Standing Ovation: Anne S. Brown

Anne Brown has been a friend of the VYOA for nearly five decades and wears many hats. You may recognize her as a longtime local cello teacher and VYOA cello section coach, but she is also an alumni parent and donor. Alongside her most recent gift she told the story that inspired it:

Anne’s cello student was on the verge of quitting cello. He didn’t participate in any groups and didn’t seem interested in joining any until Vermont Youth Strings (VYS) played at the Shelburne Community School this past April. This student saw one of his close friends in the cello section and he now wants to audition for VYS. In Anne’s words, “What a turnaround!! The impact of your (VYOA) playing in the schools really came home to me!”

We were so glad to hear this success story that we decided to catch up with Anne and give her a virtual standing ovation this month. Thanks for all that you do for the VYOA – from inspiring young cellists to being a longtime donor and everything in between – we are so grateful!

 

Q. When and why did you first become involved with the VYOA?

A. My involvement with the VYOA started in the early 1970s, when I took my three-year-old daughter, Heather, to the concerts at St. Paul’s Cathedral when the orchestra was led by Peter Brown. A few years later, she joined the String Training Orchestra as a violist, and went on to play in the VYO  (during the years when Soovin Kim and Alex Ezerman were in it) until she graduated from high school in 1989. She has wonderful memories of her experiences in the VYO. Since starting to teach cello in 1995, I have always encouraged my students to play in the various orchestras. More recently, my involvement also includes coaching cello sectionals of the VYS, VYP, and the VYO. I love having these connections with young families and with the VYOA!

 

Q. How has the organization changed over the years?

A. The VYO was the brainchild of the Burlington Friends of Music for Youth. Two of the prime movers that I recall from that era were Janet Rood and Lynn Alexander. When my daughter joined the STO, they rehearsed in South Hall, on the UVM Redstone Campus. When she was in the VYO, that orchestra rehearsed at Burlington High School, as the VYOA still had no permanent home.

Somewhere along the line, the name changed from Burlington Friends of Music for Youth to the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association, and they added PRESTO (Pre-String Training Orchestra), changed STO to Vermont Youth Strings, and added Sinfonia and Philharmonia. Of course the biggest boost was acquiring a permanent home, the Elley-Long Music Center, thanks to a huge donation by Carolyn Long!

Now there are Rug Concerts, private lessons, and various ensembles, including brass and woodwinds. School tours are also a big part of the outreach program. It’s heartwarming to see the growth of this wonderful organization!

 

Q. What inspires you to support the VYOA?

A. Growing up with classical musician parents, I started cello so I could be part of our family quartet. Soon I joined the orchestra (and band on trombone) in elementary school and then high school. Also while in high school, I was fortunate enough to play in the orchestra at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, where I had fantastic musical opportunities such as playing in the Bach Mass in B minor under Robert Shaw and the Fauré Requiem under Nadia Boulanger—both life-changing and life-enhancing experiences!

With school systems cutting back on or, worse yet, cutting out their music programs, the role of the VYOA in students’ lives takes on added importance so that they may have the invaluable experience of making great music with their friends and colleagues.

As a cello teacher, I’ve had many of my students go through the programs at VYOA and watched their growth as musicians. I’m always so pleased for them that they are participating in creating the sounds and feelings of great music, music that will sustain and thrill them for their entire lives, while also making friends and having fun! My favorite form of recreation is playing string quartets with friends.

 

Q. Why do you think music is an important aspect of a young person’s growth & development?

A. Today you’ll see many articles on the multiple benefits of playing music—training your brain, doing better in math, strengthening reading skills, processing multiple things at once, making lasting friendships, etc. This is all documented through many studies. But I think learning music teaches us how learning in small steps leads to growth; how playing with other musicians is fun and creates bonds; and how music enhances our experiences and moods in life. Want to feel happy? Put on some rollicking tunes. Feeling sad and want some soothing? Put on some lush symphony and let the sounds wash over and through you. For me, music is the background and foreground of my life. And I would like young people to have that in their lives. Thank you, VYOA!

Summer Symphony Camp 2019

 

Students who are currently in grades 4 through 8 can include orchestra in their summer plans by enrolling in the VYOA’s Summer Symphony Camp, which will take place at Elley-Long Music Center from June 24th through 28th.

All Summer Symphony musicians perform in the camp’s symphony orchestra, led by Kathleen Kono, and jazz orchestra, led by Adam Sawyer, making it a unique opportunity to perform a wide range of musical styles in an orchestral setting.

