We Welcome Paige and Wish a Fond Farewell to Kimiko

As 2010 is coming to a close, our beloved administrative assistant, Kimiko Goldberg, is moving on to tackle full-time graduate studies. We welcome Paige Spicer, our new administrative assistant who will lead us into 2011. A little about her:

"Music has been a large part of my life as far back as I can remember. My grandfather was the band director at WSU for 25 years, so all through my childhood I attended concert band and big band performances. Everyone on my father's side of the family played some kind of band instrument and it was presumed that I would follow in their footsteps.

I did play piano from ages 5-9, but when it came time to choose my instrument I surprised everyone by picking the violin. I proceeded to play for seven years until a muscular injury interefered with my ability to continue. In that time I also took drum lessons for 2 years and learned bass guitar with my dad. Since my involvement with music is now mostly limited to listening, I was very excited to become a part of this organization and increase my involvement in the community.

I was born and raised in Issaquah so I am very familiar with the area, though I recently moved to Seattle. I have three years of retail experience in Bellevue as well as a multitude of organizations I have volunteered for. Mainly I focused my time on mediating for the city of Bellevue as well as teaching crafts to children at the Bellevue Art Museum. I love working with people and need a creative outlet. In my free time I love to crochet, do bookbinding, take photographs, felt wool, and read.

I had the good fortune of being able to attend the Winter Wonderland concert on December 13th which only increased my excitement about the position. To all of those in Cadet, Debut, and Premiere, you're enthusiasm and skill is inspiring. I can't wait to hear all of the symphonies play and get to know each and every one of you.

I wish Kimiko the best in her studies and look forward to the coming year. Happy Holidays."

Our Next Round of Auditions: Jan. 8, 2011

We at BYSO offer auditions in January for students wishing to join us for a half-season. If you know anyone who wants to join, but missed our major auditions in early September, it is not too late! We also allow any current students who have their current conductor's permission, to re-audition for higher placement. You can sign up on our website under "auditioning" at http://www.byso.org/



Nervous? Looking for tips? Check out our previous blog posts for helpful advice. We also found a helpful link about orchestral auditions at violinist.com, entitled "Orchestra Auditions, What Judges are Looking For" http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=3389

A Few New Photos

Here are a few new behind-the-scenes photos from Showcase 1 courtesy of Donna Fisher:

Bellevue City Council

This week we would like to begin with a note on advocacy that we, like so many other non-profits, rely on for survival. Attached is a clip of one of our board members, Jennifer Lee, who attended City Council on November 15th, along with others, to advocate for funding for arts programs in our community. There are lots of ways to let your representatives know that you are passionate about access to arts education for local students. My personal favorite? E-mail. It has never been easier to get your voice heard. Here are the email addresses for Arts and Education sector staff members with Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell in Washington, DC:

Travis Lumpkin with Senator Murray - travis_lumpkin@murray.senate.gov
Janel George with Senator Cantwell - janel_george@cantwell.senate.gov

Tips while on tour

Part of being a working musician means "taking that show on the road." We wanted to offer some tips from staff who have lived to tell the tale, beginning with our Executive Director Ruth Brewster.
"I have been on many many tours, both as a performer and as a director. I have traveled in fifteen states, three provinces, and eleven other countries as a touring musician -on busses, cars, trains, planes, and subways. I have toured as a singer and soloist with both student, professional, and church groups. I have played timpani in Sweden, and handbells in Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Finland. I even toured with a small opera company for the Swedish government.
Hopefully I have learned a couple things to make traveling easier for a musician. Here are some tips for when you are on tour:

