Hall. The competition is presented by Ten Grands Seattle and The Snowman Foundation. It's open to musicians between the ages of 6 and 18. Entry submission closes on Jan 31, 2010.



For all of the details and an entry form visit http://www.king.org/.



Good luck!

Double Bass - Check this article out

City Arts Magazine, is not only a great magazine, but now combined with Sound magazine (bringing more music coverage to each issue) and printing copies specific to Seattle, the Eastside, and Tacoma, it's technically 3 really great magazines!

This month we enjoyed the article, Double Bass, about Joe Kaufman, Seattle Symphony's assistant principal bass. He is a musician with a unique story to tell about his path to becoming a musician.

This article can only be found in the Seattle print version of this month's City Arts, but lots of great articles and features can also be found online at www.cityartsmagazine.com!

The Incredible Machine!

Last week we received an email with this amazing video and just had to share it with you!

This is a computer animation piece called Pipe Dream that was created by Wayne Lytle, Dave Crognale, and their team at Animusic. Wouldn't it be cool if there were a real machine out there that could do this?


(if the video does not work, please go to http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2942922314315974986# to view the video)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for all of our BYSO friends and family! We hope you have a safe and joyful Thanksgiving with family & friends.

We look forward to seeing you at one or many of our upcoming holiday concerts. For details go to www.byso.org.

Be sure to check back next week for a truly amazing video right here at The BYSO Blog!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra

clipart from www.about.com , Bobbie Peachey

Upcoming Events!

We're getting ready for a busy BYSO November!

Here are our November concerts not to be missed:

11.17.09 - Next Performance: November 17. Debut East and West will perform a joint concert with Pine Lake Middle School.

11.22.09 - November 22 – SHOWCASE CONCERT I - Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center
A: Debut, Flute Choir, Sinfonia
Performance: 3:30

B: Premiere, Flute Orchestra, Youth Symphony
Performance: 7:00 p.m.
11.23.09 - November 23: Youth Symphony at Interlake High School with IHS band and orchestra, Performance Time: 7:30pm

GET INVOLVED!

In addition to the rehearsals and concerts BYSO offers lots of ways to get involved.

Coming up is the 10th Annual Concerto Competition on 11.21.09, and if you are part of a small ensemble let us know!

For more details please go to www.byso.org.

Our First Crossroads Concert of the Season!

Last Sunday the Sinfonia Orchestra, led by Conductor Joseph Kempisty, performed to a full house at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue. Sinfonia performed twice that afternoon to a busy Crossroads! Mr. Kempisty kept the group on their toes as he picked up the tempo in the final piece of the concert, a hungarian dance.

What will they think of next?

With Halloween right around the corner, we were looking for some great music inspired Halloween costumes, or something fun to post...well, we did not find any inspiring musical instrument halloween costumes, but we did find http://www.inventorspot.com/ and discovered something pretty cool.

It turns out there are sections of highway in Japan that can turn your car into a musical intrument...sorta.

Here's the basic details from the website: The theory behind the Melody Road is surprisingly imple: a car driven over a series of grooves cut into a roadway will create a resonance as the tires repeatedly cross the grooves. You may have noticed this effect while driving over roads under construction or highway ramps that have been grooved to provide extra traction in inclement weather conditions.

To read the full article and watch a video of Melody Road in action click here: http://inventorspot.com/articles/melody_road_gives_whole_new_mean_8235

Photo credit: http://www.inventorspot.com/

Have a safe and happy Halloween!!!

Students perform at MadArt

Here are some amazing photos from the musical performance at MadArt in Capitol Hill this past September from Wanda Holt Photography:

MadArt, Mad Music

Students in the Sapor Dei String Quartet (some are members of BYSO) played to an enthralled audience of 200+ at the MadArt Opening Night event in Madison Park earlier this month. The event was a mingling sort of evening, but many guests pulled up a chair to listen to the beautiful performance from these student musicians. They received many compliments that evening, and seemed to be just as popular as the Art on display!

