eNotes :: Dogs, Kids, & Music!

May 2021 eNotes

Dear Friend,

Thank you to all the wonderful folks who attended our 8^th annual virtual Gala, which was a huge success! Either by joining the silent auction bidding extravaganza or attending the Gala “in person” and donating to our Fund-a-Need, Live Auction, or Last Hero game…we appreciate your generosity and hope you had a great time! We exceeded our goal, and that is truly something special in this no-performance year. We promise to (as always) be very careful stewards of your donations as we head into a year of live performances ahead (dates TBD!!!). Huge thanks to our Maestro and musicians for the beautiful mosaic video of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite . . . if you missed it or want to escape into it again, take a look here.

The next opportunity is just around the corner (next week, in fact)! Big Day of Giving, affectionately known as Big DoG, is on Thursday, May 6th, and I want to give a shout-out to Finn, our favorite “Official Spokesdog". Thanks to Executive Director Anne Brown and her family for loaning him to us for this special “internship” each year—it brings all of us great joy!.

Here’s Finn’s message about the importance of giving to the nonprofits close to your heart . . . join thousands of other Sacramento area folks in giving generously to the non-profit sector who bring so much love, joy and vitality to our region. It’s so easy to give! You can easily set up your donation at any time, up until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, May 6th.

Choose any one of these options:

Click here to schedule your May 6th Big DoG donation today!

Click here to donate now through our website!

Mail a check to:

Auburn Symphony, P.O. Box 74, Auburn, CA 95604

Bring a check to the office in the Auburn State Theatre building at 985 Lincoln Way, #102, Auburn.

Auburn Symphony is both dog- and kid-friendly and we’ve had a wonderful month with our youth musical education mission. First up, the winners of our Young Artists Competition in February appeared last month for a videotaped recital that will be available soon. We also wrapped filming of our first “Auburn Symphony Presents: What Do You Hear?”, a curriculum-based series of videos for preschoolers that will unfold through our partner channels in the fall. Kudos to the musicians, talent, and volunteers that made these two special projects happen, continuing our mission to share the gift of music to all generations.

Special note of our TWO Grand Prize winners of the Young Artists Competition who are featured in the recital video, Alex Chang on cello and Owen Yang on piano.

Our Board Director spotlight features two names that may sound familiar as they just came out on our annual ballot sent to Auburn Symphony Association members. These two enthusiastic volunteers joined us during the pandemic despite all the challenges! They have been working behind the scenes all year long on a one-year appointment, and are now seeking formal election to a three-year term on the Board.

Kathy Albrecht is an area local with an elementary teaching background, teacher training, and the varied experience of having run a ski school and swim and tennis club, as well as working in the publishing field of hands-on science curriculum. (She also fits well into this month’s theme as having experience raising dogs for Canine Companions for Independence!) Kathy’s broad base of experience pairs with her love of the Auburn Symphony and has brought us a good friend on the Board of Directors.

Our second Director in focus, Michelle Jordan, is also a teacher by training and shares the same passion for music, theater, and the arts. She and husband Kent moved to Auburn in 2000 to raise their three young children. Michelle took some time away from teaching to focus on her family, and also gained new experience in commercial real estate and space planning. In 2014, she returned to education and is currently a Vice Principal for a K-12 Charter School for at-risk youth in Sacramento. (I recall one of Michelle’s major professional accomplishments this past year as coming up-to-speed on distance learning for her entire school, much like many teachers and administrators across the globe!) We appreciate her passion for the Symphony and the reverence with which she holds it—hence her energy for serving the leadership of the organization!

In closing, please know that we continue to be ever grateful for your support and interest in the Auburn Symphony through these times. Our Board, staff, musicians, and volunteers are all staying on top of the potential and timing for musical opportunities to begin moving again. Enjoy your dogs, kids, and music wherever you find them!