1. Don't complain. About anything. Unless you can fix the problem, your complaining just makes things worse.
2. Take care of yourself -a sick musician is no help to anyone. Eat right -limit the fast food. Sleep right -staying up late and getting up early to meet the bus the next morning is hard on your health.
3. Remember you are part of a team. This isn't about you. It is about your mission, in your case, it's about the music.
4. Pack light. Whatever you bring you carry yourself. You really CAN make due with a small bag. If you are carrying an instrument, never leave it in a hotel room unsecured. Sometimes you need purchase invoices for your instrument. This is for when you come back through customs. You may need to prove where you bought it. Do your homework before you leave.
5. Remember to enjoy the sights. Think: "will I ever be back in (wherever you are...)"
6. Even if you don't like different types of food, try the local cuisine. You may be suprised.
7. Take lots of digital pictures. Take an extra flash drive to store them, and extra batteries!
8. Leave your laptop at home.
9. Write. Text or e-mail lots of messages back home. Get international service for your phone.
10. Purchase only the ammount of souvenirs that you can carry, or can afford to ship. No one else will carry them for you.
11. Before you go, try and learn a few phrases like "please," "thank you," "can you help me?" in the local language.
12. Understand the money conversion between Dollars and Euros, or Pesos, or whatever else.
13. And again -Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy."

Thanks Ruth. If you have any touring stories to share please post them in the comments section.

Our Masterworks I Guest Speaker Steven Lowe

We are very proud to host Steven Lowe as Guest Speaker as we kick off our first ever stand-alone concert series for the phenomenal Youth Symphony led by Dr. Teresa Metzger Howe. We wanted to offer up a little information on Steve's distinguished background, and many accomplishments.

Steven Lowe, Public Information Specialist for Seattle Symphony from 1996 through January 2007, joined the Symphony staff after two decades as a psychotherapist and more than three decades as a freelance contributer to many different musical journals including High Fidelity/ Musical America, Stereo Quarterly, Keynote, and Classical magazines. He has also written for The Los Angeles Times, and The Wisconsin State Journal.

A Rockefeller Foundation Grant -Project for the Training of Music Critics- brought Steve to the University of Southern California in 1965 and led to a position on staff as a reviewer and assistant editor for High Fidelity/Musical America Magazine.

Steve currently provides program notes for Seattle Symphony, Seattle Chamber Music Society, the Northwest Sinfonietta, and the University of Washington's "World Series" chamber music concerts and piano recitals. Steve also serves frequently as pre-concert lecturer for several of those organizations. In the past he has lectured for the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Baroque and the Early Music Guild; he wrote program notes for the Virginia Symphony, New York Chamber Symphony, Stamford (Conn.) Symphony and the Northwest Chamber Orchestra.

Since 2007, Steve has given filled-to-capasity classes on classical music history for the Creative Retirement Institute through Edmonds Community college. He has been a frequent lecturer on classical music at the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island and has also taught at North Seattle Community College.

We are so looking forward to Steve's speech on November 14th at Bellevue Art Museum. We look forward to seeing you there!

Meet our new Intern Extraordinaire

This week we would like to introduce our new Intern, John Gim. John joins us via Interlake High School's Gifted Program which places students with community organizations for year long internships each year. We asked John to introduce himself and write a bit about his personal musical experiences. So without further ado:

"Music is the language of the heart, or so they say. I'm not really sure who they are, but I certainly agree.

Today in Psychology 201 I watched a video on a Mr. Clive Wearing, a musician whose conscious long term memory was taken away by an accident. He could only remember what he was perceiving at the moment - what he was seeing, touching, hearing, tasting, smelling and paying attention to. What had happened moments ago, it meant nothing to him as if he just woke up from an eternal slumber. It was weird seeing him write in his diary, "I have just now woken up", over and over again at different times of the day. 8:57 he would write, and at 9:02, he would write the exact same sentence. In essence, Clive starts his life over again every moment. However, his heart, soul, mind are all intact. He could speak clearly, trade jokes, express emotion, behave normally, and even play solitare.

Why talk psychology on a music blog? Well, it turns out that Clive is an excellent musician, once the leader of a pre-eminent choir in London and still an accomplished pianist and vocalist. Despite his inability to remember what he ate for breakfast, he could play Chopin's Pathetique or Haydn's opera concerto without fault. Confused and dazed he may be elsewhere but within the music sphere where the notion of time is lost and all that is present is the soul, Clive feels safe and completely at peace.

Clive's experience just shows that music is not just notes combined with a rhythm. No, it is an incredibly intrinsic yet real experience that goes beyond memory and time. It is organic, above what humans can express with words. Music really is the language of the heart.