Chamber Music Ensembles

BYSO has a great reputation for quality performance and professional student musicians. In the last year, student groups (trios and quartets) have been asked to play at a number of community events. This has been a great way for the community to get a taste of what BYSO has to offer and for smaller ensemble groups to perform together. Some groups have even received paid performance opportunities! We would like to offer you/your group the opportunity to become a recommended ensemble.


BYSO Ensemble Adjudication
BYSO often has requests for ensembles to play at events. Such requests include weddings, senior citizen residences, school events, community events, and publicity events.
On October 11 2009, BYSO will hold an adjudication of any ensemble who wishes to be part of our list of recommended groups. There will be a $25 fee for each ensemble.
To be eligible for this adjudication, the ensemble must meet the following requirements:
1. 75% of the ensemble must be current BYSO members
2. There is no set limit to size (quartets, trios, sextets, and so forth are welcome)
3. All instrument groupings are encouraged. Some may be:
a. String ensembles (trios, quartets, quintets)
b. Woodwinds or brass – three to six players
c. Woodwind quintet (fl, ob, cl, horn, bsn)
d. Harp, with other instrument such as flute or violin.
e. Piano with other instruments (please note that needing a piano restricts the places you may be asked to play).
f. Any grouping of 3 – 6 players that you can find consistent repertoire
You will be adjudicated by at least two members of the BYSO music staff on the following areas:
1. Musicality
2. Performance Readiness
3. Presentation
a. In appropriate performance attire, just as if you are performing.
b. Do you present yourselves well?
You will receive one of three ratings:
1. A "One" rating – BYSO will recommend and encourage you for any request.
2. A "Two" rating – BYSO will recommend you for limited requests.
3. A "Three" rating – BYSO recommends that you keep working and try again.

Now's your chance to audition and get on the list! email info@byso.org to sign up.

Interlochen Summer Camp

It seemed like just yesterday we were spending our summer days at camp, in the pool with friends, or on vacation. Now, the leaves are already changing and we're back in school. We'll if you are already missing summer as much as we are, here's a final thought on how much fun summer camps are from Katherine Jacobsen, who had a great time at the Interlochen Camp this summer:

This summer I was lucky enough to spend three weeks at an arts camp called Interlochen. Interlochen is situated in northern Michigan right by a scenic lake. I auditioned for flute and was accepted in the wind symphony. The usual day at Interlochen was spent attending classes according to your major. My classes consisted of symphony rehearsal, music theory class, private lessons, practice time and one elective. The weekends (which was Sunday and Monday) were spent doing pretty much whatever you wanted. You could attend performances, do any water activities, walk around the campus etc.
One of my favorite parts about Interlochen was the performances I got to attend. Almost every night there were performances offered. I saw jazz concerts, musicals, art galleries and much more. Over all I had an amazing experience at Interlochen. I met people from all over the world, I improved in flute drastically and most importantly I had a lot of fun.

For more info. on Interlochen check out http://camp.interlochen.org/

Week 3 day 2

Day 2 of Week 3 seemed to come straight out of Death Valley (at least for the majority of us who are used to nice cool Washington summers)! The heat made us all lethargic, but we interns tried to keep things cool with a fan in each classroom. We played a rousing card game indoors while waiting for camp to start, and then headed off to sectionals.

Due to our plethora of cellist campers and interns, I’ve been filling in the percussion section this week. I’m extremely excited to learn some basic percussion skills (including just how much patience it takes!), so our sole drumming camper and I got to have special instruction from the camp director himself, Mr. Wilbert. Our hard work paid off and we had a blast when the first full orchestra rehearsal of the day came around! The group is already sounding fantastic, and I can’t wait to hear the end result.

During one free hour, I got to go visit all the small ensembles and take a few pictures. It looks like all the classes are coming along fantastically, from the cheery, melodic sounds of the marimbas to the familiar refrains of Mozart. It was also fun to see the campers dressed up in the day’s theme- summery Hawaiian leis and garishly bright neon clothing!

