Hawaii Youth Symphony
OF NOTE March 2016
Music Education:
An Experience that Lasts a Lifetime
B
eing a part of an orchestra has a way of leaving an indelible impression on youth. It opens their hearts and minds to exciting new possibilities, instills confidence to tackle new challenges, and builds positive qualities they carry with them into adulthood. Hawaii Youth Symphony has been helping to set the stage for success for thousands of youth across the state for more than 50 years.
Beyond Music Education
“Our mission is to not only provide orchestral music education and performance opportunities for youth, but also to give everyone opportunities to become well-rounded, emotionally and socially mature individuals who also excel academically,” said Randy Wong, HYS Executive Director. “This is the role of music in education.” HYS alumni are perfect examples of the value of their experience, and they can speak from firsthand experience about the benefits they derived from being a part of an orchestra. Deanna Kennett is one of those HYS alumni who has taken her love for music and her positive experiences to now support the
next generation of young musicians for one of the most prestigious arts organization in the world. She currently serves as Education Manager for Ensemble ACJW, a program at Carnegie Hall, founded in partnership with The Juilliard School and Hawaii Youth Symphony alumnus Deanna Kennett now works at Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan in the New York City New York City Department of Education. as a student at Kalaheo High School in Kailua. Ensemble ACJW is a two-year fellowship program for the finest young “I feel so fortunate to have found my professional classical musicians passion for music at a young age. It in the United States that prepares has been the guiding force throughthem for careers combining musical out my career, including my current excellence with teaching, commuposition at Carnegie Hall where I nity engagement, advocacy, music work to help artists connect and entrepreneurship, and leadership. engage with audiences of all kinds,” It offers top-quality performance recalls Deanna, who maintains an opportunities, intensive professional active musical performance life as development, and the opportunipart of various amateur groups in ty to partner with a New York City New York City. public school. “The experiences I had through Hawaii Youth Symphony showed me Helping Youth Blossom the joy and fulfillment that comes Deanna is a double bassist and her with being part of an orchestra – last year at Hawaii Youth Symphony was in 2001. Looking back at her experience 15 years ago, she can see (continued on page 4) how she blossomed since her days
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OF NOTE
March 2016
A Message from HYS’s Leaders “I appreciate HYS’s unwavering commitment to music education! I’ve seen this organization impact the lives of so many children over the past 12 years, and I’m proud to say I have been a small part of it,” she said.
Board of Directors President Richard K. Ing Vice Presidents Roy E. King, Jr. Malcolm Lau Tina Lau Les Murata Michael Onofrietti Secretary Patti Look Treasurer Jean Tsukamoto Directors Alan Arizumi Gladys Hirano Nathan Hokama Martin Hsia Dan Momohara Alan Okami Joseph Rothstein, Ph.D. Marjorie Tanoue Chris Yuen
Richard Ing
I
Randy Wong
t takes a lot of teamwork to operate Hawaii Youth Symphony successfully. We are having another great season not only because of the performances by our young, passionate musicians on stage, but also because of the tremendous work that occurs off stage, behind the scenes. Meredith Prescott is one of those that comes to mind. After 12 years of dedicated service to the Hawaii Youth Symphony, we bid a warm aloha to Meredith as our Administration and Finance Manager.
Finance Manager Carol Tsang Programs Manager Ann Doike Programs Associate Janet Morita
Prior to joining the Hawaii Youth Symphony, Carol had been an external auditor with Deloitte and Touche for the past three years, serving clients in various industries, in both the private and public sectors in Hawaii. Carol started playing violin at the age of eight and performed with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra.
HYS Staff Executive Director Randy Wong
While we all miss Meredith, we are glad to welcome Carol Tsang as our new Finance Manager. Carol, a certified public accountant, is responsible preparing financial reports, working with external auditors, leading the annual budgeting and planning process.
Les Murata and Meredith Prescott Meredith, in photo above with long-time volunteer Les Murata, accepted a position as a Budget Analyst with Child & Family Service. We wish her all the best in her new role in helping Hawaii’s families in another way. Students and parents alike will miss her cheerfulness, presence and hard work at all of the concerts.
Carol received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Cornell University in New York, where she played violin as a member of the Cornell Symphony Orchestra for all four years. She received a master’s degree in accounting from Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management in Nashville, Tennessee. Mahalo to all staff, volunteers and others supporters!
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Midori to Perform with YS I at Spring Concert on April 8
March 2016
YSI Performs on Garden Island
Youth Symphony I performed free community concerts at Kauai Community College in Lihue on February 15 and 16, 2016. It was Hawaii Youth Symphony’s first performance on Kauai since 2013.