Perhaps that is why it is so prevalent in today's society. My parents forced me to start playing piano at an early age of 5, and I practiced everyday, 1 hour each. By sophomore year of high school, I had played for a solid decade and other things took higher importance in my life. As part of the Gifted Program at Interlake High School, I was able to start the International Baccalaureate a year early so that I would finish by the end of my junior year, not my senior year. Education was always the first priority in my family and thus I chose to quit piano in order to focus on the IB Program. For two years since, music and I were completely strangers.

This year as a senior, I had the chance to intern at a business of my choice. I chose BYSO. To be honest, I wasn't too excited about alphabetizing the hundreds of applications or entering numbers for BYSO's music catalogue. I just wanted to listen to their music. Indeed, in the first week of rehearsal, I got in as much listening as possible. I heard 6-year-olds struggling to play Joust and I heard the full Youth orchestra tackle a symphony of some sort. All in all, it was inspiring. It was like eating chocolate for the first time after wearing braces for a year.

So I, John Gim, am here at BYSO as an intern, learning what I can about the music industry, backstage production and whatnot. But really, I'm here on a free ticket to all of BYSO's concerts in exchange for a few hours in the office every week."

Thanks John!

Memorable Musical Experiences. This Week: BYSO Executive Director Ruth Brewster

In reflecting on the many musical experiences we recieve throughout our lives, we at BYSO realize that these experiences entail varying roles, places, and times. As audience members or performers, touring with a group, or attempting a solo performance, hearing a great song on the radio, or happening across a talented group of street performers, they are all enriching and fun to share. This week we hear from Executive Director Ruth Brewster about her favorite musical experience as a listener.

"Everyone can remember a performance that made a real difference to them. It may be the first time you yourself perform, the first time you hear a violin, the first time you hear Chopin, the first time you get to play on a professional stage. For me, one of the most important performances I have ever seen was the first time I heard Joan Sutherland on the opera stage. I was 18 and a freshman in college. I had made special arrangements to see the Seattle Opera's production of Delibes's Lakme, an opera in French but set in India.
I had never heard it, had never heard of any of the performers. But Joan Sutherland, an Australian coloratura soprano, was in the title role as Lakme, an Indian princess. I don't remember the other singers at all, nor the full story line, nor anything else about the production. What I do remember is that I was blown away by her voice, her presence, her comfort at doing this incredible music. It was like being invited into a private conversation with her, like sharing a secret. She had welcomed me into her living room -the stage- to make me at home with this music.
Her vocal technique changed the whole way I thought about technique, about scales, arpeggios, about legato line and phrasing. Her presence on stage was so comfortable -not nervous or tense, not pretentious or brash.
Subsequent performances that I have seen of her in other operas and recitals only stress again and again how a true artist can bring the listener to know that beauty and simplicity work together, that the hard work she must have done in the rehearsal room pays off in the gift she gave everyone in her audiences -all we had to do was enjoy."

Thanks Ruth! If you have a great music listening experience to share, please let us know!

New Pictures from the Fall 2010 Retreat

Here are a few great new retreat photos taken by Barbara Ethington. Thanks Barbara!

Fall Retreat

For those who may be new to BYSO, our bi-annual retreats are a point of pride for us, serving as an innovative way to round out our student's educational experiences with us.

The retreats were started nearly 10 years ago during a time when BYSO was growing and growing each year (as it is now) and conductors and staff wanted to put an emphasis on orchestra members getting together to function as a team. They noticed that our students were coming from so many different towns, with a variety of backgrounds and experiences, ages, and instruments of choice. They thought it would be a great idea to have students get together outside of the intense pace of regular rehearsals and participate in specialized coaching sessions in small groups, get extra time together as an orchestra, and have time to play games and socialize.

Our Winter Retreat will take place on January 22nd for Cadet, Debut, and Premiere, and January 29th for Sinfonia, Youth, and Flutes.