Campers can choose two electives from these six options:

  1. Hand Drumming with Tyson Vaylou
  2. Drama/Theater with Billy Ray Poli
  3. Ukulele with Becky Nowak
  4. Outdoor Recreation with Kyle Kramer
  5. Chorus with Adam Hall
  6. Jazz Improvisation with Adam Sawyer

There’s limited space for each instrument section, and flute is currently wait list only. Financial aid is available.

SIGN UP!

Meet Sabrina Chiang

SABRINA CHIANG, 17 years old, is a senior at South Burlington High School. She started playing the violin when she was eight years old. She has been part of the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association since 2011 and the Vermont Youth Orchestra since 2014. Her violin teachers are Ira Morris and James Buswell, a former teacher at the New England Conservatory. She attended the Walnut Hill Music Festival in 2014, where she played for notable teachers and performers such as Lynn Chang, Nicholas Kitchen, and Magdelena Richter, among others. Sabrina regularly performs at many senior housing communities and has also performed at the Vermont State House.

As a VYO Senior Soloist Sabrina Chiang performs the fiery finale of Bruch’s first violin concerto at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 3pm. Get tickets.

Standing Ovation: Monique Corcoran

Monique with daughter & VYOA French horn player, class of 2017

After 23 years in Vermont, VYOA Board Chair Monique Corcoran will be moving out of state at the end of this month. In her seven years as a VYOA parent and five as a VYOA Board member Monique has brought such a passion and enthusiasm for the arts. In the midst of planning for this big move, she carved out some time to sit with us and answer these questions:

Q. When and why did you become involved with the VYOA? 

A. I became involved with the VYOA in 2012 when my daughter joined Sinfonia. I was completely impressed by the organization, had just finished tenure with another Board of Directors and was looking for a new organization to volunteer my time and energy with.

 

Q. What inspired you to serve on the VYOA Board of Directors? 

A. The VYOA offers an amazing experience to students in this region. The quality and caliber of the musical experience as well as the cultural and leadership opportunities is impressive. My parents exposed me to the arts throughout my childhood, and I appreciate how valuable the arts is to our society and our culture. We must preserve them and ensure that they continue. The VYOA plays a critical role in Vermont to help ensure that this happens.

 

Q. How has the organization changed throughout your tenure on the Board? 

A. The organization has become innovative with the implementation of the Rug Concert series, the Music Inspires program, collaborative projects with other organizations, incorporating other art forms, etc.  This dynamism offers relevant opportunities for the students to think about and experience music in new and different ways.

 

Q. Why do you think music is an important part of a young person’s development & growth? 

A. Music has been scientifically proven to improve the human brain’s capabilities in math and science. Beyond that, music uses both sides of the brain and fosters emotional and psychological growth. In today’s digital world dominated by constant social media distraction, learning and performing music forces students to be totally present in the moment and fully engaged with their partners in the orchestra. The history they learn about the composers is fantastic! As a society, we don’t want to lose or forget our history. Participation in the VYOA is just one way of many to keep that history alive. 

 

While we are sad to see Monique go, we wish her all the best in her next adventure. Thank you so much for dedicating your time & talent to our young musicians!

 

Senior Spotlight 2019!

Paige Greenia, clarinet
Mississquoi Valley Union

VT Youth Orchestra – 2 years
VT Youth Philharmonia – 3 years
VT Youth Chamber Winds – 1 year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you enjoy most about playing in an orchestra?

The best part about playing in an orchestra is getting to know the other players and getting to understand and appreciate great music.

What has been your biggest musical breakthrough?

My biggest musical breakthrough was learning how to perform and enjoy a piece of music and not get caught up in the technicalities of it.

What advice would you give to younger music students as they strive to build their skills?

The best advice that I have is don’t forget to enjoy the music for what it is and don’t take the competitive part too seriously.

What kinds of changes would you like to see in the orchestral world?

I would really like to see more women composers as well as contemporary composers represented in orchestra repertoire.

What is your favorite VYOA memory?

Scavenger hunts and bowling during Reveille, our pre-season rehearsal week.

 

Senior Spotlight 2019!

Sebastiaan West, piano
Mount Mansfield Union

VT Youth Orchestra – 3 years

January 2019 Senior Soloist

 

 

 

 

How did you choose your instrument over all of the others? 

When I was five, I began playing around on my family’s old upright. I always kind of gravitated towards it, partly because of how logically it’s laid out and partly because of the grandiosity of the sounds it’s capable of. For me it’s the most intuitive way of speaking in a musical idiom, since it’s such a visual, cerebral instrument without losing the capability to create absolutely heart-wrenching textures.

