WHERE: at the Barnum Hall of Santa Monica High School
WHEN: June 10, 2000 at 7 p.m.
Do you remember sweet days of the last decade when:
-SAMOHI Symphony and Chamber Orchestras toured to Austria and Spain to perform at international youth music festivals?
- LA Philharmonic music director Esa-Pekka Salonen raised the conductor button in front of SAMOHI Symphony Orchestra?
- the CNN featured the SAMOHI orchestra (CNN online feature by CNN corespondent Anne McDermott)?
Many instrument teachers of the students playing at orchestras do, so do I! While my advanced students played at internationally recognized SAMOHI orchestras, beginning students worked hard to learn intonation, correct bowing, other professional secrets to master their violins or violas. Many of them dreamt then to get into famous SAMOHI orchestras. Guess what? Now they are proud members of the orchestras. Hard work and weekly lessons paid of for most students. Strict auditions by orchestras director Mr.C.Schwabe provides opportunities to every student to showcase her/his developed skills.
Times changed (we moved into another century, isn't it?), conductors changed, but the spirit of the SAMOHI orchestras, determination of orchestra players, dedication of Orchestra Parents Association keeps a fire in. SAMOHI orchestras continue to produce excellent concert programs year after year. Remembering always sensible challenges of music program funding at SMMUSD, highest respect goes to Santa Monica community: SM City, SMMUSD, SMC, Coalition of SMM for music education sometimes give fights to each other. In the end SAMOHI students benefit. SM community gets such gems in return as annual Spring and Winter concerts, seniors farewell "Pops concerts" in June, sparkle in students eyes and music in our hearts. I think this is the warmest way of gratitude by young generation to all patrons.
This year on June 10, 7 p.m. seniors farewell "Pops concert" at Santa Monica High School Barnum Hall will feature my long time violin student Michelle Armacost as violin soloist with Chamber Orchestra among other graduating students. Michelle will open the concert with First Movement of Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra in G Major by G.Ph.Telemann. Other senior players will follow.
As Michelle's violin teacher I am grateful to SAMOHI orchestra director Mr. C.Schwabe for his professional cooperation in preparing a composition and presented opportunity for Michelle to perform solo with Chamber Orchestra on this important occasion. Michelle is graduating the same Santa Monica High School as Michelle's Mom and Dad graduated years ago. Therefore this culminating performance will definitely be a memorable gift not only to Michelle but to all her extended family.
Prior to the concert, Michelle was rehearsing her solo performance on May 22 at Adelphia Cable TV Public Access production studio. She was playing with a computer music accompaniment prepared in my violin/viola studio. Listen to an excerpt of the Michelle's TV performance with your Real Audio player: stream and play or download and play . The performance will be aired on June 03, Saturday, at 6:30 p.m. on Adelphia Cable TV, Channel #77 in Santa Monica. For more details on this and other music education TV programs check website www.gonow.to/violin
Hopefully, such great performances once again will inspire LA Philharmonic's Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting SAMOHI Symphony orchestra at one of future concerts. Such event brings excitement to music education for years. On the other side, coming new LA Philharmonic concert hall begs for innovative programming involving youth. Young soloists always are eager to play with a professional orchestra. Here we have one to consider.
Welcome to the SAMOHI concert of June 10, 2000. Enjoy!
Birute
member of American String Teachers Association
e-mail: [email protected]