Here are a few of the excellent photos submitted by Donna Fisher of our fall 2010 retreat:

Look for more fun photos of our concerts and retreats here on the blog, or on Facebook!

University of Denver Pre-College Academy

June 19-July 3, 2011 The Lamont School of Music Summer Pre-College Academy is looking for students ages 14-18 who are interested in their summer music program. In state of the art facilities, students will participate in private lessons and master classes, as well as seminars on college preperation, performance anxiety, and careers in music, to name a few. If you know any pre-college age music students interested you can check out their website for more information: www.du.edu/lamont/summeracademy Participants will also be back in town in time to start BYSO summer camps which will take place every week between July 11th- 29th 2011!

Seattle Music Partners

Seattle Music Partners is a great non-profit organization that is now gearing up for another year of after-school music tutoring. They provide after-school music instruction to elementary and middle school students in low-income schools in Seattle's Central District. They are calling for high school volunteers that will commit one afternoon each week to teach one-on-one instrumental music lessons to beginning musicians. No prior teaching experience is necessary. This is a great opportunity for high school students to gain teaching/leadership experience while improving their own musical skills. They also ensure that volunteer time is credited for service learning and/or community service requirements.
Please contact Lindsey Harris at lindsey@seattlemusicpartners.org for application information.

Auditions begin this week

It is certainly that time of year again. Auditions will begin this week for BYSO's 46th season. We have had more students sign up this year than ever before and expect this season to be BIG. We know that for some this will be your first audition, so we wanted to offer up a few tips we found in "Strings" Magazine's archives.

Treat yourself well:

• Eat good foods and plan something fun for the rest of your day.
• Give yourself plenty of time on audition day.
• Stretch or exercize before your audition.

Play as much as possible:

• Balance auditions with concerts and playing just for fun.

Perform mock auditions:

• Its always a good idea to practice auditioning in front of family and friends.
• Practicing in a big space is helpful so you can get used to how you sound in a big room.

Listen to Music

• This is more of a general musicians rule, and pertains to music study as a whole, not just auditions. Frequently listening to music will sharpen your ears and always acts as inspiration.

Above all remember that music is mean to be fun! We love music for the joy it brings to us and others, and we're sure you all agree.

Do you have any tips on how to ace an audition? If so please add them in the comments section below.

Good Luck!

"Best of Bellevue" for the third consecutive year.

We wanted to share the good news with our musicians and their families and friends. Check out this letter we received from the U.S Local Business Association congratulating us on the award.

"The USLBA Best of Local Business Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Nationwide, only 1 in 120 (less than 1%) 2010 Award recipients qualified as three-time Award Winners. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.
The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chamber of commerce, and other entrepreneurs across America."

Overlake Healing Arts

Volunteer musicians are needed for the Overlake Hospital Healing Arts program. Volunteers will play their musical instruments in the hospital main lobby to provide "inspiration, hope, and healing" as the program is intended to do. There will be a piano available, yet other instruments are equally appreciated. Interested candidiates will be asked to give a one-time short performance at Sherman Clay in Bellevue. The contact person to schedule your appointment is Leng Tshua (425) 577-3534. Kim Smith (425) 688-5365 is the contact for inquiring about times and dates, and she will also get you an Overlake Hospital volunteer application form. Most dates and times will be considered for your performance, however Monday through Friday 10am to 3 pm are the most desireable times to fill. Overlake seeks musicians who can perform smooth, soft, soothing background music appropriate for the hospital environment. The goal is to provide comfort to patients, but we're sure you will also leave feeling good about how you were able to help others in a possibly difficult time.

Internship Opportunities

Did you know that we offer internship and volunteer opportunities for students not only in the summer, but throughout the year? If you know a high school student who is interested in interning with BYSO you can call or email the office for more information at 425-467-5604 or info@byso.org. There is a wide range of opportunities for student participation even within the parameters of BYSO student's busy schedules. Students can commit a day, up to an entire season of service. In the past our interns have received school credit for working with us for a semester through the Interlake High honors program, or sat in and observed in the office for a day to write a senior paper on non-profit organizations. Most often, students will use internships or volunteer hours to meet their service learning requirements for high school graduation. We would also like to implement a job shadow program for students interested in entering the non-profit or music education profession.
Nothing makes us feel better than when our students go on to do great things in the community, so anything large or small we can do to help our students succeed in college, and/or their successive careers is one of our top priorities.

