[updated 12/3/24]

Hi everyone,

Including this Sunday (12/8), we only have TWO rehearsals before our holiday break. After that, we have ONE rehearsal on Sunday, January 5th, and then it’s concert week.

Please double-check you have our weeknight evening rehearsals on your calendar.

So, as I mentioned last week, individual preparation is key for this short concert term. For that reason, I’m sharing rehearsal plans for both December 8 and December 15 below.

Also, please remember to listen to recordings of our repertoire regularly. As a starting point, I’ve shared YouTube videos on this webpage (sidebar on a computer, bottom of page if on mobile).

Thank you, and remember to be strategic and efficient with your practicing.

Best,

Dr. G.

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Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, December 8

[updated 12/3/24]

• 4:00pm-4:30pm: Seas of Glass
• 4:30pm-5:30pm: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto, Mov. 1 (with Matthew) and Mov. 2.
• 5:30pm-5:40pm: break
• 5:40pm-6:45pm: Dvořák with Leena
• 6:45pm-7:00pm: read encore (“All By Myself”).

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, December 15

• 4:00pm-4:45pm: Seas of Glass
• 4:45pm-6:15pm: Rachmaninoff mov. 3, encore (and other spots as needed). (inc. 10-min break).
• 6:15pm-7:00pm: Weber with Kaden.

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Please add bar numbers to all pieces

Another reminder: please make it a habit to write your name on each of your parts, and add measure numbers at the beginning of each line.

Bonus: this post with reference measure numbers for Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2.

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ICYMI: Photos by Richard Kolbell from 11/10 concert

Richard Kolbell’s photos can be accessed below. If you use any of the photos for any purpose (social media, websites, etc), please be sure to credit him (e.g. “photo by Richard Kolbell).

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Looking ahead: optional leadership auditions

As I mentioned in rehearsal, we will have optional leadership auditions due Friday, January 3. I will send out more details later, but most likely I’ll ask for 3 to 4 minutes of anything you want to record for me. This is an opportunity for you to be considered for leadership positions for our March 2025 concert, or to show me your work if you feel my rotations are not giving you the part assignments you’d like.

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Access practice parts on the MYS website

If you misplace your parts and need to print replacements, or need access to PDFs for any reason, you may go to our Online Music Library to find digital files of everything we’re playing.

The password to access our Online Music Library is playmys.

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Happy Thanksgiving and see you on 12/8!

Best,

Dr. G.

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MYS Symphony Orchestra | Photo by Richard Kolbell, Nov 10, 2024

****** UPDATED ON 11/14/24 WITH SHORTER REHEARSAL TIME *****

Hi all,

Great concert Sunday night! I’m proud of everybody’s fearless and committed performances. We’ll do a little debriefing on Sunday, and we’ll dive right into our new repertoire.

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Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, November 17

• 4:00pm-5:20pm – Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2 – listen to each movement and read as much as we can.
• 5:30pm-6:15pm – Frazar Henry: “Seas of Glass” (YCP piece): read first draft of piece with composer on video call.
• 6:15pm – end of rehearsal to transition to 7pm Community Concert

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Part assignments for January 12 concert

Please click the button below to check part assignments for this concert. As always, my part assignments are not rankings. I like rotating leadership and positions whenever possible. These assignments are subject to change.

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Access practice parts on the MYS website

We’ll have hard copies of everything on Sunday, but please go to our Online Music Library to print practice parts for this week. I strongly recommend that you spend some time on the Rachmaninoff, even if it’s listening to a recording and following along your part (while annotating it as needed).

The password to access our Online Music Library is playmys.

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Stay after rehearsal to support your peers (Community Concert at 7:00pm @ All Saints)

There will be an MYS Community Concert in the church upstairs starting at 7:00pm. Stay if you can to support your friends, including percussion, MYSfits and our jazz groups.

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Happy practicing,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | Photo by Willie Gilliland, Nov 10, 2024

Hi all,

Thanks for your work on Sunday, 10/27. Below are a recap of our last rehearsal, and the rehearsal plan for 11/3, including the visit by Oregon Symphony Music Director David Danzmayr (!!!!). Reminder: please make sure your Tchaikovsky parts have bar numbers before next Sunday!!

RECAP of 10/27 rehearsal

• Innamorata: letter [D] to [R]
• Mazzoli: beginning to letter U
• Tchaikovsky: spots, including work on the syncopations at m. 285 and m. 307. We ended rehearsal with a full run-through of the piece.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, November 3

• 4:00pm-4:15pm – Tchaikovsky (spots) with Dr. G.
• 4:15pm-5:30pm – Tchaikovsky: whole piece with David Danzmayr
• 5:30pm-5:45pm – break
• 5:45pm-6:05pm – Crain-Keddie‘s Innamorata: letter [R] to end
• 6:05pm-6:25pm – Mazzoli: letter [U] to end of Part 2
• 6:25pm-7:00pm – Beethoven: full piece

Measure numbers in Tchaikovsky (you’re welcome)

Please add bar numbers at the beginning of each line in your part, so that when I, or anybody who’s conducting asks to begin at a specific bar number, you can find it very quickly. Below, I’m sharing the bar number for each rehearsal letter, which you can use to double-check your count.

