September 2014 Newsletter

September 2014 Vol. XV No. 1

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By Katie Hovde, SOGO alumna

Anxiety, Big Shoes, and Developing a Deeper Appreciation for Music and Culture

We Dig Our New Digs

My SOGO story starts when I was 8 years old. I had only been playing the violin for 3 years and had never played in an orchestra before. I remember crying before my first rehearsal because I was so afraid of being the worst one there and not knowing what to do.

However, when I got to rehearsal and saw all the other kids, my anxiety quickly went away and it was replaced with fun and excitement. This feeling carried on through the 10 years that I was involved in SOGO.

In my last year, Mr. Welsh placed me in the Conservatory concertmistress spot; it was like I was 8 years old all over again. I was afraid of not doing well enough and letting my section down, I was afraid that I wouldn’t live up to the very big shoes I had to fill. But yet again, there was nothing to be afraid of.

After graduating SOGO, I began attendance at Central Washington Univer-sity. The orchestra there is of extraordinarily high caliber and was unlike any kind of orchestra I had played in; even SOGO or any of the All-State or-chestras. However, I wasn’t too nervous or anxious, unlike a lot of other musicians I met.

I knew what to do in an orchestra and how to participate in the music. We played some reper-toire that I had already played in SOGO, and as time went on, the more I realized that I would in no way be the musician that I am today without SOGO.

I am currently working on a Bachelor of Arts in Music and (Cont’d on p. 3)

Because of SOGO, I was able to recognize my full potential as a musician and as a person.

remindersparent

First Rehearsal - 9/14 Parent Meeting - 9/14Calvary Chapel4:45 - 5:15 p.m.

New Rehearsal Location Calvary Chapel919 Division Street NW, Olympia, WA

Olympia’s Calvary Chapel will be our new rehearsal venue. Many thanks to

Calvary Chapel for coming to our res-cue and allowing

us to use their space!• Located at 919 Di-vision Street NW, Olympia, near Jefferson Middle School

• Ample room for full orchestra rehearsals

• Breakout rooms for sectional and chamber group rehearsals

• Parking is available around the church building and in the adjacent Jefferson Middle School parking lot

Jump Starting the Season

By Maestro John WelshWe started out this year with our first try at holding something before our regular rehearsal sessions – a Chamber Music Workshop. Our experience shows that when Conser-vatory Orchestra members work on chamber music, as we did last winter, it yields a more cohesive ensemble as a whole. So, on August 24 and 25

we gathered various types of groups together to work on some music, have some pizza and fun, and give a Master Class/perfor-mance on the evening of the 25th.

This month we begin work on our first season concert. Shake-speare is always an incredible source for music. Carl Maria von Weber drew upon the character of Oberon from A Mid-summer Night’s Dream for his opera Oberon. We will perform the overture, which tells the story of that mischievous king of the fairies and his queen, Titania.

Then we go from England to Norway. Edvard Grieg wrote incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s epic play, Peer Gynt. That play is a work that the Norwegians

hold dear and feel that it personifies their inner self. I had the wonderful chance many years ago in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to work with the local playhouse and perform excerpts of the play with the music in concert.

We’ll have two amazing soloists this season. On No-vember 2, Nolan Welch will perform one of the major works for cello and orchestra, Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major. On March 1, Maura Phelps will perform the courtly Cello Concerto No. 4, G.477 in C by Luigi Boccherini. I am looking forward to working with both of them on their solos, as I know the rest of the orchestra is.

After our first concert in November we will be doing yet some-thing else new. We are holding a conducting

workshop to benefit our music educators from the area. Dr. Samuel Jones, conduct-ing master teacher and recent Resident

Composer of the Seattle Symphony, will officiate (see Sharing the Baton, p. 1). We

want to continue to expand our service to our musical com-munity. I can’t wait for our first program!

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Jump Starting the Season, cont’d

Titania, from Oberon

Peer Gynt

Nolan Welch

It’s Not Too Early: Plan Your SOGO Wreath and Poinsettia Order Today!These beautiful wreaths and plants make wonderful gifts for teachers, co-workers, party hosts and more. Discounts and delivery are available for larger orders. New order forms will be available soon at http://goo.gl/sL8gSVfs.

Maura Phelps

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a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations. With these two degrees, I hope to be working with a symphony to get their community more involved in classical music.

Because of SOGO, I was able to rec-ognize my full potential as a musician and as a person. I was able to develop a deeper appreciation for music and culture and learned how to work with others in that appreciation. I want to facilitate experiences like that for others through a symphony orchestra.

