Sound of Charlotte Blog
Meet CSYO Member Daniel Carpenter
April 23, 2014The 27th Annual Youth Festival takes place on April 23. The festival will feature separate performances by the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra (grades 8-12) and Junior Youth Orchestra (grades 4-9), as well as the winner of the Symphony Guild of Charlotte's Young Artist Competition.
Meet Daniel Carpenter, a 17-year-old percussionist. He was recently interviewed for Matthews Monthly and here's what he had to say about his musical experiences.
Five years ago, I decided to audition for the Charlotte Symphony's Junior Youth Orchestra (JYO) at the recommendation of two close friends who were members. I made it in and loved it from the first rehearsal! I continued in JYO for a second year before entering the Youth Orchestra. Being a part of the Youth Orchestra has improved my skills as a percussionist and helped me grow tremendously as a musician and person. In fact, the Youth Orchestra was a major factor in preparing me to be a percussionist in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra in Interlochen Arts Camp last summer.
Youth Fest is going to be particularly exiting for me this year. Not only do I get to be on stage with the Charlotte Symphony, but we are going to perform three movements from "The Planets" by Gustav Holst with a part for two sets of timpani played side by side. This is one of my favorite orchestral pieces of all time!
Music is so significant to me because it can express deep and powerful things about God's beauty in this world. It reaches people's hearts and minds in a universal way not hindered by any language barrier and can speak personally to people. I am very thankful to have music as such a major part of my life.
This article originally appeared in Matthews Monthly, April 2014 edition. Read full story here.
Kicking off the Wells Fargo Spring Challenge
April 18, 2014
This spring, Wells Fargo has issued a challenge, "If your audience contributes $25,000 in new gifts by Friday, May 9, we will match them, dollar-for-dollar. We sat down with Jay Everette, Community Affairs Manager at Wells Fargo, to discuss the challenge and why it is an impactful way for Wells Fargo to show its support of the Symphony.
Learn how you can contribute to the challenge. Click here to donate today, or call us at 704-714-5108 and mention the Wells Fargo Challenge. Your gift is doubled when you give by May 9!
Five Questions for Wells Fargo's Jay Everette
CSO: Why do you feel offering a challenge gift is an effective method to raise audience engagement?
Jay Everette: When our Wells Fargo Foundation issues a challenge grant we know from past experience that donors appreciate the fact that their contributions are matched and in effect doubled!
CSO: Wells Fargo is a leading supporter of the arts and culture in Charlotte. Why is this a priority for the company?
JE: Our Foundation focuses on providing exceptional arts and culture experiences for our community. We know that the arts are an important part of our educational outreach as well.
CSO: What would you say to a Symphony audience member who feels their gift would not make a difference?
JE: A donation of any size can make a huge difference in the operation and outreach of a nonprofit. For example, even a small contribution can purchase sheet music for a symphony musician. Nonprofit groups need contributions both large and small. Small gifts are a great opportunity to introduce children to the concept of philanthropy as well, so these types of challenge grants present a great way for families to support the Symphony.
CSO: What was your most memorable Symphony experience this season?
JE: Having the honor of being on stage to announce Wells Fargo's corporate underwriting support for the Itzak Perlman performance!
Don't forget to join the Wells Fargo Spring Challenge!
Click here and join your fellow audience and help us reach our goal.
Meet CSYO Member Brandon Castillo
April 16, 2014 The 27th Annual Youth Festival takes place on April 23. The festival will feature separate performances by the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra (grades 8-12) and Junior Youth Orchestra (grades 4-9), as well as the winner of the Symphony Guild of Charlotte's Young Artist Competition.
Meet Brandon Castillo, a senior at W.A. Hough High School. He started playing the viola in fifth grade. Brandon was recently interviewed for Corneilus Life and here's what he had to say about his musical experiences.
I have made
I have loved every second of being in the Youth Orchestra: the friends I've made, the concerts I've performed in and the memories I have. My favorite things have been our trip to D.C., the annual summer camp and the annual Youth Festival.
Youth Festival is always exiting. Nowhere else can I play with actual professional musicians of a major symphony orchestra! My skills always progress the most around "youth fest" because I a, anxious beforehand and always learn a few thing during the concert. One example is page turning. Last year I noticed a page-turning technique that a Charlotte Symphony musician used, turning pages with a bow so that the page turn was quick and quiet. I have used that technique ever since, and other musicians comment on how well I do it!
