Posted on February 3, 2026February 3, 2026 by mys-staff

CONCERT Orchestra Notes for February 8, 2026

Dear Concert Orchestra,

Two more rehearsals before our concert on February 22nd. I’m feeling good about where we are in our process. This is an important point in your practicing journey for this repertoire: It’s time to dig deeper into individual mastery of your part, find and polish details (dynamics, articulation, etc), be extremely demanding of your own intonation, and improve accuracy through mindful repetition (with a metronome). In rehearsal, you should now be directing most of your attention into listening to everybody around you, and prioritizing ensemble cohesion.

I’ll be with you the whole time this Sunday and the next. Please see our detailed rehearsal order below.

Important: I learned that our Spring concert date (Saturday, May 16th) conflicts with the OSAA 6a State Band Competition. If you’re in a school band that could be in the finals, would you please let me know by e-mail ASAP?

Best,

Dr. G.

rehearsals left before concert:

2

Recap – February 1, 2026

First half of rehearsal: Mozart with Mr. Todd
Second half: “Retep” (Cartoon Music). We started with the credits (which we didn’t rehearse the week before), and worked our way backwards through the whole piece. We made good progress. Again: it’s crucial to practice this one with a metronome, or along to the YouTube video of the short film with the music.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, February 8

Please arrive by 1:45pm. We can always use extra hands to help set up the room if you are able to get there closer to 1:30pm. I will arrive at 1:30pm to open the space.

Arrival: 1:45pm – EVERYBODY SIGN IN IN CAFETERIA.
2:00pm-3:15pm: YCP Cartoon Music (in preparation for rehearsal, please practice along to the YouTube video for this piece). Our YouTube playlist is linked on the sidebar.
3:30pm-3:45pm: break
3:30pm-5:00pm: Mozart

Reminder: Sunday, March 1st: Symphony Orchestra concert at 4pm

As I mentioned last week, instead of our originally-planned shorter rehearsal on Sunday, March 1st, I’d like to ask all Concert Orchestra students to attend Symphony Orchestra’s concert at 4pm at the Newmark Theatre. Tickets are free for MYS students and can be purchased on the MYS website. If you can’t come to this concert, please fill out a regular absence form as usual.

To receive the free MYS Student ticket for concerts at the Schnitzer or Newmark, you must both:

Select “MYS Student” ticket type and

In the cart, enter the coupon code: mysstudent

Note: Free student tickets are not available for Dress Circle (Schnitzer) or 1st Balcony Boxes and Rows A & B (Newmark). MYS Student tickets may be redeemed on the MYS website or may be requested in person at the Newmark or Schnitzer Box Office; they are not available online via the Portland’5 website.

Leadership Audition for Spring Term – Instructions and Excerpts

I’ve posted instructions and excerpts for our Spring Leadership Auditions here.

As per our season schedule, the videos are due on Tuesday, February 10th. Don’t leave this for the last minute. Most orchestra sections have 3 excerpts to record. A possible plan could be to record one excerpt per week.

Every member of the orchestra is expected to submit a video. This will determine leadership roles for our spring term (along with attendance records).

MYS CONCERT Part Assignments, Orchestra Schedule, Repertoire, Audio Reference, etc…

No changes this week.

Please check the items linked on the sidebar (or bottom of the page if on a mobile device) if you need to consult anything.

Find PDF Practice Parts at the MYS Online Music Library

If you lose your part, or need to access a digital copy for any reason, you can find one in our Online Music Library. Look for the button “C.O. Music Library” on the sidebar or the bottom of this blog page. The password is playmys.

Availability for private lessons

I don’t take long-term regular private students, but this season I will have some availability on Monday afternoons for “one-off” violin, viola or conducting lessons. The lessons can be in person at the MYS building in SE Portland, or via Zoom. (I may also be available for private coaching sessions for other instruments, but my specific instrumental training is upper strings.) Shoot me an e-mail if you’re interested for more details.

Happy practicing,
(and don’t forget to bring a music stand)