What do you enjoy most about playing in an orchestra?

I absolutely love the way that we get to tell a story together. I remember being in eighth grade and playing piano for Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite–the big chords at the end were like a grand, forgiving, cleansing church bell. I have felt so much catharsis and joy and sadness while onstage or in rehearsal with the VYO.

What has been your biggest musical breakthrough?

I’d say that it was definitely touring Cape Breton Island with the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group. We were playing mostly Celtic music, and I remember waking up one morning and just feeling absolutely immersed in beauty. Everywhere I turned there were beautiful people making beautiful music. I thought to myself, ‘you know, this music thing is kind of alright.’

What advice would you give to younger music students as they strive to build their skills?

PLAY MUSIC YOU LIKE! I always find that I play and practice best when I’m playing music that I want to be playing. Work hard, but know what you’re working for. Tell a story.

What kinds of changes would you like to see in the orchestral world?

I’d like to see a greater emphasis on the importance of music theory and composition. They’re often hailed as this ‘holy-grail’ process, that only musical elites or specifically talented composers can achieve. In my experience, composition is really the same process as performance, and studying one really reinforces the other. Of course, great composers should be hailed with the same reverence as great musicians, but that doesn’t mean that everyone can’t do both.

What is your favorite VYOA memory?

I’d have to go with every single thing that Dr. Klemme has said in his time as conductor thus far.

Apart from orchestral music, what other kinds of music do you listen to? Do other genres influence what you hear in orchestral music?

I do a lot of jazz, and listen to a bunch of Irish, Scottish, and Québécois traditional music. They really, really help me as a classical musician–as someone starting to develop their own style of appreciation and interpretation, it’s really helpful to have media where the narrative and harmonic complexity is a little bit reduced, like in Celtic trad; it makes it a lot easier to answer the questions of what sounds good in a melody, how a melody and an accompaniment fit together, and where the entire classical genre even came from.

What other activities do you participate in? 

I lead a jazz combo, am part of another jazz combo, and play piano and accordion in the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group. I honestly spend the better part of everyday playing music, depending on what style I’m doing more of that day. School is definitely winding down but is still taking up a big chunk of my time; besides that I’m also working on my Eagle Scout Project.

What college or university do you plan or hope to attend next year? 

I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I’m pretty set on the University of Chicago, that is, after taking a gap year to play music around Europe.

What do you plan to study in college?

I’ll probably be studying something around the lines of either biology or ethnomusicology, or both, while performing regularly around wherever I end up going.

 

 

 

 

 

2019 Senior Spotlight!

Sam Koskinen, viola
Champlain Valley Union

VT Youth Orchestra – 4 years
VT Youth Chorus – 1 year
VT Youth Philharmonia – 1 year
VT Youth Sinfonia – 2 years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did you choose your instrument over all of the others?

While the Violin was what I first wanted to play, I started on and stayed with the Viola. It was my mother, a former violist, who explained to me the magic of the Viola.

What do you enjoy most about playing in an orchestra?

Knowing that I am contributing to a large group effort, along with some of the most talented people I have, and will ever know.

What kinds of changes would you like to see in the orchestral world?

More people in the audiences. Selling out the Flynn was always something I wanted to do, and that level of excitement and support for the VYOA’s musicians is always something they deserve.

What is your favorite VYOA memory?

It’s absolutely when I was mere feet away from the reveal of the first ever Bobblehead Dvorak.

What other activities do you participate in?

I love to play Ultimate Frisbee, and since middle school, I’ve enjoyed singing in my school’s choirs.

What do you plan to study in college?

Music Business and Technology

Senior Spotlight 2019!

Isabelle Petrucci, viola
Essex High

VT Youth Orchestra – 3 years
VT Youth Philharmonia – 2 years
VT Youth Strings – 1 year
Presto – 1 session

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace Lu, violin
Essex High

VT Youth Orchestra – 5 years
VT Youth Sinfonia – 1 year
VT Youth Strings – 1 ½ years
Presto – 1 session
September 2018 Senior Soloist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did you choose your instrument over all of the others?

Lu: In kindergarten each person in my class had a chance to choose what CD to play music from during nap time. Whenever it was my turn, I would choose this one Vanessa Mae CD my teacher Mrs. Palmer had in her basket of CDs. I soon fell in love with the lush, romantic tone of the violin and I eventually picked up the violin so I could try it out for myself.

