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Hi everybody! I cannot believe we’re almost at the end of September already!! Below is a recap of Sunday 9/24/23, as well as our rehearsal plan for 10/01/23.

A reminder of my recommended practice strategy:

• Between our Sunday rehearsal and whenever you get my weekly e-mail (usually Tuesdays), practice what we worked on in the last rehearsal.
• Between Tuesday and the following Sunday, practice what we will be doing in that next rehearsal.

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Recap: 9/24/23

• Hisaishi: we listened to our reference recording, read the whole piece and did a little work.
• Beauty and the Beast: we listened to a reference performance and “Belle” from the original Disney animated movie. We read the whole piece and did a tiny bit of work.
• Dukas: #[38] to end of piece, with some light work.
• Mussorgsky, H to end of piece, with some light work as well.

Rehearsal plan for 10/01/23

4:00pm-5:30pm:

• Detailed work on Mussorgsky (with Giancarlo Castro D’Addona, guest conductor)
• Percussion with Mr. Schlossman

5:45pm-7:00pm:

• Sectionals!!! Focused on Dukas
  • Violin 1
  • Violin 2
  • Viola
  • Cello + bass
  • Winds/brass/percussion together

NOTE: Please also start practicing The Little Mermaid Suite and Poor Unfortunate Souls!

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Concert Cue Volunteers

• Thank you to those of you who volunteered to annotate pieces on Concert Cue for our November concert. I’ll be in touch to schedule a “training” session (on Zoom). In the meantime, feel free to start researching the pieces, or listening to recordings and finding your favorite moments that you would like to highlight in real-time.
  • Mussorgsky – Dana
  • YCP – composers
  • Beauty and the Beast – Alice
  • Mermaid – Liam
  • Poor Unfortunate Souls – Violet
  • Dukas – Kate
  • Hisaishi – Aidric

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Part Assignments

Up-to-date part assignments can be found by clicking on the link on the sidebar on the right (or the “quick links” towards the bottom of the page if you’re on mobile).

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Happy practicing and see you Sunday!

Dr. G. 

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Hi everybody! Below is a recap of Sunday 9/17/23, as well as our rehearsal plan for 9/24/23.

Also, here’s my recommended practice strategy:

• Between our Sunday rehearsal and whenever you get my weekly e-mail (usually Tuesdays), practice what we worked on in that last rehearsal.
• Between whenever you get my e-mail and the following Sunday, practice what we will be doing in that next rehearsal.

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Recap: 9/17/23

Music work

• Dukas: read until 38
• Dukas detailed work:
  • beginning to 6
  • 7 after 28 to 38 (working backwards)
• Mussorgsky: read until H
• Mussorgsky Detailed work:
  • Beginning to C

Individual and common goals

• You wrote down 3 individual goals for you and 3 group goals for the orchestra. We split into small groups to discuss and share.
• I’ll compile all the common goals into a single document.

Concert Cue Volunteers

• Thank you to those of you who volunteered to annotate pieces on Concert Cue for our November concert. I’ll be in touch to schedule a “training” session (on Zoom). In the meantime, feel free to start researching the pieces, or listening to recordings and finding your favorite moments that you would like to highlight in real-time.
  • Mussorgsky – Dana
  • YCP – composers
  • Beauty and the Beast – Alice
  • Mermaid – Liam
  • Poor Unfortunate Souls – Violet
  • Dukas – Kate
  • Hisaishi – Adric

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Rehearsal plan for 9/24/23

4:00pm-5:30pm:

• Read Hisaishi
• Read Beauty and The Beast Suite

5:45pm-7:00pm:

• Dukas: #[38] to end of piece
• If time allows: Mussorgsky, H to end of piece

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Below is the information that I shared two weeks ago, for your convenience.

MYS Symphony Orchestra Schedule of Services, 2023-2024

• Please take a few minutes to review the PDF linked below, and add all rehearsals and concerts to your personal and family calendars. Click the thumbnail to download the PDF.
• All rehearsals will be at All Saints Church and School at 601 NE Cesar Chavez Blvd.

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Season + Tour Repertoire

You can check out this season’s repertoire by clicking the thumbnail below. I’m very excited about everything we’re playing. This document is subject to changes, but it will likely stay this way.

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Part Assignments

Up-to-date part assignments can be found by clicking on the link on the sidebar on the right (or the “quick links” towards the bottom of the page if you’re on mobile).

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Happy practicing and see you Sunday!

Dr. G. 

