NVYO 2023 donation appeal

inspiring musicians • engaging communities

nvyo.org

December, 2023

Hello from Northern Valley Youth Orchestras!

It’s been a wonderful and busy year at NVYO! Students have rehearsed and performed onstage in formal concert attire, but also in community spaces like museums, retirement homes, libraries, regional schools, and the farmer’s market. They’re exploring music old and new, even having conversations with living composers.

Chamber music and community performances are happening as you read this, and orchestra rehearsals start up again in early January. Since NVYO began in 2011, thousands of musicians and their families in North Dakota and Minnesota have been inspired by the exciting combination of hard work, symphony music, mentoring, and community. Young people from dozens of different schools, towns and backgrounds gather each week for rehearsals; they drive up to 75 miles each way for music, friendships, challenges, and fun. In fact, just a week after entertaining hundreds of audience members at the fall concert, these smiling young musicians streamed into the rehearsal site, excited to see other again and begin playing their new music. Please donate today, so these young people and the music they share can continue to thrive.

Performance tours to regional towns without orchestras

NVYO is more than just a music program—it's a nurturing community where musicians work hard, learn, grow toward personal and musical excellence, and create beautiful music. They also find lifelong connections.

When we ask past and present musicians to describe Northern Valley Youth Orchestras, their words paint a vivid picture of their transformative experiences: enriching, challenging, fun, exciting, musical, inspiring, rewarding.

Alumni also tell us the profound impact NVYO has had on their musical and personal lives. They say it taught them to persevere through challenges, try new things, and above all, to find joy in music. Some even return years later as coaches! Just this fall I received a cheery thank you note from a 12-year-old scholarship recipient.

She expressed her appreciation of NVYO, and added, "I believe that young students like myself can bring the world happiness through music!" She's absolutely right! And together we can make that possible.

The arts do spread joy, hope, and also a sense of belonging. They bring beauty to a community and make it a place worth living. Research shows that studying the arts teaches universally important traits like persistence, critical thinking, discipline, communication, and grit. NVYO participants are more likely to continue playing throughout high school and beyond, and to be accepted into honor ensembles. Programming is carefully developed to inspire and promote learning, connecting, and enriching the lives of all those involved. Your donation directly fuels our mission and ensures every student, regardless of background, can participate fully in our programs.

symphonic training for young players

Above: scenes from 2023: camper at farmer’s market, rehearsals, dress rehearsals, welcome in 30+ languages, Philharmonic winds

Not long ago, a local Air Force Base leader wrote to me after a concert to compliment the performance, and added a thanks. He explained that it can be difficult for military children to feel welcome when they come to a new community, to be the “new kid” when they “join organizations that are often filled with kids who’ve known each other their whole lives.” “And yet,” he added, “we all know how important it is for the community and for the kids themselves to be able to find such a welcoming, developmental organization such as yours. Thank you for the support and partnership Northern Valley Youth Orchestras has given to our military families in the past, and in the future!” This is the kind of welcoming community your gift helps sustain.

The past few years have taught us about Zoom interactions and online performances, which are fantastic extras, but cannot replace the in-person experiences that define NVYO’s programming. You can join us February 25th for a concert at the Empire Arts Center, and our signature Music in Bloom fundraiser offers a sampler of spring on April 7 at All Seasons. Notice the interactions between conductors, young musicians, mentors, and audience members at all these events! The joy is evident, and the connections and memories last long after the final note. Cultivating an environment of equity requires that we program works by historically excluded composers alongside the “standards.” We also continue to engage with more community audiences in unexpected spaces, and offer free or low cost concerts. Valuing all participants means we include local university students for mentoring or observation experience, offer extra coaching to make sure those without private instructors can still make progress, and provide scholarships.

chamber music at the library • Music in Bloom at All Seasons • traditional concert stage, performing professional repertoire

These marvelous young musicians, their teachers, and our community need people like you to support Northern Valley Youth Orchestras. As costs rise, each part of our programming requires additional resources: you are critical to NVYO's continued existence. To meet our budget goal this fiscal year, we need to raise an additional $20,000 in donations by June. Please join me in investing in our collective future: together we are developing not only excellent musicians and fine performances, but also wonderfully interesting and engaged human beings, who carry their love of music and community wherever they go - whatever career they pursue.

You can send a check right now in the enclosed envelope, or donate online at nvyo.org/donate . Your dollars will go directly to expenses for program needs like conductor salaries, sheet music, equipment, site rental, or scholarships so all students can participate fully in our programs. Please give generously today so together we can continue to offer young people a place to make excellent music, make new friends, and make a lasting and positive difference in the world. Thank you for your donation!

With gratitude,

Naomi Welsh Executive Director, Northern Valley Youth Orchestras 415 Demers Ave Suite A • Grand Forks, ND 58201 • info@novyo.org nvyo.org/donate nvyo.org •facebook.com/NorthernValleyYouthOrchestras • Instagram @nvyorch Endowment gifts: NVYO fund at the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks, & Region

P.S. We look forward to sharing more of our 13th season "Momentum" with you! Thank you for your gift today.