M
idori will join more than 100 students from 20 public, private and home schools of Youth Symphony I to perform at the annual Spring Concert at Blaisdell Concert Hall on Friday, April 8, 2016, at 7:30 pm. Maestro Henry Miyamura, HYS’s esteemed Music Director, will be the conductor for this concert. Midori will perform two movements of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto. In addition, she will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s Double Concerto with three HYS solo violinists: Shin Chang, a Kalani High School senior; Joseph Fujinami, a Mililani High School senior; and Angela Yang, an Iolani School junior. HYS students auditioned for the solo parts in December 2015. Since the Double Concerto features two solo violin parts, the students will perform the First Part and Midori will
perform the Second Part. YSI will also perform Ottorino Respighi’s “Belkis, Queen of Sheba” and other classical works. Tickets range from $8 to $18 and are on sale now at the Blaisdell Box Office, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1 (800) 745-3000. During her residency, Midori will participate in a wide range of activities tailored by the Hawaii Youth Symphony to maximize student learning. Activities are being planned for youth at all levels and will include a visit to HYS’s Music in the Clubhouse program at the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii; a master class and performance workshop for more advanced students; arts advocacy visits to local legislators; and a discussion group with the boards of both orchestras.
Neighbor island community concerts have been part of Hawaii Youth Symphony’s statewide service since the early 1980s. “MusicAlive!” provides an opportunity for HYS students to give back to the communities on the neighbor islands through music, while also increasing access and exposure to orchestral music for all. The concert, led by Maestro Henry Miyamura, included classical music of Bach, Respighi, Puccini, as well as soundtracks from “Harry Potter” and the “Lord of the Dance.” YSI also presented two “Listen & Learn” school concerts to introduce school children to orchestral instruments and techniques, important composers and repertoire -- often for the first time. The “Listen & Learn” concerts were sponsored by grants from the State Foundation on Culture & the Arts, the Hawaii State Legislature’s Grant in Aid program, the Hawaii Community Foundation, and the Nadao and Mieko Yoshinaga Foundation.
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Music Education: An Experience that Lasts a Lifetime (continued from page 1)
working together towards a common goal and creating something so much larger than any individual player. It was inspiring to connect and collaborate with such talented players.” Kathryn Schulmeister is another double bassist who was in Hawaii Youth Symphony until she graduated from Punahou School in 2007. Today, she performs in the bass section with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and serves as a strings teacher at Honolulu Waldorf School. She also is a freelance double bassist, which has allowed her to travel for special performances all over the globe, from Honolulu to Chicago to Montreal and Switzerland, including the Lucerne Festival Academy. When not performing, Kathryn supports music in another way by serving as Patron Services Representative with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra.
Prepared for a Music Career
“Performance experience of diverse repertoire helped prepare me for my conservatory education, intense rehearsal schedule trained me, to understand how committed I need to be to develop a music career, and the opportunity to develop friendships with students from all over the state helped me understand how important music is for bringing all members of a community together,” Kathryn said.
However, she also pointed out there are other qualities that are equally as important that she acquired from being a part of HYS.
More than Technical Skills
“Having technical skill is a must as well, but if you are artistically inflexible or unpleasant to work with for any reason, people will not want to work with you. This is an important reality for the other professions that I have worked in outside of music performance as well,” Kathryn said. “My ability to build friendships in music is one of the most important reasons that I've been able to come this far in my musical path. Many professional opportunities that have been extended to me, especially involving contemporary music or working with living composers, came because of my reputation as an open-minded musician, hard-worker and respectful collaborator.” John Love, another successful HYS alumnus, believes the skills he acquired as a member of the orchestra, helped him in the practice of law. He is now a real estate and banking attorney with Cades Schutte LLP, and played the violin while he was in the Hawaii Youth Symphony until he graduated from Punahou School in 2000. “I am very grateful to have participated in HYS in high school because
I believe the skills I learned there perseverance, a strong attention to detail, and integrity - are critical to succeeding in the practice of law,” he said. “The experience of tackling ambitious orchestral works in HYS continues to encourage me to seek progressively more challenging projects and issues in real estate and banking law. Though the values learned in HYS are related to music, I believe they are universally applicable to finding success in any profession.” John continues to challenge himself musically by serving as a violinist with Oahu Civic Orchestra and supports music in the community by serving as Vice President of the Honolulu Chamber Music Series.
Common Denominator
A common denominator with all the alumni is a deep sense of gratitude to Hawaii Youth Symphony for creating a pivotal, defining experience in their young lives. Deanna sums up her experience with a word of encouragement and inspiration to today’s Hawaii Youth Symphony students: “I was part of a very small double bass section in the orchestra, and as a shy young person, this afforded me the opportunity to push myself outside my comfort zone to have my voice heard. HYS helped me to build confidence to pursue my dreams and, in a supportive environment, encouraged habits of discipline and fostered the determination needed to get there. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of the Hawaii Youth Symphony `ohana and I know that I would not be who I am today without it.”