By the end of the day, we were all about to collapse from the heat. Despite our exhaustion, we had a great, productive final rehearsal, and wrapped things up with a preview from assistant director Jenny of tomorrow’s theme- wacky Wednesday! I’m looking forward to seeing all the crazy costumes, and now I’m off to go find one of my own! Happy practicing, campers!

~ Erin Brown

Week 3 day 3

Hello! My name is Brita Moore, and I am a cello intern. Wednesday at BYSO Summer Camp was extremely hot, just as the first two days were, but everyone still managed to have a great time. Our theme today was Wacky Wednesday, which meant we had to wear clothes and accessories that were pretty much insane. I didn't exactly go all out personally, but some students really took advantage of the opportunity to wear silly things.
So far, no one has suffered terribly because of the heat. The staff members are doing their best to keep everyone happy and motivated. We have encouraged the students to drink plenty of fluids (especially water!) and take it easy if they get tired. We also brought Otter Pops for snack time today - always a good treat in the heat. :) During lunch time, a group of us played the game In a Pickle, which we discovered yesterday morning and love to play. Tomorrow we are having a waterfight! This will be a welcome relief from the heat and stress.
Musically, we are quite impressed with the students' abilities. I was assigned to the viola sectionals (there were too many cello interns for one section), and they sound great. It is probably the strongest section in the orchestra in terms of sound. The orchestra as a whole is doing extremely well. Hopefully the sound will continue to improve, and on Friday these students' parents' jaws will drop.
That's all for now! Stay cool, and practice hard.
- Brita

Week 2- The last day!

Week 2 day 5

What a hot way to end a fine week of camp. Even though it was hot out, the campers seemed even more energetic than ever. Rehearsal in the morning was tense; everyone was trying to play their best in preparation for the concert. Dr. Metzger Howe found a couple places to work on for sectionals, but most importantly, she loosened everybody up so they could relax and truly play their best.

Sadly, I missed the second half of the day due to a couple hours of setting up chairs and stands in the park. However, from what I heard from the campers, it was one of the most fun days of their elective classes. When everyone got to the park where the concert was to take place, everyone was in good spirits and all set to play. The audience grew and grew, but not one of the orchestra members became nervous. However, the wind started to grow and many of the coaches started to get nervous about holding the music on the stands.

Individuals played beautifully during the concerts. The solos were flowing, singing, and very musically played. What stole the show was the ability of everyone to stay together. It was most apparent in the big orchestra where, although we could not hear as well due to playing outside, the members of the orchestra watched Dr. Metzger Howe’s baton carefully to stay together and create beautiful orchestral music.

After the concert, many were sad to see each other go, but everyone was proud of the music and friendships they created during this fabulous week of camp.


Timmy Locke

Week 2, Day 4

Today was a pretty eventful day at camp. As we move closer to the concert day, teachers begin to intensify the practice time, tightening up loose ends. Much improvement has been made since the beginning of camp, although there is still some work to be done. However, ensembles are coming together nicely, creating great music.

For the special seminar today, Dr. Metzger Howe led the orchestra in some sight reading of movie music. We played selections from Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Hook. I think that almost everyone enjoyed playing music from familiar movies.

During the final orchestra rehearsal of the day, we were able to run through all the pieces for tomorrow's concert without stopping. No major train wrecks occurred, which is an amazing feat considering that the ensemble has only been playing together since Monday.

Following camp today, several campers braved the chilly weather and had a water fight. To the seven of you who willingly allowed yourselves to become drenched with water balloons, squirt guns, buckets of water, and the hose, I salute you. Way to keep the traditional camp water fight alive.

Jenny Keith

Week 2, Day 3

Week 2 day 3

Camp was full of surprises today! When we arrived, Dr. Metzger Howe surprised us with a brand new piece, The Theme From E.T.. The sight reading gave the orchestra a bit of trouble at first, but by the end of the first rehearsal the piece was already sounding like the movie despite the lack of brass and bassists in the orchestra. In addition, the Massenet is coming along beautifully with wonderful solos and harmonies.