Being involved with an organization like SOGO showed me the potential of classical music in a community and I am excited to be an active part of that. Hopefully someday I can give back to SOGO for all of the positive influences and experiences I have had because of them.

Katie Hovde’s research papers include Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Organizational Social Media

Analysis and Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia: Introduction to Non-Profit Leadership.

Big Shoes, cont’d

• Limited to four local music teachers; addi-tional teachers may audit

• Each participant will get 25-30 minutes of conducting/clinic time with the Conservatory Orchestra

• Parents and students are welcome to observe

Keeping You Warm Coffee Fundraiser

SOGO is pleased to be partner-ing with Olympic Crest Coffee

Roasters to sell their fresh, locally roasted coffee. Details coming soon.

Sharing the BatonSOGO is proud to host a conducting workshop for local music educators this fall! This is an excellent opportunity for us to give back to our very supportive music education community.

Led by composer and conductor Dr. Samuel Jones, each guest conductor will tackle one movement of von Weber’s Overture to the opera Oberon.

• Offered free of charge• Calvary Chapel

919 Division Street NW• Sunday, November 9,

5-7:15 PM

3View the newsletter in color at studentorchestras.org. | Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/studentorchestras.

1515 Milestones in 15 Years

SOGO 2014-2015 Sponsors: Cabinets by Trivonna, Charneski Charitable Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, National Federation of Music Clubs, Olympia Federal Savings, Olympic Dermatology & Laser Clinic, R.L. Ray Violin Shop, RadiantCare, Tumwater Eye Center & VUE, WA State Arts Commission

SOGO Executive Board: John Fleckenstein, President; Jasmin Dickerson, Vice-President; Jilyna Dick, Secretary; Kirk Veis, Treasurer; Colleen Welch, Past President

We are so grateful to all of our supporters who have helped us make it to our fifteenth year!!

From individual donors to corporate sponsors, advertisers to charitable foundations, and volunteers to community partners: We would not be here today without all of you. Thank you to all of you who have donated your time and funds to help us complete our mission: to pro-vide a challenging, fully integrated music experience for the young musician. Our accomplishments are your accomplishments. Enjoy this look back at 15 milestones from our 15 years.

1. 2000: First Brass Choir rehearsal 3 weeks after

SOGO formed. Rehearsals for the 2 orchestras began 3 weeks later.

9. 2010: Published The Little Pernam-buco Tree, an original children’s book

written by Robert Ray, illustrated by local students, and set to original music com-posed by Mark Thome. Book and music is now available for $13 at [email protected].

10. 2010: Performance Art premiers at

Fall Arts Walk

14. 2013: SOGO ensemble performs at Governor’s

Inaugural Ball. Other notable events include the opening of the O’Grady Library at St. Martin’s University and the opening of the Port of Olympia.

15. 2013: First chamber

music camp. Listen to samples of some of the performances on Facebook at http://goo.gl/TFYroa.

8. 2008: Presented

Peter and the Wolf children’s concert

7. 2003: First

Instrument Petting Zoo

2. 2000: First season con-cert, first HOHO holiday

concert, and first Messiah per-formance. Above: 2008 Messiah. At right: 2007 SOGO HOHO.

4. 2001: Added a third orchestra3. 2001:

School concert tour

5. 2001: Provided first scholar-ships to graduating seniors. At

left: 2014 scholarship recipient

6. 2002: Added Spring Arts Walk ensembles. At right:

2013 Arts Walk flute ensemble

12. 2012: POGO begins. At

right: POGO Teaching Artist Introduces the Cello at First Rehearsal

13. 2012: Mass orchestra per-

forms Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. At left: Rehears-ing mass performance.

11. 2011: First European

Tour. At left: Brass Choir in Italy

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

STUDENT ORCHESTRAS OF GREATER OLYMPIA1629 22ND AVE SEOLYMPIA WA 98501-3019

2014 - 15 Season SUNDAYS AT 4:00 P.M.WASHINGTON CENTER

ofSTUDENT ORCHESTRAS

GREATER OLYMPIA

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Season ConcertsSundays, November 2, March 1, May 17TICKETS: $6-$15* | 360.753.8586 | Olytix.org6 and under free | *plus $3 Center surcharge

HOHO Brass Choir Holiday Show Saturday, December 13, 2 & 7 p.m.First Christian Church

Messiah Sing-AlongMonday, December 22, 7 p.m.Washington Center

Now accepting auditions. Find out how at www.studentorchestras.org.

View the newsletter in color at studentorchestras.org. | Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/studentorchestras.

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