Hi everybody,

Thank you to those of you who submitted optional Leadership Auditions. Click the button below to see part assignments for our next concert on March 3, 2024. If you’re interested in leadership roles, or if you feel like I’m not giving you the opportunities that you would like, please make sure to submit an optional Leadership Audition for our June concert (details coming in the coming weeks).

NOTE FOR HORNS AND TRUMPETS!! — You will need to transpose in the Beethoven Symphony. Check your parts carefully. I want you to practice transposing on this piece.

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A picture of our wonderful Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by Adam Eccleston on Dec 10, 2023

Hi everybody,

There will be no rehearsal this Sunday (Jan 14) due to anticipated inclement weather and freezing temperatures. Below you will find your homework for this Sunday in place of rehearsal; and our rehearsal plan for Sunday, January 21st.

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Homework for Sunday, January 14

• Check new part assignments for our March concert.
• Print (or import to your tablet) your assigned parts for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 and/or our new YCP piece: Charlie Martin’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier. You can find these on our Music Library webpage (password is playmys).
• Listen to a recording of the Beethoven symphony while following along with your part. Please listen to the full symphony even if you don’t play some of the movements (like timpani, trumpets, trombones). There are no harp or piano parts, so if you play those instruments you are exempt from this task – though you might enjoy listening to the symphony anyway 🙂
• Listen to the computer-generated audio file for The Steadfast Tin Soldier, while following along with your part. Please note that this is the first draft of this piece, and while composer Charlie Martin has already submitted excellent materials with great attention to detail, there might be small changes to the parts.
• Start practicing both of these pieces, with special emphasis on what we will rehearse on Sunday, January 21 (see below).

NOTE FOR HORNS AND TRUMPETS!! — You will need to transpose in the Beethoven Symphony. Check your parts carefully. I want you to practice transposing on this piece.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, January 21 (including sectionals!)

• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Percussionists with Kevin Schlossman
• 4:00pm-4:45pm – Tutti minus percussion: Read-through of Charlie Martin’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier
• 4:45pm-5:30pm – Tutti minus percussion: Work on Beethoven‘s movements 5 and 4 (in that order)

5:30pm-5:45pm – Break

• 5:45pm-7:00pm – Sectionals on movements 5 and 4 of Beethoven
  • Violin 1 with Chien Tan
  • Violin 2 with Greg Ewer
  • Viola with Amanda Grimm
  • Cello/Bass with Nancy Ives
  • Woodwinds + brass with RGR

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Thank you, happy practicing and see you on Jan 21.

Best,

Dr. G.

Dave Miller (host of OPB’s “Think Out Loud”) with composer Elaina Stuppler, Jimmie Herrod and Raúl Gómez-Rojas on Friday, Jan 5, 2024

Hi everybody,

Please see below for our initial rehearsal plan for January 4 to January 9, 2024. This plan is subject to change, and I will notify you if any changes are made. All rehearsals will take place at our regular location: All Saints Catholic School and Church.

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Thursday, January 4 – 7:00pm-9:30pm         

Orchestra only (no Jimmie)

• 7:00pm-8:20pm                   Bunch
• 8:20pm-8:30pm                   break
• 8:30pm-9:30pm                   Jimmie’s songs

Friday, January 5 – 7:00pm-9:30pm

with Jimmie

• 7:00pm-7:30pm                   Bretón
• 7:30pm-8:00pm                   Freitas
• 8:00pm-8:10pm                   break
• 8:10pm-9:30pm                   Jimmie’s songs (with Jimmie)

Saturday, January 6 – 7:00pm-9:30pm

with Jimmie

• 7:00pm-7:45pm                   Bunch
• 7:45pm-8:10pm                   Jimmie’s songs (no Jimmie)
• 8:10pm-8:20pm                   break
• 8:20pm-9:30pm Jimmie’s songs (with Jimmie)

Sunday, January 7 – 4:00pm-7:00pm

with Jimmie

• 4:00pm-4:40pm                   Bunch
• 4:40pm-5:00pm                   Bretón
• 5:00pm-5:15pm                   Freitas
• 5:15pm-5:30pm                   break
• 5:30pm-7:00pm                   Jimmie’s songs (with Jimmie)

Monday, Jan 8

No rehearsal!

Tuesday, January 9

sound check and concert – see Call Sheet!

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Leadership Auditions

As I mentioned in a previous post, we will hold self-submitted, optional leadership auditions for leadership chairs for our March 2024 concert. If you want to participate, you’ll need to record two scales (major & minor) of your choice, plus 3 minutes (minimum) of solo repertoire of your choice. The deadline for submission is Friday, December 22.