Walking around during sectionals, all of the coaches are doing a fantastic job of blending the different sounds of the campers that they just met two days ago. The sections all know each other well after just two days! Everyone is in a happy mood despite the unexpected clouds in the sky cooling off what has been such a hot week.

Today’s seminar was my favorite so far, guitar class. Everyone paired up and sat in a circle while Mr. Wilbert taught us the basics of guitar. “Guitar,” he said, “is easy to play as a secondary instrument because mostly you accompany a soloist by playing a set of chords.” He taught us simple chords and everyone picked it up fairly quickly. Time just whizzed by as we strummed chords to Leaving on a Jet Plane sung beautifully by Mr. Wilbert himself.

At the end of the day, officially half way through the camp, the two day old orchestra not only sounds, but looks like it has been together for months. As the clouds finally cleared, everything was looking up and everyone was looking forward to the last half of camp.

Timmy Locke

Week 2 of Camp

Week two of camp has gotten off to a great start so far! As I wander down the hallways, snapping a few pictures here and there or checking on the classes, I can hear music. Music that is coming together – and it’s only day two of camp.

It’s amazing how much progress students have made since yesterday. I can already hear parts that have been practiced or worked on, which pays off in the groups. For example, Dr. Metzger Howe was able to do a complete run through of one of the pieces in orchestra, a feat impressive for only the second day of camp.

During week two of camp, students have the opportunity to attend various seminars. Today Mr. Blough gave a lecture on auditioning, something all musicians have to experience at one point in time or another. He offered tips on how to prepare for an audition, as well as demonstrating a mock audition.

Overall, today was a successful day. Despite the heat, much was accomplished, resulting in a more refined sample of music.

Jenny Keith

Day 5 of Camp!

Whew, what a spectacular way to end week one of BYSO Summer Camp! Today was a BLAST, despite the blistering heat and various other predicaments. The interns kicked off the day with our final ensemble rehearsal to ensure that our piece would run as smoothly as possible during the concert. After that, a game of “Capture the Flag” was initiated as the kids slowly began pouring in. The rest of the day – including our concert dress rehearsal – seemed to whizz by in a conglomerated mess.

Then came the time for the concert. As parents began taking their seats in the audience, I happened to notice that a few of the kids appeared anxious and apprehensive. They had an entirely justified reason to have been acting that way, as for many of the kids, this was likely their first concert!

The concert opened with various ensemble performances from the kids, which ranged from African drumming to jazz and even folk fiddling! Each performance was superiorly executed and had far-exceeded everyone’s expectations. The intern ensemble was largely a success as well. The concert concluded with several songs from the full orchestra, and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Shadow Dance,” and “Dark Adventure” were the main highlights of the concert and had received hearty applause from the audience.

Having to say goodbye to the kids and my fellow interns after the concert was undoubtedly sad, but I shall keep my hopes high that I will see them again in the near future. As I look back, I realize what a pleasurable and extremely rewarding experience this week has been. I will most certainly be applying to become a BYSO Summer Camp intern next year as well!

Mana Maloney

Day 4 of Camp!

Camp today was the best so far. We played an intense game of Capture the Flag in the morning with all the campers playing against the four interns. We were totally dominated by the overwhelming number of campers.

As one of the interns taking care of the non-orchestra instrument campers, I spent my morning in the percussion room watching our brand new drummers sounding more and more like kids who have spent several years playing drums. Their improvement over the past four days has been remarkable. We have managed to teach them congas, snare, xylophone, the “fish” among others and they look forward to demonstrating their new skills tomorrow.

The improvement is also noticeable in the beginning instruments class on trumpet, trombone, flute and clarinet.

In the African drums class, we have been having a great time every day laying down some soulful beats in tune with African drum circle music.