New York Philharmonic Kidzone

Hats off to the New York Philharmonic for their fabulously fun take on musical early childhood education. On their interactive website entitled the "NY Phil Kidzone" kids can compose and share with the "Minuet Mixer," explore the way music can sound on different instruments at the "Orchestra Station," learn about famous composers in the "Composers Gallery," and of course, play lots of musical games.
Teaching Preschool through Elementary age children about orchestral music is vital to our musical communities. Not only does the study of music benefit children by improving their reading and math skills, as studies have shown, listening to, and understanding it can also spark a life long love of the arts.
http://www.nyphilkids.org
If there are any music education websites that you adore, please share them in the comment section.

Scenes from Session 3

Summer Camp Concludes

The end of Session 3 on 7/30/2010 concluded with an afternoon concert on the grass outside of jubilee reach center. We could not of asked for a more pleasant afternoon with blue skies and mild temperatures. Sectionals began, followed by the Camp Session 3 Orchestra whose eclectic showcase featured music composed in the mid 1800's, as well as contemporary pieces from only years ago.
The camp director Jenny Keith shared with us her main goals for this year's summer camps. " That students improved as musicians on their main instruments, learned new styles of music as well as other instruments, and met new friends who love music as much as they do."
Thank you students, parents, interns, staff, and friends, for making our 2010 camps a success. We accrued lots of new memories, and shared lots of fun experiences. We hope you enjoy the waning days of summer and begin preparing for the fall. For those interested in a sneak peak of what our 46th season will look like, check your mailboxes for brochures, and our website soon. We have began posting concert dates and info, and we think you will be very pleased to find there will be lots of opportunities for more collaborations and concerts this year.

Scenes from Session 2

*A special thank you to Donna Fisher for submitting photos from the Bellevue Square Concert.

Session 2 Begins

Session 2 is underway and day 1 was action packed for our middle school age musicians. After enjoying the perfect weather outside they were off to Orchestra Class, followed by classes like Theory, Folk Guitar, and Hand Chimes.

Did you know we offer internship opportunities to our students every summer? We are proud to employ a handful of BYSO students every year during the summer camps to help coach our younger campers. We tracked down a couple of our interns to learn a little more about their experiences with BYSO Summer Camp.

Kyle Hersey will start attending PLU this fall and has been a Cellist with us for years. "I like working with kids, especially when I can help teach them something I enjoy. Music is an opportunity for them to connect with themselves and eachother. I was an intern last year, and would not pass up another opportunity to work with the young musicians."

Lydia Hsu of Redmond High School is a Violinist who joined BYSO last year, and decided to apply for the internship because she enjoyed camp so much. "I wanted the opportunity to help kids with their musical skills, and allow them to have as much fun as I did."

Thanks guys and glad to hear things are going well. If you know of anybody who may be interested in an internship position please contact our office: 425-467-5604 for details.

We would also like to remind you of the special concert for Session 2 that will take place at the Bellevue Artsfair this Friday 7/23 at 3:15 pm. The concert will be held in Bel-Square Mall's Center Court and will feature a variety of performances that campers have learned over the past week. Please invite family and friends to this free event and stay after the performance to enjoy the Artsfair.

Note to Parents: Because we can not provide transportation from Jubilee Reach Center to the Artsfair please be sure to pick your students up promptly from camp at 2:30pm to get them to Bel-Square by 3:00pm sharp because traffic may be backed-up in downtown Bellevue that afternoon. Staff will be on hand to direct students to the green room when you arrive in Center Court.

Scenes from Session 1

Greetings from BYSO Summer Camp 2010:

We will be filling you in on all the action from Jubilee Reach Center over the next few weeks. Check back often for new news and photos.

