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