The best part of today, or course, was the water fight. Picture an army of young campers set loose on six buckets filled to the brim with water balloons and an arsenal of super soakers. Let’s just say the interns got soaked! I could not spot an inch of dry clothing on me. Even Mr. Wilbert needed a towel by the end!The orchestra with its new percussion section is making great progress and the concert tomorrow will be fantastic.

Peter Cole

Day 3 of Camp

Well the third day of camp was very exciting! The kids and interns started the day off with a nice round of Capture the Flag outside on the field. It was a nice change to see that they were having as much fun outside as going inside and playing in the orchestra. All the kids had a blast preparing for the concert on Friday and we were getting better each day; even, Ms. Doerrfeld admits that we were ready!

The biggest news today was at the announcements. After all was said and done, Mr. Wilburt told us that tomorrow we will have a water fight after the camp! Almost everyone cheered, except the interns, probably because we are about to get soaked!

Mike Chan

Day 2 of Camp

Alright! So, camp today was awesome! The clothing theme was superheroes. There was quite a bit of participation! We had a ninja, Goofy (from the seven dwarfs I think), and I wore a Marti Gras mask and a rubber snake. There were many other costumes that were too numerous to mention.

So before camp started, while kids were still getting checked in, we had an intense game of freeze tag. Everyone was running around and had a great time. One particular kid was very memorable in that he wasn’t really playing the game. He would walk around, and when he was tagged, he would announce, “I’m invincible!” When I was running away from another intern who was it, I dropped my snake, ran about 20 feet, and got tagged. Two young tricksters grabbed my rubber snake and managed to hide it from me until lunch time.

First period, as always, is a sectional. The cello’s sectional was awesome, and from the bits I heard of the others, the entire orchestra is doing excellent.
After the sectional is a rehearsal of the entire orchestra, which went well. All our pieces are coming along nicely. Apparently, several of the students took the initiative and watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well. One of our pieces comes from that movie.
Next came snack time. A VERY IMPORTANT part of the day. After that the day zoomed by through chamber ensemble, and jazz, and another orchestra rehearsal.
The camp is going great so far. Tomorrow is wacky day! So lets see how crazy we can get!

- Kyle Hersey

Welcome to the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra Camp!

I hope you are ready for a week of fun, inspiration and excitement! On behalf of our entire staff of adults and interns, I would like to welcome you and thank you for joining us.

It is our hope that this week will be not only a memorable part of your summer, but an inspiration to continue participating in music for years to come. It is our hope that each and every student at camp will:

- Improve as a musician on their main instrument
- Learn new styles of music and learn about other instruments
- Meet new friends who love music as much as you do

The camp staff and interns are all here to make sure you have the best experience possible, so please don’t be shy to ask us questions or ask for help!

Looking forward to a fantastic week,

Mark Wilbert
Camp Director

Summer Camp Daily Blog Coming

Wanna stay up-to-date with what's happening at the BYSO Summer Camp? Starting in mid- July each day a summer camp staffer will post a blog report with photos on what happened the previous day in camp. From the funny to the interesting to the musically inspiring, we'll get all the updates right here! So, bookmark the page now, and we'll see you starting July 13th with a special message from BYSO Summer Camp Director, Mr. Mark Wilbert!

Cheers,

BYSO Bloggers!

Musical Cakes?

It's summertime! So, we thought we'd post some fun pics. of the craziest musical cakes you've ever seen!

Hey, did you sign up for summer camp yet? http://www.byso.org/

I've heard of musical chairs and cake walks, but who would've thought you could make such cool musical cakes?

http://www.cakecentral.com/

http://www.photobucket.com/

Professional Students - Sapor Dei Quartet

On 6/3/09 Students from the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra performed as the Sapor Dei Quartet at the Eastside Open House. If you are interested in live instrumental music at your wedding or event, contact us at marketing@byso.org for details. Our students are professional and sound terrific! Live music certainly adds a level of sophistication and quality to any event.

Photography: Barbie Hull Photography, www.barbiehull.com

Sapor Dei String Quartet Performs!