You may submit your video via this Google Form.

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Finally, another reminder that I’m conducting The Nutcracker with Oregon Ballet Theatre. There are shows until 12/24. Call the OBT Box Office at 503-222-5538 for student tickets (make sure you select a show with orchestra!).

Happy holidays and happy practicing,

Dr. G.

Bows at the end of a Nutcracker production by Oregon Ballet Theatre, 2023

Hi everybody,

Thank you for a great rehearsal on Sunday! Please read on to learn about:

• Our rehearsal plan for 12/17/23
• Submission instructions for our optional Leadership Auditions (due 12/22/23)
• Reminder about our Concerto Competition (registration due 12/17/23)
• Sign-up form for our Holiday Party Potluck (happening this Sunday after rehearsal)

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Rehearsal plan for Sunday, December 17

• 4:00pm-4:25pm: Tomás Bretón “En la Alhambra”
• 4:25pm-4:55pm: Kenji Bunch “she flies with her own wings” — at quarter note = 92!!!!! please practice!!
• 4:55pm-5:15pm: de Freitas “Suite Alentejana No. 2, Finale”

5:15pm-5:30pm: break

• 5:30pm-5:45pm: “I Want to Run”
• 5:45pm-6:00pm: “Mouche”
• 6:00pm-6:15pm: “Beautiful”
• 6:15pm-6:30pm: “Are You Lonely”
• 6:30pm-6:45pm: “Willow Bed”
• 6:45pm-7:00pm: “I Love You”

If you were not at rehearsal on Sunday, or need replacement practice parts, you can access our digital library here. Password is playmys.

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Leadership Auditions

As I mentioned in a previous post, we will hold self-submitted, optional leadership auditions for leadership chairs for our March 2024 concert. If you want to participate, you’ll need to record two scales (major & minor) of your choice, plus 3 minutes (minimum) of solo repertoire of your choice. The deadline for submission is Friday, December 22.

You may submit your video via this Google Form.

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Concerto Competition Reminder

The deadline to sign up for our Concerto Competition is this Sunday, December 17 (!!). The competition is open for regular Symphony Orchestra members.

Details and instructions to sign up are here.

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Symphony Orchestra Holiday Potluck

Please plan to stay after rehearsal this Sunday to celebrate the holidays together! Families are invited. As soon as rehearsal is done at 7pm, we will reset the room and will start the potluck around 7:15pm. We’ll pick up/clean up between 8:45pm and 9:00pm.

All touring guest musicians are invited, of course!!

Please RSVP and sign up to bring a dish to share here.

Also, please bring your own beverages and reusable cups, plates and utensils.

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(keeping this from last week’s post):

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Finally, another reminder that I’m conducting The Nutcracker with Oregon Ballet Theatre. There are shows until 12/24. Call the OBT Box Office at 503-222-5538 for student tickets (make sure you select a show with orchestra!).

Best,

Dr. G.

MYSfits in rehearsal before their concert on 12/10/23

Hi everybody,

I missed seeing you on Sunday. Thank you to Giancarlo Castro for stepping in!

Please remember that as per our season schedule, this Sunday’s rehearsal will be later than usual: 6:30pm-9:00pm.

The reason for this different rehearsal time is that earlier, at 4pm, several MYS ensembles will perform in a Community Concert, right at All Saints: Flute Ensemble, Symphonic Wind Ensemble and MYSfits (joined by members of A Far Cry, the Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra from Boston).

I would encourage all of you to come to this concert at 4pm to support your peers. You don’t need tickets for this performances. Family members and general audience can get tickets here.

If you’re unable to attend the 4pm concert to support your friends, please arrive at 6:15pm for a 6:30pm rehearsal start.

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Heads-up about next few rehearsals and January 9 concert

If you’re new to MYS Symphony Orchestra this year, it’s important that you understand the quick turn-around that we have before our January concert, with the additional challenge of a holiday break right in the middle.

We have only 2 more rehearsals before our holiday break, and then we come right back to concert week, with evening rehearsals on Thursday, Jan 4; Friday, Jan 5; Saturday, Jan 6, and Sunday, Jan 6 as per our season schedule. There is no rehearsal on Monday, Jan 8, and then our concert is TUESDAY, Jan 9.

This means that your individual preparation (which is always crucial), is more important than ever. So, please practice everything you’re playing!!