A little rain didn't get our session 1 campers down on day 1. Check in was a breeze, then the busy day was officially underway. Our elementary school age campers didn't miss a beat during String Sectional, Orchestra, or any of our small group workshops such as African Drums, and Folk Fiddling. There was plenty of time for outdoor games, fits of giggling, picnicing, and coaching from our fun team of summer interns, all of whom are BYSO Summer Camp Alumni! Campers are now gearing up for the grand finale this Friday 7/16 at the Jubilee Reach Center. It will be an outdoor concert open to family and friends. The forecast calls for highs in the mid-70s so be sure to bring some sunscreen!

Traditional Irish Flute

Sandra Saathoff (BYSO's flute conductor) shares some of her recent experiences in Ireland:

Macroom, Ireland was the first destination of our trip so I could take lessons with Conal O' Grada. He is a music professor at a university in Cork and a very fabulous flute player and teacher!
I had two 2 hour long lessons with him -it's very humbling to feel like a beginner once again! But I appreciated his patience and good humor as I attempted to figure out cuts, pats, tickles, and rolls -while still playing all the right notes at the right time. Not to mention tone (slightly different/more edgy) breathing (must be rhythmic!) and style! Plus, it turns out learning "by ear" is more difficult than I remembered!
The highlight of my week was on Tuesday. After my first lesson, Conal invited me to go with him to the city of Cork that evening, where he and some friends were going to play an Irish music "session" at a pub near his university. It was amazing! Great fun to see the music taken apart during the lesson, then put together again that evening in performance! It was a fantastic atmosphere -very friendly people; spontaneous singing and dancing; and the music was incredible! In addition to Conal, there was another flutist ( a former saxophonist from New Hampshire) and 2 fiddle players, 2 Bodhran (hand drum) players, and a guitarist. Quite memorable!

BYSO Summer Campers at the BAM Artsfair!

Mark your calendars for the 2010 Bellevue Art Museum's Artsfair running July 23-25. Artsfair is the most prestigious juried fine arts and crafts event in the Northwest, and the largest free community event on the Eastside. The event will feature over 300 artist's booths with mediums ranging from painting and sculpture, to wearables and wood. You can stop at the Kidsfair which features hands on projects before heading over to the Sound and Movement Stage to see our session 2 campers perform on 7/23 at 3:15pm. Stay to hear performances by the Bellevue Philharmonic and others.

For a complete listing of performers check the Eastside Arts Coalition's website here: http://www.eastsidearts.org/fair/index_html

Composition Contest Winners

In 2008 BYSO established the C. Keith Birkenfeld Composition Contest with funds from the C. Keith Birkenfeld Memorial Trust in conjunction with the Seattle Foundation. This annual contest's purpose is to inspire students and showcase young talent by offering them the challenge of creating an origional composition for orchestral instruments that is suitable for professional level performance, and for the benefit of each division of BYSO, which we know spans various skill levels and age groups.

Mr. Birkenfeld was known in Bellevue for his community involvement as an educator at Bellevue High School for over 20 years, and administrator with Bellevue Public Schools, and as a board member of the Bellevue Art Museum. Mr. Birkenfeld established the Trust at the Seattle Foundation before he passed away in September of 2005. Among Mr. Birkenfeld's known attributes -educator, world traveler, and philanthropist -was his great appreciation of classical music.

This year's competition judges were Samuel Jones, of the Young Composers Workshop of Seattle Symphony, for the Youth Symphony; Alan Futterman of Music Academy Northwest and former BYSO music director for the Sinfonia division; John Paul Lowrie for the Dubut String Orchestra; and Paul Taub of Cornish School of the Arts for the Flute Orchestra. The winning composers worked with the judges to fine-tune their compositions and met with BYSO students to talk about their experience in the creative process.

This Years winners are:
Kyle Hanks: "Rhapsody" for Youth Symphony
Jason Wang: "March Overture" for Sinfonia
Ethan Paik Marzban: "The Chase" for Debut String Orchestra
Brendan McMullen: "Hortus Pulcher" for Flute Orchestra

You can see these amazing pieces performed live during our final Showcases of the season on 5/17 for "The Chase" and 5/24 for "Hortus Pulcher," "March Overture," and "Rhapsody" at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue. 7:00pm. Visit our website for more details.