This article originally appeared in Corneilus Life, April 2014 edition. Read full story here.
Meet CSYO Member Meredith Nelson
April 12, 2014The 27th Annual Youth Festival takes place on April 23. The festival will feature separate performances by the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra (grades 8-12) and Junior Youth Orchestra (grades 4-9), as well as the winner of the Symphony Guild of Charlotte's Young Artist Competition.
Meet Meredith Nelson. She's a senior at Myers Park High School and began her musical career at age two! She joined the Junior Youth Orchestra in seventh grade, and Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO) as a freshman in high school, She was recently interviewed for Inside Myers Park and here's what she had to say about her musical experiences.
Each week, eighty CSYO musicians from 37 different schools gather together for, unified in our mutual love for music. We weave together our personal techniques and interpretations, and with the help of conductor Dr. Pereira, fit our parts into a complex, yet wonderful musical puzzle. We work together as friends, teachers and students, as we all learn from and teach each other. As my skills have developed, my enjoyment of music has increased.
From our regular season concerts to Festival in the Park, the Summer Pops Concert and our performance in DC, we have played some of the best musical repertoire in wonderful venues.
My most memorable musical moments are playing ensembles with three generations of my family during birthdays and holidays. My sister, Audrey (who plays in the JYO), mother, aunt, grandmother, cousins and I perform for the rest of the family; we sound nowhere near professional, but all truly love to play together. Musical performance is a lifelong pursuit that creates the most wonderful connections and experiences. It's a skill I hope to never lose, but to gain from throughout life.
This article originally appeared in Inside Myers Park, April 2014 edition. Read full story here.
Meet CSYO Member Brooke Kinsey
April 10, 2014Meet Brooke Kinsey, a senior at Ardrey Kell High School. She was recently interviewed for Ballantyne Life and here's what she had to say about her musical experiences with Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra.
I began trumpet when I was 9, and from then on, my mom and my school band directors always encouraged me to go after selective groups. I auditioned for the Charlotte Symphony's Junior Youth Orchestra at the end of seventh grade and was ecstatic when I was chosen to be in the group! In high school, I auditioned for the symphony's Youth Orchestra and was chosen in my freshman year.
The Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra is full of talented musicians and a dedicated conductor, Dr. Pereira, who is also a professional violinist in the symphony, whom I live working with. The music is a welcome challenge and having the opportunity to play in an orchestra has been a great experience. Being a musician involves cooperating in a group, working hard and lots of practicing, but it's also about being part of something greater than yourself. Every individual is responsible for learning his or her part of the music, but in the end, we all have to listen to each other to truly give the music feeling.
My love of music is something that will always be with me, no matter where my coming journey to college and beyond takes me. I'll always cherish my time with the Youth Orchestra.
This article originally appeared in Ballantyne Life, April 2014 edition. Read full story here.
Meet CSYO Member Liddy Farley
April 4, 2014The 27th Annual Youth Festival takes place on April 23. The festival will feature separate performances by the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra (grades 8-12) and Junior Youth Orchestra (grades 4-9), as well as the winner of the Symphony Guild of Charlotte's Young Artist Competition.
Meet Liddy Farley. She's 15 years old, in 10th grade, home-schooled and lives in Harrisburg. She was recently interviewed for Harrisburg Life and here's what she had to say about her musical experiences.
Music has been such a wonderful addition to my life. I have always been very shy, and I find in uncomfortable to speak in front of other people. However, music has given me the confidence to express myself in ways I never would have before. I can hide behind the music stand and let the music speak for me. Having the power to decide how to interpret music is such a fun part of performing. I can make someone smile, laugh or cry by just playing little black notes on paper. I love that!
Since becoming a member of the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra, my playing has greatly improved. I love practicing with a group of people and getting to know other kids with the same interests as me. Before I joined the Youth Orchestra, I was thinking about quitting the violin, but now I could never imagine my life without it! The Youth Orchestra motivates me to practice harder and enjoy my instrument and music more.
The Youth Festival is my favorite concert of the year. I am so exited that I will be able to share the stage with the Charlotte Symphony musicians! It will be such an honor. Performing pieces that we have worked tediously hard on, playing side by side with professionals, it's such a rewarding feeling. I always felt so proud to be a part of the Youth Orchestra!
This article originally appeared in Harrisburg Life, April 2014 edition. Read full story here.
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