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Rehearsal plan for December 10, 2023

• 6:30pm-7:15pm: “she flies with her own wings” by Kenji Bunch
• 7:15pm-7:45pm: Alentejana Suite No. 2 by Luis de Branco Freitas
• 7:45pm-8:00pm: break
• 8:00pm-8:20pm: “Willow Bed,” arr. Kornelis
• 8:20pm-8:40pm: “Are You Lonely,” arr. Frazar Henry
• 8:40pm-9:00pm: “I Love You,” arr. Stuppler

More important information:

• If you were not at rehearsal on Sunday, or need replacement practice parts, you can access our digital library here. Password is playmys.

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Finally, starting tomorrow night (Friday, Dec 8), I will be conducting The Nutcracker with Oregon Ballet Theatre. There are 14 shows with orchestra between 12/8 and 12/24. Call the OBT Box Office at 503-222-5538 for student tickets.

Best,

Dr. G.

OBT The Nutcracker, 2023

Hi everybody,

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. This Sunday (12/3) we will read 4 out of 6 arrangements of songs by Jimmie Herrod, created by Young Composers Project students. We will offer feedback to the arrangers so they can make any final edits/corrections.

In the second half of rehearsal, we will work on Tomás Bretón’s En la Alhambra.

Approximate timing:

• 4:00pm-5:30pm: Arrangements by Elaina Stuppler, Adrian Valenzuela, Frazar Henry and Lex Kornelis.
• 5:30pm-5:50pm: break
• 5:50pm-7:00pm: Bretón

More important information:

• Temporary PDF score and parts for Jimmie’s songs can be found here.

• Bretón part assignments – go to page 3 for winds/brass/harp (reminder: my rosters are NOT rankings)
• PDFs for Bretón’s En la Alhambra
• Reference Audio

Temporary part assignments for Jimmie’s songs will be e-mailed on Friday.

Notes for harp and percussion:

• Harp: there is a harp part for 2 of the songs: Are You Lonely and Willow Bed.
• Percussion: look for an e-mail from me and/or Mr. Schlossman with part assignments.

In addition to Bretón’s piece and the arrangments of Jimmie’s songs, this concert includes a piece by Portuguese composer Luis de Freitas Branco and Portland’s own Kenji Bunch. We’ll distribute PDFs of those parts soon.

Best,

Dr. G.

Hi everybody,

Even though I won’t see woodwinds, brass, harps or percussion this Sunday, I’d like to share part assignments for Tomás Bretón’s “En La Alhambra.” Please print a practice part for yourself, and start practicing.

Percussionists: stand by for your assignments, coming up soon.

• Bretón part assignments – go to page 3 for winds/brass/harp (reminder: my rosters are NOT rankings)
• PDFs for Bretón’s En la Alhambra
• Reference Audio

Happy WIBC to those of you doing that, and I look forward to working with the bowed string sections this Sunday.

Best,

Dr. G.

Hi everybody,

I am very proud of everybody’s hard work and inspired by your fearless and passionate playing in our concert last Sunday. CONGRATS!! It was a very fun performance, and I keep hearing very positive feedback from audience members.

I’m writing to share reference videos for our upcoming program, and to let you know about upcoming Leadership Auditions.

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Reference Videos

(these can also be found on the sidebar of this webpage)

(Note: we are playing 6 original songs by Jimmie, arranged by YCP composers and guests. The video above is only for you to get to know Jimmie, if you don’t yet)

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Leadership Auditions

We will hold self-submitted, optional leadership auditions for leadership chairs for our March 2024 concert. If you want to participate, you’ll need to record two scales (major & minor) of your choice, plus 3 minutes (minimum) of solo repertoire of your choice. The deadline for submission is Friday, December 22.

More information, as well as submission instructions will be sent in the coming weeks.

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Reminder: Rehearsal on Sunday 11/19 will be only for bowed strings. No winds, brass, harp or percussion.

I’m also including the links below from my last e-mail:

• Strings Seating Roster (reminder: my rosters are NOT rankings! – I try to build balanced sections with players of all levels of experience all around the sections).

• PDFs for Bretón’s En la Alhambra
• Reference Audio

Best,

Dr. G.

Hi all,

Amazing concert last night. I’ll take some time later in the week to write to you in more detail about our very successful performance.

I just wanted to take a moment today to send our string players the seating roster for our next concert, PDF practice parts for one of the pieces we will be performing on January 9: En la Alhambra by Spanish composer Tomás Bretón, and reference audio.

Reminder: Rehearsal on Sunday 11/19 will be only for bowed strings. No winds, brass, harp or percussion.

• Strings Seating Roster (reminder: my rosters are NOT rankings! – I try to build balanced sections with players of all levels of experience all around the sections).
• PDFs for Bretón’s En la Alhambra
• Reference Audio

Thanks, congrats again, and see you (strings) on Sunday.

Best,

Dr. G.