• A: 38
• B: 61
• C: 86
• D: 122
• E: 143
• F: 161
• G: 184
• H: 205
• J: 243
• K: 273
• L: 300
• M: 320
• N: 331
• O: 345
• P: 364
• Q: 387
• R: 419
• S: 446
• T: 462
• U: 485

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Support your friends this Friday, Nov. 1st

Congratulations to the finalists of our 2024 MYS Concerto Competition and all the applicants! Finalists will perform their pieces in front of a live audience. MYS students are not required to have a ticket for this event, however, tickets are required for other guests. You can purchase additional tickets below.

Friday, November 1, 7:00pm — The Old Madeleine Church, 3123 NE 24th Ave

Extra/replacement parts on the MYS website

• As always, you can find practice PDFs or print your own replacement parts on your Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

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Happy practicing,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra Members | Photo by Sheepscot Creative, August, 2024

Hi all!!

Thank you for your work on Sunday, October 13. We did some good work, and we also learned that we all need to be quite a bit further along in our knowledge of the music as we currently are. Please (1) listen to recordings of our repertoire, (2) plan your practice time strategically and (3) practice with a metronome.

RECAP of 10/6 rehearsal

• We worked on Part 2 of Mazzoli. It went well.
• We worked on Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet. My hope was to play through the whole piece, but we were only able to make it to about letter [K],
• We worked on Beethoven and encounter similar preparation issues as with Tchaikovsky. We really need to step up our game! Our orchestra is as good as we all collectively want it to be, and I know it has the potential to be EXCELLENT. Know how the music goes! Again, listen to recordings (not just the same one over and over again, but several different versions). This will inform your practicing and your performance in rehearsal.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, October 20

• 4:00pm-4:30pm – Elishiya’s piece Innamorata
• 4:30pm-5:15pm – tutti: Tchaikovsky (letter K to the end)
• 5:15pm-5:30pm – break
• 5:30pm-7:00pm – Beethoven!! (entire piece)
• note: we won’t rehearse Mazzolli on Sunday, but please keep practicing it as well.

Reminder: LISTEN to our repertoire constantly

It’s always a good idea to find several different versions of each of the pieces we’re playing. Add them to your regular listening rotation. You can always start with the recordings that I’ve shared on the sidebar of this blog. The more variety you find, the more informed your own performance will be.

Reminder: Dress Check this Sunday

You’ll also get a reminder in tomorrow’s Weekly Announcements. Look for more details there if you need them.

Extra/replacement parts on the MYS website

• As always, you can find practice PDFs or print your own replacement parts on your Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

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Happy practicing,

Dr. G.

MYS Musicians photographed by Sheepscot Creative | August 2024

Happy October!!

Thank you for your work on Sunday 9/29, and thank you to our brass coaches. Below is a recap of our rehearsal and our plan for Sunday 10/6

RECAP of 9/29 rehearsal

• We worked on Tchaikovsky: first, we read and worked from the beginning to the Allegro Giusto. Then, we read (and sort of worked along the way) on Allegro Giusto to letter [O]. Finally, we went back to the Allegro Giusto for some deeper work until letter [G].
• We did *NOT* work on Orpheus Undone on Sunday 9/29. I thought that we needed the extra time on Thaikovsky.
• SECTIONALS.
  • Brass sections worked on Mazzoli and Tchaikovsky as needed.
  • Strings and woodwinds worked with me on Beethoven. We practiced the presto, played slowly, worked on the syncopations. Then we read the Allegro until the first trumpet fanfare (with some light work). Beethoven still needs lots of work.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, October 6

• 4:00pm-4:45pm – tutti: readthrough of the first draft of “Innamorata” by Elishiya Crain-Keddie (YCP piece) – hard copies of parts will be provided at rehearsal.
• 4:45pm-5:30pm – tutti: Mazzoli, letter [H] to end of Part 1
• 5:30pm-5:45pm – break
• 5:45pm-7:00pm – sectionals (see below)

Sectional split for 9/29:

• Flutes – Mazzoli, Tchaikovsky as needed
• Oboes – Mazzoli, Tchaikovsky as needed
• Clarinets – Mazzoli, Tchaikovsky as needed
• Bassoons – Mazzoli, Tchaikovsky as needed
• Strings, brass, percussion, harp/piano – Tchaikovsky – Letter [G] to end.

Reminder: LISTEN to our repertoire constantly

It’s always a good idea to find several different versions of each of the pieces we’re playing. Add them to your regular listening rotation. You can always start with the recordings that I’ve shared on the sidebar of this blog. The more variety you find, the more informed your own performance will be.

Reminder: Concerto Competition

The webpage for our Concerto Competition is now live. You’ll find all the information you need, including deadlines, rules and forms. The registration deadline is Monday, October 14. Video entries are due Friday October 18.