The Sapor Dei String Quartet Performs!

The Sapor Dei Quartet (made up of BYSO students) performed at the Eastside Event Open House on 6/3 at Starry Nights Catering in Kirkland. The guests at the event were so impressed with the group, and had no idea they were student performers! The group added a sophisticated ambiance to the evening. Guests included Eastsiders who are planning weddings or other events this summer. In addition to great music by Sapor Dei was delicious food and other event vendors.

Photography Credit: Barbie Hull Photography, www.barbiehull.com

BYSO's Road Trip to Sumner

This past spring BYSO was asked to perform at the Sumner Summer Concert series. BYSO was excited to perform to a new audience, packed up the carpools and headed on down to Sumner. The concert opened with an introduction by the town mayor and received rave reviews from the audience for the program, which included some popular film and musical selections. Check out pictures from the Sumner concert below:



Here's a link to the Puyallup Herald about the concert: http://www.puyallupherald.com/110/story/3705.html

When Fashion is Music to Our Ears.

Big things are coming to the Eastside. BYSO is very excited about PACE (Performing Arts Center Eastside), "a 2,000-seat premier center for the performing arts, presenting for the first time nationally and internationally acclaimed music, theatre, and dance to audiences east of Lake Washington." BYSO is very excited because this is a great venue for our concerts!

Ruth Brewster, BYSO Executive Director, and Geri Spindrift, BYSO Advisory Board Director, recently attended the PACE Fashion Show, which was a fundraiser for PACE. We sat down with Geri to find out details about the show, and what PACE might mean for us at BYSO.

BYSO: What was the PACE fashion show like?

Geri: The fashion show was put on by the Act Two Guild for Performing Arts Center Eastside and featured thirteen stores from the Bellevue Collection. The event started with a three course lunch, followed by a short presentation by John Haynes, PACE Executive Director, then the show. The fast-paced show presented a range of spring fashions, from stores like 7 For All Mankind and Mercer to Eileen Fisher and Voletta Couture.

BYSO: What type of music did they play at the fashion show?

Geri: The music was lively and tailored to the fashions presented by each store. Lighting was also used to enhance the mood and highlight the clothes.

BYSO: What did you learn about PACE that will be helpful for BYSO?

Geri: The Campaign for PACE’s goal is to raise $160 million to build a performing arts facility on the Eastside. PACE will be a multipurpose facility with seating capacity from fewer than 750 to a maximum of 2,000. This facility, located at NE 10th Street and 106th Avenue NE, would be an excellent venue for BYSO. Visit their website, www.pac-eastside.org for updates.

BYSO: What else did you find interesting about the show or PACE?

Geri: This event had two purposes, to raise awareness and generate community support, and fund-raising for the Star Lounge (green room) Furnishings Fund. The show was successful on both. The event was well attended by community members who are key to PACE, and $30,285 was raised during the Fund-A-Need presentation.

BYSO: Sounds like so much fun! Thanks for sharing Geri!

Does performing at PACE sound like fun to you? Let us know! Comment on the blog or email us at marketing@byso.org

Classissima is cool!

A while back we received an email from Classissima to let us know BYSO was listed in their directory of online classical music webpages. We decided to take a closer look at all that Classissima has to offer, and thought you might think it was pretty cool too.

Classissima.com offers, "musical news, a directory of more than 5,000 web sites on classical music throughout the world, hundreds of quotations, block calendar, and direct links to the Wikipedia encyclopaedia." Their website shares, " Classissima is entirely dedicated to classical music, to keeping it alive and kicking … Classical music exists in every country, Classissima is available in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish."

So if you enjoy all thing classical music related, this may be just the site for you!

http://www.classissima.com/

Photos from Ten Grands!

A few weeks ago we shared info. on the Ten Grands event one of our Quartets were performing at, and here are some photos of the ensemble in action!

Here they are performing at Benaroya Hall! Kudos to you all!!!