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Hi everybody! Great to see you for our first rehearsal last Sunday. It was a wonderful start to the year. Also, congratulations to MYSfits on a FANTASTIC performance at the Schnitz before the Yo-Yo Ma/Oregon Symphony concert. I keep hearing wonderful feedback about our performance. Thanks to those of you who showed up to support. It meant a lot seeing you there!!

I’m sharing my rehearsal plan for next Sunday (9/17/23) below. Please be sure to prepare (i.e. practice between now and Sunday and learn your individual part before rehearsal). Additionally, I’m asking you to volunteer to annotate one of the pieces this season for ConcertCue. Finally, I’m keeping content from my previous e-mail below for your convenience (schedule, repertoire, part assignments, etc).

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Rehearsal plan for 9/17/23

• 3:45pm – arrival, warm-up
• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Dukas, beginning to rehearsal #38
• 5:30pm-5:45pm – break
• 5:45pm-7:00pm – Mussorgsky, beginning to letter H
• 7:00pm-7:05pm – put room back together

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Updated audio/video reference for Dukas & Mussorgsky

I updated the reference videos for both pieces on the sidebar (or down below under “Quick Links” if you’re on mobile). These performances match the original score that we’re playing. I will also create a separate post with the Disney Fantasia videos, where the pieces are cut and edited for the animations.

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Calling for Concert Cue Volunteers

If you’re interested in volunteering to annotate one of our pieces this season for Concert Cue, please send me an e-mail.

We’ll work together to create the annotations and craft an informative and engaging experience for our audiences. This counts for volunteer hours if you need them at school, etc.

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Below is the information that I shared last week, for your convenience.

MYS Symphony Orchestra Schedule of Services, 2023-2024

• Please take a few minutes to review the PDF linked below, and add all rehearsals and concerts to your personal and family calendars. Click the thumbnail to download the PDF.
• All rehearsals will be at All Saints Church and School at 601 NE Cesar Chavez Blvd.

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Season + Tour Repertoire

You can check out this season’s repertoire by clicking the thumbnail below. I’m very excited about everything we’re playing. This document is subject to changes, but it will likely stay this way.

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Part Assignments

Up-to-date part assignments can be found by clicking on the link on the sidebar on the right (or the “quick links” towards the bottom of the page if you’re on mobile).

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Happy practicing and see you Sunday!

Dr. G. 

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Hi everybody! Welcome back if you were with us last year, and a giant WELCOME if you’re new to Symphony Orchestra this year. We have a very exciting season ahead of us, ending with an international tour to Spain and Portugal, which I hope all of you can join.

This is just an introductory message about rehearsals, concerts and repertoire.

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MYS Symphony Orchestra Schedule of Services, 2023-2024

• Please take a few minutes to review the PDF linked below, and add all rehearsals and concerts to your personal and family calendars. Click the thumbnail to download the PDF.
• All rehearsals will be at All Saints Church and School at 601 NE Cesar Chavez Blvd.
• You’ll note that our first rehearsal (Sunday, 9/10) will be shorter: 4pm-6pm. The reason is that MYSfits will perform at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall at 7:00pm for an Oregon Symphony Prelude Performance before Yo-Yo Ma’s concert. I’d like to encourage everybody to go to the Schnitz to support MYSfits. No tickets are needed for this performance. It will take place at the lobby of the Schnitz between 7pm and 7:20pm.

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Season + Tour Repertoire

You can check out this season’s repertoire by clicking the thumbnail below. I’m very excited about everything we’re playing. This document is subject to changes, but it will likely stay this way.

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Part Assignments

Part assignments for all pieces will be communicated next week. Look for an e-mail from me on Tuesday.

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MYS Orientation

Look for an e-mail from our office with information about our general orientation session via Zoom on Wednesday 9/6 at 7pm.

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Concert Cue!

After our very successful introduction of Concert Cue for real-time program notes delivered to audience cell phones during our May concert (with Elaina Stuppler’s piece), we are excited to introduce Concert Cue for all Symphony Orchestra performances this year. We will be enlisting volunteers to create the interactive program notes for most pieces. More about this later, but I hope many of you will volunteer to create the content for a piece (or a movement) this season. It’s super cool.

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That’s it for now. More soon!!

Dr. G. 

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Weeknight rehearsals plan (updated as of 5/29/23)

• Tuesday, May 30 – 7pm-9:30pm (The Madeleine)
  • CONCERT ORDER!
  1. 7:00pm: Mozart
  2. Beethoven
  3. Mayer
  4. Stuppler
  5. Approx. 8:15pm: Bernstein

• Wednesday, May 31 – 7pm-9:30pm (The Madeleine)
  1. Mozart
  2. Beethoven
  3. Mayer
  4. Stuppler
  5. Approx. 8:15pm: Bernstein

Note: no rehearsal on Thursday, June 1st.