Extra/replacement parts on the MYS website

• As always, you can find practice PDFs or print your own replacement parts on your Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

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Happy practicing,

Dr. G.

MYS Musicians | August 2024

Happy Tuesday!

Great work on Sunday 9/22. Thank you to the string coaches who worked with our sections. Below is a recap of our rehearsal and our plan for Sunday 9/29.

RECAP of 9/22 rehearsal

• Worked on Missy Mazzoli‘s Orpheus Undone, Part 1: Behold the Machine (O Death). We read the whole Part 1, then worked from the beginning until letter [L]
• SECTIONALS on Tchaikovsky. String sections covered:
  • Allegro giusto (m. 112) to m.164
  • Letter K to m.285
  • Letter L to m.307
  • Letter O to m. 368
  • Letter S to Letter U.
• Winds/brass/percussion worked on Tchaikovsky from the beginning to letter [O].

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, September 29

• 4:00pm-5:00pm – tutti: Tchaikovsky, beginning to letter [O]
• 5:00pm-5:30pm – tutti: Mazzoli, letter [H] to end of Part 1
• 5:30pm-5:45pm – break
• 5:45pm-7:00pm – sectionals (see below)

Sectional split for 9/29:

• Horns – Mazzoli, Tchaikovsky as needed
• Trumpets – Mazzoli, Tchaikovsky as needed
• Low brass – Mazzoli, Tchaikovsky as needed
• Strings, woodwinds – Beethoven Leonore Overture: Presto (m. 514) to end; Allegro (m. 37) to m. 272.

LISTEN to our repertoire constantly

It’s always a good idea to find several different versions of each of the pieces we’re playing. Add them to your regular listening rotation. You can always start with the recordings that I’ve shared on the sidebar of this blog. The more variety you find, the more informed your own performance will be.

Concerto Competition

The webpage for our Concerto Competition is now live. You’ll find all the information you need, including deadlines, rules and forms. The registration deadline is Monday, October 14. Video entries are due Friday October 18.

Extra/replacement parts on the MYS website

• As always, you can find practice PDFs or print your own replacement parts on your Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Violins for sale

I have a couple of full-size violins for sale if anybody is interested. Shoot me an e-mail and I’ll give you more information.

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Happy practicing,

Dr. G.

MYS Musicians | September 2024

Hi MYSfits,

Great to see you on Sunday. A few notes below.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, September 15

• Mozart, Mov 1 – practice towards goal tempo: 132
• Read new piece: Jai Ho by A. R. Rahman

Updated Seating Charts (Fall 2024)

Mozart:

• Violin I – 1. Amir, 2. Esther, 3. Leena, 4, Raúl
• Violin II – 1. Rhea, 2. Oliver, 3. Seth, 4. Norah
• Viola – 1. Katya, 2. Soren, 3. Reed, 4. Kenji
• Cello – 1. Gavin, 2. Margaux, 3. Rowan
• Bass – 1. Colby, 2. Cyrus

Rahman, etc.

• Violin I – 1. Esther, 2. Leena, 3. Oliver, 4., Raúl
• Violin II – 1. Amir, 2. Rhea, 3. Norah, 4. Seth
• Viola – 1. Katya, 2. Soren, 3. Reed, 4. Kenji
• Cello – 1. Margaux, 2. Gavin, 3. Rowan
• Bass – 1. Cyrus, 2. Colby

Updated Schedule

Thanks to the attentive person who discovered an error in my original schedule. The Monday Musical Club performance is on Monday, February 3. A corrected PDF is here. I’ve also removed the All Classical live radio show from October. We’re exploring a couple of other dates in November and March. I’ll keep you posted.

[9/12/24 UPDATE!! – We’re confirmed for Thursdays at 3 on November 21, 2024. I’ve updated the PDF schedule on the sidebar of this webpage and will send an e-mail]

New piece: Jai Ho by A. R. Rahman

• We’ll bring hard copies of this new piece on Sunday. For the time being, please listen to the video linked below, and check our Online Library periodically for PDFs (they will be uploaded before the weekend). The password is playmys.

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Happy practicing,

Dr. G.

Hi everybody,

As I mentioned in rehearsal on Sunday, this year’s Concerto Competition was the most evenly competitive contest since I’ve been at MYS. Every single participant played extremely well, and it took the judges a long time to deliberate and make a final decision.

The winners and runner-up are below, along with their performance assignments.

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Strings Category Winner: Ian Ko (cello)

• Performs with Symphony Orchestra on March 3, 2024 (Lalo Cello Concerto, Mov 1)

Winds/Brass/Percussion/Piano Category Winner: Mia Hale (oboe)

• Performs with Symphony Orchestra on June 16, 2024 (Ruth Gipps Oboe Concerto, Mov 1)

Overall Runner-Up: Margaux Hicks (cello)

• Performs with Concert Orchestra on May 12, 2024 (Haydn Cello Concerto in C, Mov 1)

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Again, congratulations to all, and please join me in celebrating all the participants and winners!

Best,

Dr. G.