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An Interview with Renowned Trombone Soloist Toby Oft While Toby Oft was in Hawaii last year for the Winter Concert, he took the time to share his words of wisdom for the HYS ohana.
How is parental/family support important for kids to succeed in music?
Why are music programs like HYS important for kids? Music programs like HYS allow students a perspective and language of communication that enriches interpersonal and even professional relationships. I’ve traveled a lot in my life and I’ve seen that music is the most pervasive element of cultural expression the world over. Throughout every culture on earth, music runs the spectrum from significant art to religious and secular expressions. An understanding of the basic tonal language and ensemble of music and especially rhythm gives students a deeper, richer connection to their world at home and abroad.
“Kids learn how to inspire success in themselves with music.” into their work and I was swept up in the magic of it from the moment I arrived.
Why should kids keep up their music studies? Kids learn how to inspire success in themselves with music and that lesson transcends every facet of their lives for as long as they live. The great victories in life cannot be given or bought. Success in music is not so simple as knowing the right answer.
What did you enjoy about performing for HYS?
In music we teach our body and mind that through repetition of great style and technique we can expect to play beautifully all the time.
What I enjoyed most about performing with HYS is the people. From the wonderful students, to the conductors, to the parents, to the administration I felt a sincere love for the work we were doing together. There’s an inspiring sincerity to the love that everyone at HYS puts
Music teaches us that with patient and intelligent discipline we can learn something that we did not know and would not know how to do otherwise. Kids should keep up their music studies because through music they learn repeatedly the empowerment of their heart and mind.
Music is really hard at first. It is hard for kids to learn how to concentrate and it can be especially challenging because it is difficult to sound like whatever examples they can find of their instrument on the radio for several years. It is hard to develop the self discipline to play every day at the beginning when it feels bad and it sounds bad no matter how hard they try. Parents and family can help a lot with positive reinforcement to develop morale and commitment because regular practice is crucial to quicker development on any instrument. Moreover, parents need to gently keep their kids accountable for good consistent work. It doesn’t need to sound world class, but if they’re listening to their kids’ development, they can tell when their son or daughter is just going through the motions. Parents need to help with finding many ways students can enjoy their instrument with different Orchestral ensembles and styles including many facets of chamber groups, Bluegrass and bebop, to fiddle, marching band - the list goes on and on. It starts by listening and seeing their faces light up when they say, “I want to play that!” The most important thing is to keep the student inspired about music through regular listening - especially to live music.
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Honolulu, HI Permit No. 1177
Hawaii Youth Symphony Association 1110 University Avenue, Suite 200 Honolulu, Hawaii 96826-1598 Phone: Website: Facebook: Twitter & IG:
808.941.9706 HiYouthSymphony.org HawaiiYouthSymphony @HiYouthSymphony
Our Mission: The Hawaii Youth Symphony advances critical and positive links between music study, academic achievement, and social emotional development with programs that service youth through orchestral music education, performance opportunities, and community engagement.
Our Vision: HYS envisions a Hawaii
where every young person can experience the timeless value of music, learn to play a musical instrument, or otherwise embrace a lifelong appreciation for musical learning.
Mark Your Calendar for Our 51st Season Events!
Friday, April 8, 2016 7:30 pm
Participating in the three-day League of American Orchestras’ Mid-Winter Managers meeting held in New York City in late January was a valuable experience for HYS Executive Director Randy Wong.
Youth Symphony I Spring Community Concert Blaisdell Concert Hall Featuring Midori, world-famous violin virtuoso
Sunday, April 17, 2016 4 pm
Youth Symphony II and Concert Orchestra Spring Concert Roosevelt High School Auditorium
Saturday, April 23, 2016 2 pm
Academy Spring Concert Kaimuki High School Auditorium Featuring Music4Kids, Clubhouse Band, Beginning String Ensemble, Intermediate String Ensemble, String Orchestra Ensemble, and Concert String Orchestra
League of American Orchestras Conference
Marlene Sai will perform at the Aloha Concert Luncheon on May 1, 2016
Sunday, May 1, 2016 11:30 am
Aloha Concert Luncheon Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom Featuring guest Marlene Sai with Youth Symphony I and Youth Symphony II
Randy and other orchestra administrators from across country enjoyed a time of sharing best practices with each. It was the first time HYS had participated in this conference in several years. “The other participants were interested in our upcoming Midori Orchestra Residencies Program, our commitment to serve neighbor island students, and the multiple ways our alums interact and give back,” Randy said.