Concert: Friday, June 2nd, call time 4pm.

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Reference Recordings

MAYER:

BERNSTEIN:

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Part Assignments

Part assignments for all pieces can be accessed here. Please let me know if you spot any errors. Assignments are subject to change.

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Thank you, and happy practicing.

Dr. G. 

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Plan for Sunday, 5/28

6:30pm-9:00pm @ The Melody

Tutti!!

• Rehearsal order:
  • 6:30pm-8:00pm: Bernstein
  • break
  • 8:10pm-9:00pm: Stuppler

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Upcoming rehearsals & concert (updated as of 5/24/23)

• Sunday, 5/28, 6:30pm-9:00pm (tutti at The Melody)
• Tuesday, May 30 (!!!!) – 7pm-9:30pm (The Madeleine)
  1. Bernstein
  2. Stuppler
  3. Mayer
  4. Beethoven
  5. Mozart
• Wednesday, May 31 (!!!!) – 7pm-9:30pm (The Madeleine)
  1. Bernstein
  2. Stuppler
  3. Mayer
  4. Beethoven
  5. Mozart

Note: no rehearsal on Thursday, June 1st.

Concert: Friday, June 2nd, call time 4pm.

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Reference Recordings

MAYER:

BERNSTEIN:

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Part Assignments

Part assignments for all pieces can be accessed here. Please let me know if you spot any errors. Assignments are subject to change.

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Thank you, and happy practicing.

Dr. G. 

[back to blog home]

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Plan for Sunday, 5/21

Note: percussionists will rehearse at The Melody from 4pm-6pm on this day (5/21)

6:30pm-9:00pm @ PSU, Lincoln Hall

@ Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland State University, Room LH37 (band room)

All strings + winds/brass who play the piano concerti.

• Rehearsal order:
  • 6:30pm-7:15pm: Mozart
  • 7:15pm-8:00pm: Beethoven
  • break
  • 8:10pm-9:00pm: Mayer (strings only)

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Upcoming rehearsals & concert (updated as of 5/17/23)

• Sunday, 5/21, 4:00pm-6:00pm (percussion only, at The Melody); 6:30pm-9:00pm (at PSU, with piano soloists, all strings + winds/brass who play the piano concerti.)
• Sunday, 5/28, 6:30pm-9:00pm (tutti at The Melody)
• Tuesday, May 30 (!!!!) – 7pm-9:30pm (The Madeleine)
• Wednesday, May 31 (!!!!) – 7pm-9:30pm (The Madeleine)

Note: no rehearsal on Thursday, June 1st.

Concert: Friday, June 2nd, call time 4pm.

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Reference Recordings

MAYER:

BERNSTEIN:

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Part Assignments

Part assignments for all pieces can be accessed here. Please let me know if you spot any errors. Assignments are subject to change.

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Thank you, and happy practicing.

Dr. G. 

[back to blog home]

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Plan for Thursday, 5/11, 6:30pm-8:45pm

@ Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland State University, Room LH37 (band room)

• Rehearsal order:
• 6:30pm-7:30pm: Mozart
• 7:45pm-8:45pm: Beethoven

Winds, brass and timpani: you only need to be there for the pieces that you do play (including alternate players).

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Reference Recordings

MAYER:

BERNSTEIN:

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Part Assignments

Part assignments for all pieces can be accessed here. Please let me know if you spot any errors. Assignments are subject to change.

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Thank you, and see most of you tomorrow! (Thursday 5/11)

Dr. G. 

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Plan for Sunday 5/7, 4pm-7pm

@ The Melody Event Center (615 SE Alder St., Portland OR)

(Percussionists: Kevin will be there half of the time)

• 4:00pm-4:45pm
  • Stuppler
• 4:45-5:30pm
  • Mayer
• 5:30pm-5:45pm
  • (break)
• 5:45pm-7:00pm
  • Bernstein (whole piece)

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REMAINING REHEARSALS

All remaining rehearsals (with locations and times) are listed here.

Heads up: Thursday, May 11th: rehearsal of piano concertos

This will be a Mozart & Beethoven piano concerti rehearsals (without timpani). So, if you play the concerti, please plan to attend this rehearsal (including alternate players.)

• Thursday, May 11th, 6:30pm-9:00pm (PSU, Lincoln Hall, Band Room)

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Reference Recordings

MAYER:

BERNSTEIN:

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Part Assignments

Part assignments for all pieces can be accessed here. Please let me know if you spot any errors. Assignments are subject to change.

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Thank you, and see you Sunday 5/7!

Dr. G.