Our spring concert has come and gone. It is strange to realize that my Sunday afternoons will be free for the rest of the school year. Even stranger,  the heavy feeling of finality that hung over this concert weekend. This concert was especially unique, adding an extra spark that helped us focus and appreciate our music like never before.

The first half of the concert felt smooth. Mr. Peters’ piece was energetic and the collaborative pieces with the VYO chorus were beautiful and delicate. The second half of the concert was even better. Sometimes, the orchestra struggles after an intermission because of physical and mental fatigue, but on Sunday, our focus level remained high and we delivered a performance of which we could be proud.

In my opinion, the last piece on the program, An American in Paris, was better than ever. Our enjoyment of the piece came through with an electric intensity. This is not to say that our playing was entirely free of mistakes, but it was so full of passion! Playing An American in Paris demonstrated to me the sheer power of music. Live music is a gift. When performers and listeners connect with the heart of a piece, it captivates and leaves one thirsty for more. This kind of magic gave many of us chills as we played the final notes of Copland’s beautiful music.

The poignancy of the moment was amplified by the knowledge that this would be our last “regular” concert with the VYO. Mr. Peters will be moving to Texas later this year and along with the other seniors, I will graduate soon. I reflect on these changes with a mixture of sadness, gratitude for the past and excitement for the future. Playing with the VYO has been such a significant part of my life for the last two years that I can’t believe my time is already ending.

Fortunately, most of us can still look forward to playing together again at our Tour Kickoff concert on July 3rd and to our exciting tour.   If our spring concert was any indication, our summer performances in Vermont, Québec and France will be magnifique!

—April Burbank     (Photo: David Yandell)

“It sounds too ‘Wonderbread’.”

This is Mr. Peters’ description of our recent rehearsal rendition of Danse Boheme from Bizet’s Carmen. We were playing all of the notes correctly, but we weren’t dancing. His unique description made us laugh and loosen up. It got us to lean into the notes and play the piece with character. This became the tone for the entire rehearsal, which was our last regular meeting before the concert. Most of us had just enjoyed a week of school vacation so perhaps we were a less focused, making little mistakes. However, I am confident that the adrenaline of the concert will iron out these final details as long as we remember everything we’ve learned.

For the second half of our rehearsal, we were joined by the VYO Chorus to rehearse Brahms’ Shicksalsied and Fauré’s Pavane. This was our first joint rehearsal before we will perform these pieces together in the concert, as Suzanne mentioned in the last post. I’ll admit it: I was expecting a train wreck, but the two groups worked together surprisingly well. Of course, we all had to adjust to the sound of both groups working together and to the different conducting styles of Mr. Peters and Dr. Buettner, but by the end of the rehearsal, we were united.

Both conductors urged us to play and sing with expression. Mr. Peters told us that the first part of Shicksalsied represents “a vision of heaven”, and is the most powerful, heartbreakingly beautiful art in Western civilization. The middle section –  the toil of life on earth –  he likened to “beautiful Viking violence” and, if you can believe it,  Metallica! As we explored the contrast between those two sections, our playing/singing reflected deeper emotion. During the Pavane, Dr. Buettner encouraged us to think of the music as “brushstrokes” in a beautiful painting. Now that we have the chorus and the orchestra together, the painting feels complete. The holes in both pieces have been filled in and they sound great. I can’t wait for the concert!

–April Burbank     (Photo: April Burbank)

This week, the VYO visited the Saint Albans Town elementary and middle school. During these visits that we call school tours, our primary goal is to share music with the students; specifically, to inspire as many students as possible to play instruments and to participate in their school’s music programs. At the St. Albans school, we taught the students about our instruments and gave music lessons. The day ended with a full VYO concert.

During the morning, we visited first to seventh grade classrooms in small groups, arranged to demonstrate the various instrument “families”. My group included clarinet, oboe, bassoon and flute.  These sessions were especially fun for me because many of the kids hadn’t seen or heard an oboe before. As I entered one of the classrooms, a first-grade boy looked up at me and exclaimed, “Boy, that sure is a funny looking instrument.” I showed the class how this “funny” instrument could produce beautiful sounds… the excited chattering in the room when I played an excerpt of a Hindemith sonata was great! Taking questions from the students at the end of the session was the most fun with younger students. The questions ranged from logical (“How long have you played your instruments?”) to slightly offbeat (“Which of your instruments is oldest?”) to completely obscure (“Do you have your driver’s license?”). I love the unpredictability of these classroom visits!

In the afternoon, the entire school gathered in the gym to hear the VYO present a preview of music from our Spring Concert; we played Gershwin’s An American in Paris and the Carmen Suite by Bizet. This was great practice for our upcoming concert and it helped place a fresh perspective on our music. Mr. Peters explained many musical concepts to the students, including the role of the conductor, composition techniques, and dynamics. As I listened to him describe the story behind An American in Paris, I was reminded to play with emotion rather than being overly concerned with correct notes and rhythms. I wanted the students to feel the weight and beauty of each note we played.

The day consistently reflected my own journey in music. Although I can’t remember if my elementary school ever hosted a youth music ensemble, I distinctly remember being inspired by older oboists. When I was in fourth grade, I played in my private instructor’s annual recital for the first time. I remember being awestruck by the skill with which the high school musicians played. I thought they played at a level I could never achieve. After the recital, some of these older musicians made a point to compliment my playing. They told me that I could become an amazing oboist someday. I’m not sure that I believed them at the time, but I have never forgotten those kind words. There’s just something special and terribly important about older musicians mentoring younger musicians.
I hope that our school visit will have a lasting effect on the students we met on Wednesday. This visit gave us all a valuable opportunity to share our passion for music. I hope the kids enjoyed it as much as we did.

–April Burbank     (Photo: April Burbank)

I’m very excited for the spring VYO concerts.

This week’s VYO rehearsal went well; the orchestra is gradually sounding better as everyone practices their part and grows more comfortable with how the pieces sound. As part of the upcoming May concerts we are playing An American in Paris by George Gershwin; we will also play this piece when we are actually all Americans in Paris during our concert tour in France in July. This is an awesome piece, with great melodies, intertwining counter melodies, and an incredible enthusiasm inherent to the music.

Like the Ravel Piano Concerto we played with Sammy (Angstman) in the fall, the Gershwin is definitely influenced by jazz. One trumpet solo in particular has a cool groove. Gershwin also admired contemporary French classical composers. When the younger Gershwin asked Maurice Ravel for some composition lessons, the story goes that Ravel replied, “Maybe I should be taking lessons from you.”

This piece has difficult spots for everyone in the orchestra, but this week everything started to flow together into a cohesive work, becoming cleaner and clearer. Mr. Peters always tells us to play like we mean it… We often hear, “I’d rather have you be wrong and strong, than right but inaudible.” It’s great advice. Following it is really important to making a great sound, but also to having a good energy in the orchestra. This Sunday I could hear that people were paying attention and playing with conviction, and it had a big effect on the music we were making together. If we keep this up, we will have superb concerts in May.

–Suzanne Calhoun     (Photo: Stina Plant)