Orchestrating Lifelong Participation in the Arts 1629 22nd Ave SE, Olympia WA 98501 | 360-352-1438 | StudentOrchestras.org StudentOrchestras@gmail.com | Facebook.com/StudentOrchestras | March 2021 Vol. XXI No. 8
SO-GO Virtual Concert
Sunday, March 28, 4PM
Join us to watch the newest SOGO virtual concert online at StudentOrchestras.org! Tune in for works by local composer Austin Schlichting, as well as Dvořák, Gabrieli, Offenbach, and Johann Strauss. And don’t miss SOGO’s Natalie McVay on French horn in the Brass Choir’s performance of Gershwin’s Someone to Watch Over Me.
Natalie McVay, French horn
“Natalie is an accomplished musician and has been a dependable and respected member of SOGO for several years,” says Artistic Director and Brass Choir conductor Greg Allison. “We are glad to feature her with the SOGO Brass Choir on Mark Thome’s arrangement of the Gershwin classic.” The concert is free to view. Please consider making a donation to SOGO as a virtual ticket at StudentOrchestras.org.
What We Love: The Conductor’s Privilege by Cameron May, SOGO Music Director Valentine’s Day fell on a SOGO rehearsal day this year, and Conservatory and Academy students were asked to submit a photo of something they loved, along with a brief explanation. The results were sweet: many students submitted photos of pets, others of snow, or music albums, or beverages, or creative projects. The Conservatory Orchestra was, at that time, rehearsing Festival March by Music Director Cameron May with Antonin Dvořák, in preparation for the his Dvořák-themed phone case! upcoming virtual concert on March 28. Coincidentally, this piece has a distant connection to Valentine’s Day, as it was written in 1879 for the 25th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary. SOGO’s music historian Anne Edge put together a wonderful presentation for the Conservatory students tracing the theme of love in music. While I admit I was not aware of the Valentine’s Day connection with the Festival March when I chose it for the Conservatory students, its inclusion in our virtual season is not an accident. As previously discussed in this newsletter, when putting together a virtual program, we look for musical selections between three and five minutes in length that move along at a steady tempo. The Festival March fulfilled these “My lifelong love of the music requirements and is a piece that of Dvořák began in the eighth has been on my musical “bucket list” since I was in high school. grade, the same age I realized I
wanted to become a conductor.” ~ Music Director Cameron May
My lifelong love of the music of Dvořák began in the eighth grade, the same age (Continued on p2)
“SOGO to Schools” Program Aims to Help Keep Music Alive in Our Schools
happy musicians.
When we hear that the public school music programs are struggling as a result of the environment, we jump into action. In SOGO, students meet virtually with their conductor and their teaching artist weekly. While everyone is doing their part, we have found that the relationship between the student and the teaching artist in that small group was and is the key to our success of having
COVID-19 has impacted arts negatively. Imagine one music teacher trying to meet the social and pedagogical
needs of rows and rows of children in boxes on their laptop. Although it sounds like a nightmare, every music teacher should be given a weekend at the spa for their efforts, passion for music, and love for children to learn this art form. It is time for us to deploy our SOGO teaching artists out into the schools and support the valiant work being done by our public school music teachers. We call our program “SOGO to Schools.” Orchestra and (Continued on p2) LEAD • INSPIRE • PERFORM •
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SO-GO Virtual Concert - Sunday, March 28, 4PM at StudentOrchestras.org.
Visit StudentOrchestras.org to donate online.