Right in Our Own Backyard

An article in the Seattle Times reminded us that there really are a lot of enriching, unique music performances and experiences in the Seattle area. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that the UW offers, not only, interesting student performances, but brings in world renowned guest artists and performers, often at very affordable ticekt prices.



You might want to bookmark http://www.artsuw.org/ so the next time you are making family plans for the weekend you can see what's happening right in our own backyard.

Youth Symphony at Crossroads

The Youth Symphony performed to a packed house at Crossroads this spring!

Pictures courtesy of BYSO Board Member and Parent, Jeff Keith.

It's Not Just About the Music...

Okay, well BYSO Summer Camp is a lot about the music, of course, but have you been? It's also about water balloon wars, trying out new music, and making new friends. Seriously, can you think of another time your conductor is cool with practicing out on the grass?

Details of BYSO's Summer Camps

BYSO Summer Camp Program

BYSO Camps
Fees and Tuition
After July 1, Please register with full tuition payment.
Summer Camp for 2010:
Session One: July 12-16 for ages 6-10, $265.00
Pay by check or through PayPal
Session Two: July 19-23 for ages 10-13, $290.00
Pay by check or through PayPal
Session Three: July 26-30 for ages 14-19, $325.00
Pay by check or through PayPal
(Early Bird discount does not apply with PayPal payments)

All sessions will be at Jubilee Reach Center, Bellevue
For a complete summer brochure, go to www.byso.org

Space is limited, therefore early reservations are encouraged.

Financial Aid
To apply for a scholarship, please contact the BYSO office at 425.467.5604 for information. All scholarships are based on proven financial need.

Calling All Parent Photographers & Videographers!

Do you have photos or videos from recent BYSO concerts? If so, please send to marketing@byso.org. We are always looking for more photos from our concert, and would love to add some video of our amazing students in action to our blog, website, and Facebook page!

Please consider sharing your photos and/or videos today!

Guest Blogger!

We always love to hear from guest bloggers, and this week our very own BYSO Board Treasurer, Scott Lampe, dropped by to share with us why he continues to support BYSO with his work on the board:

As a member of the BYSO board of directors for the past seven years and treasurer for the past two, it has been a pleasure to watch the organization see consistent robust growth and to see the valuable musical experience afforded hundreds of Eastside youth. Given the strong correlation of the skills and discipline required in music with success in other academic pursuits, it is gratifying to see the overwhelming support by so many Eastside families and to see their children grow in their musical talents based on their positive experiences with BYSO.

The board of directors is committed to the continued success of BYSO and encourage anyone to feel free to contact any of the board members with questions about the organization - we also are always interested in folks who may have an interest in serving with us!

Scott Lampe
BYSO Board Member and Treasurer

____________________________________________________

Thanks Scott! Are you interested in becoming a BYSO Board member? If so, email info@byso.org for more information

Who is BYSO?

BYSO is celebrating 45 years this year! Check out the current video on who and what makes the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra here:

Local Musicians Looking to Set Guinness World Record

Check out this cool article on local student musicians. They've put together "String Jam '10" in an attempt to set the world record of "largest string ensemble under one roof."



Redmond Reporter Article - http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/lifestyle/84723672.html

Why We Chose BYSO

This week we have a guest blogger - Xiting Phillips, parent and board member with BYSO. We asked Xiting to share with us why her family was connected with BYSO and why she felt it was important to give back by giving her time and skills as a BYSO Board member.



Thank you Xiting for sharing why you and your family are passionate about BYSO! We are glad you are a part of the BYSO Family!



Guest Post:



Wow, it’s almost four years since our older son joined BYSO! Ever since our older son was born, our parenting instincts and skills have been growing with him. One thing we have discovered is there are very few places and people we can trust to leave our son with. BYSO is one, the organization and the conductors/coaches, we trust.


Through the years that our son has been in the Premiere Orchestra, we have seen how dedicated our conductors and coaches are and how much progress our son has made over these years. It’s amazing how evident the students’ improvement is from each concert. I often wonder how our conductors do this. They only rehearse 2 hours every week!