Petrucci: Honestly, I chose to play viola because two of my closest friends were playing viola. I didn’t really know much about it, but I figured if they were doing it, then I would probably like it too. In the end, they both ended up switching to violin (cough cough grace you traitor…), but I stuck with viola, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

What do you enjoy most about playing in an orchestra?

Petrucci: My favorite part about orchestra is the music that we’re able to produce. I just find it incredible that so many people can get together once a week and work together so that the end result is beautiful pieces of music. I love the fact that it feels like a big family, and when you’re playing in an orchestra, you forget about everything else and you just focus on the music.

What other activities do you participate in?

Lu: I’m a student representative on the Essex Westford School District school board which means I have the opportunity to talk to students of all ages. I love the enthusiasm they bring to the conversation and being on the board allows me to work with administrators to make EWSD the best it can be. Besides VYO I play in pit orchestras for middle school and high school productions and teach violin privately. I also compete in my school’s Math League and Scholar’s Bowl team.

What has been your biggest musical breakthrough?

Petrucci: My biggest musical breakthrough is honestly kind of basic. I realized that if I wanted to be good at my instrument and sound good, I would need to put the work in. It doesn’t matter how much natural talent you have, if you don’t put the work and practice in, your playing will eventually start to plateau and you won’t really improve anymore. If you don’t like how you play or how you sound, then you need to work hard and keep practicing. I think that that’s a realization that at some point in their musical careers, everybody will come to, and it is one of the most important realizations there is.

What advice would you give to younger music students as they strive to build their skills?

Lu: Try to do something related to music every day. There’s inevitably going to be days where you’re simply too busy to practice, but you can listen to your pieces while doing homework or jot down a few things you would really like to hone in on during your next practice session. Also I’d recommend keeping a practice journal. It helps you remember what skills to continue working on each practice session and I like how I can flip through my journal and see the progress I’ve made.

Petrucci: I would tell younger music students to never give up and to not get discouraged. At times, it can seem tough, and it can seem like you’re not improving, no matter how much you’re practicing, but it’s important to keep going and keep trying. Improvement comes with time and practice, and you should never get discouraged in your playing, no matter how frustrating a certain passage or piece may be. You’ll eventually get it and once you do, you’ll be so proud of what you’ve done.

What is your favorite VYOA memory?

Petrucci: My favorite VYOA memory is probably the May concert last year when we played all of Tchaik 5. It was something that we had been working up to all year, and when we finally did it, I thought that it felt pretty amazing. All of our hard work and Sunday rehearsals had been for that moment, and I thought that it really paid off. It was just such an incredible concert and symphony as well.

Lu: I don’t have a single favorite memory because it’s the accumulation of the tiny moments that make VYO so memorable. For example, I love the moments where I make eye contact with my stand partner after goofing up and we both end up laughing it off or when someone approaches me during break to show me an orchestra meme.

What do you plan to study in college?

Petrucci: I want to study chemistry in college, eventually going into medicine and research.

Lu: Right now I’m interested in studying either economics or neuroscience, but that could definitely change! However, I definitely plan on sticking with violin while in college.

Standing Ovation: recognizing the VYOA’s steadfast supporters

Joan Martin became a VYOA donor in the late 1960s when her children became involved with the org then called Burlington Friends of Music or BFOM. Mrs. Martin was kind enough to share her experience as a parent, Board member, and longtime supporter:

 

Q. Why did you first get involved with the VYOA?

A. My eldest daughter Lori had just started the violin. Carolyn Long or Liz Wallman got me interested, and it was a very wonderful group of women. Lori continued to play the violin, my daughter Patti played clarinet, and Brenda played the French horn. Then, my grandson Wylie played oboe in VYO and went on the China tour in 2007.

 

Q. How has the organization changed over the years?

A. The used instrument sale was one of the BFOM’s big fundraisers, and I came up with the idea for it!  All the instruments had to be appraised by an instrument dealer.  St.Paul’s Cathedral donated space for the sale. It was a huge job, and the friends did a fabulous job with that for quite a few years.  Summer camp (Reveille) was also a very big occasion. While fun and a good musical experience for the kids, it was a huge job for the association and friends.

 

Q. What inspires you to support the VYOA?

A. The VYOA is one fantastic organization!  As it has grown it has flourished and so many young people have benefited from every aspect of it.  These young people have given hours and hours and I do not believe that they would ever say it was not worth every hour that they have spent. It has certainly been my great pleasure to be an active supporter of the VYOA.

 

Q. Why do you think music is an important part of a young person’s development & growth?

A. It provides discipline, commitment, friendships, the beauty of music and sometimes even a vocation. Music stays with you all of your life even when you no longer play in an orchestra.