After two years in BYSO, I was “lured” in to become a board member. Of course, I kind of wanted toJ. We (my husband and I) wanted to contribute more to this organization that has children’s best interests at it’s core. Once I became a board member, I got to see behind the scenes and how the board and executive directors work and realize why BYSO is such a great organization. We are so glad that we chose BYSO for our son to join. This is only the 2nd time that we truly trust an organization that makes decisions that influences our son’s life.



-Xiting Phillips

Join us on Facebook

Are we friends on Facebook yet? In an effort to connect with our current students, families, supporters, and, very much, our alumni, we've recently created a BYSO Facebook page, and hope to connect or reconnect with you.



We know some of our awesome students and alums have created pages connected to BYSO, and have added links to their pages on our page, but we also hope you will join our page as well.



Our Facebook page will help keep you informed of upcoming BYSO Concerts, events, news on our website, and our blog posts.



See you on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=5750072973#!/pages/Bellevue-Youth-Symphony-Orchestra/328105559229?ref=ts

2010 Concerto Competition Winner

We are excited to announce this year's BYSO Concerto Winner! Check out the press release on Dong Hee Lee below:

THE BELLEVUE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES LOCAL STUDENT WINNER IN CONCERTO COMPOSITION CONTEST.

The Concerto Composition Contest is an annual composition contest the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO) hosts. Each year a young composer is selected to perform their solo piece at a Showcase Concert held in March. This year Dong Hee Lee, a freshman in the Bellevue School District, won the honor to perform her work at the BYSO Showcase concert on March 7, 2010 at the Eastlake Performing Arts Center.

Dong Hee started the violin at age 8. As an elementary school student, she was awarded a top prize in the junior high division of the 2007 Michigan State Concerto Competition. She won a scholarship to the Interlochen Summer Arts Academy. The University of Michigan invited her to perform two solo recitals at the Lloyd Hall. She was invited through an audition by the American Fine Arts Festival to perform at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. In 2009, she was awarded the alternate prize at the MTNA State Competition. She was the concertmistress of the Bellevue School District Honors Middle School Orchestra. Currently, she is a first-violin player of the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Interlake High Chamber Orchestra. Dong Hee has studied with Simon James and Jan Coleman. Prior to moving the Bellevue area in 2008, she had studied with Professor Dmitri Berlinsky of the Michigan State University. In addition to playing the violin, Lee is interested in nanotechnology. She will soon start to work as an intern for a company specializing in the field. Lee shares, “I chose to play the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saens because this piece really fit me. I take French at school, and this piece, also French, really swept me away.” Lee continues, “Although this piece is like a war horse in terms of technique and level of emotion, it captures the delicate and ‘elevated’ essence that defines most French music.” Although it is challenging and requires a lot of thought and work, she is very happy that she can serve the piece with the type of dynamism that comes from collaborating with an orchestra.

Lee enjoys being a member of the BYSO because it helps her realize that she is not the only one playing music in the world! “The violin is a very lonely instrument, and sometimes, I wish that I could make music together with other people. There is so much energy in the BYSO that the weekly rehearsals charge me up with the motivation to produce more and more music,” shares Lee. “I am lucky to live so close to an institution that provides me both motivation and a sense of belonging.”

The Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit organization established to provide a positive and stimulating musical environment for students. BYSO uniquely complements and builds upon both school music programs and private instruction. BYSO encourages the development of musical skills and self-confidence, as participants in all ensembles rehearse orchestral literature which appropriately challenges their skills. For over 45 years our program has provided instrumental music experience to match the ability levels of talented youth from early elementary grades through their college years.

Please go to http://www.byso.org/ for ticket information and additional details.
###

Food & Fun at the BYSO Friendraiser

So much fun was had at the 2010 BYSO Friendraiser!

All photos courtesy of http://www.brickhousephotos.com/

All photos are copyright protected. To purchase your own copy of a photo, please visit the website listed above, click on order print, and BYSO Friendraiser. Thanks!