Thursday, April 30
In This Issue...
  • A Message from Mr. Edmons
  • 2020-2021 Registration
  • Weekend Zoom Sessions
  • Teacher Appreciation Week
  • This Week in Music History & Ms. Casimiro's History Lesson
  • Graduating Seniors
  • Tips on Recording a Video Audition
  • SDYS Youth Leadership Student Council
  • Interview with Ellie Lee, Showcase Violinist
A Message from Mr. Edmons

Dear SDYS Musicians and Families,

We are very excited to celebrate and express our appreciation to all of our wonderful SDYS conductors, teaching artists, all San Diego county teachers, private teachers, and university teachers in celebration of   our  National Teacher Appreciation Week!   You are all such inspirational educators and mentors, and your dedication to music education makes lives better for so many thousands of people across San Diego county and beyond each year. Thank you all so much!

Our Encore online event was a wonderful success. We are so proud of our students from across all our SDYS ensembles. Thank you again to every student and family at SDYS. You all make SDYS such a wonderful place for quality music education each year. We will  rebroadcast the Encore event  again on  Saturday, May 9 at 5pm  for you to enjoy as well.   

I know that you will all have wonderful Zoom meetings with your conductors this weekend! 

Thank you all again so much for all of your inspirational achievements and for your commitment to SDYS as our partners in Music Education and I hope that you all are well and safe and comfortable at home during this time at home.

With Very Best Wishes,

Mr Edmons
2020-2021 Registration
April 6, 2020 - May 8, 2020

Registration for SDYS’ 75th Anniversary 2020-21 Season closes tomorrow at 12 NOON!   Please visit My SDYS Portal  to register or visit our  website  for more information.

Auditions

This year, auditions will be held online on Acceptd. An email will go out on  Friday, May 8 at 5:00pm  with a link to submit your student's video audition.

Please click  here  to see more about our plans for the end of the season, summer, and fall. We look forward to making more music together next season!

Please visit our website to learn more. 
Weekend Zoom Sessions

All families will receive emails from their conductor about their upcoming weekend Zoom session.

Every Friday by 12:00pm, we will update the Conductor Sessions webpage with Zoom links and passwords. For your safety, the webpage is password protected . You can access the password on My SDYS Portal . If you have trouble logging in, please contact conservatory@sdys.org with a detailed description of the issue.
Teacher Appreciation Week

We are so thankful for all of our amazing teaching artists and conductors here at SDYS! Be sure to let your conductors and teachers know how much you appreciate them and all the hard work they do every day!
This Week in Music History

  • Concert Champêtre, FP 49 by Francis Poulenc premiered on May 3, 1928.
  • On May 7, Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1833 and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russia in 1840. Also on May 7, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 premiered in 1824 in Vienna, Austria.
  • Claudio Monteverdi was born on May 9, 1567 in Cremona, Italy.

...and a Special Music History Lesson from Ms. Casimiro!

Below is a video where Ms. Casimiro talks about her favorite composers, Franz Shubert and Robert Shumann, and the unique instrument, the arpeggione:
Graduating Seniors

If you are graduating from high school and SDYS this year, we would love to acknowledge your accomplishments and your future plans on our year end program.

We're proud of your accomplishments and excited to hear about the next phase of your life!

Please submit the following items on this form:


  • Your name 
  • Head shot with your college t-shirt!
  • Name of college or university you will be attending
  • Your major

Thank you, and congratulations! 
Tips on Recording a Video Audition

We would like to emphasize Annika's suggestions in her vid eo to help you as you upload your 20-21 audition videos on Acceptd...
  • Preliminarily record yourself & listen to the recording before you plan to do a final recording.
  • Give yourself plenty of time. Don't wait until the day of the deadline.
  • Imperfections are okay!
*NEW* SDYS Youth Leadership Council

The SDYS Youth Leadership Council is a youth-led group of SDYS musicians who want to get more involved, connect with other SDYS musicians, and contribute positively to the future of SDYS.

Participants must have parent/guardian permission to join.

Students will be joining a BAND.us group, monitored by SDYS staff at all times. Invitations will be sent directly to student's email following submission of this form:


Please see  https://sdys.org/program/current-students/ to review the online safety measures we are following for this group and all other online interactions.

Thank you for your interest in this new SDYS youth-led initiative!

Lauren Rausch, Conservatory Program Manager
Kaitlyn Korogy, Community Program Manager
Ellie Lee, SDYS Youth Leader
Noor Alramadan, SDYS Youth Leader
Interview with Ellie Lee, Showcase Violinist

What instrument do you play?
I play the violin.

What SDYS ensemble are you in?
I am in Sinfonia.

What inspired you to create the SDYS Youth Leadership Group?
During COVID-19 I wanted to create a way to connect with my conductor, fellow musicians, and friends as our weekly rehearsals were no longer available. It was a huge disappointment to be unable to perform the concert we have put in weeks and months of hard work for, but I wanted to stay positive and keep the teamwork and music of SDYS going.

How do you want yourself and others to contribute positively to SDYS at this time?
I, along with fellow leaders, want to make sure students feel like they have a safe and inspiring platform to share their musical talent and expand their musical interests even while physical distance separates us. We are hoping to create new projects and traditions to make SDYS members feel more involved while bringing creative ideas from different individuals to life. When COVID-19 is over, the SDYS Youth Leadership Council hopes to further organize events.

What are some things you hope to connect on with your peers on the SDYS BAND.us?
I hope to give each other advice and inspiration that will guide us all through our musical journey, both as solo musicians and members of an ensemble. One of our goals is to reflect on our experiences in SDYS and appreciate what our conductors and staff members have done and continue to do every week.
A sense of community is something that can help us all feel less isolated during these times.

How can we all best support you and your SDYS Youth Leadership Council initiative?
Although the SDYS Youth Leadership Council is a smaller group of students, our goal is to involve all SDYS members. We will update musicians (most likely on the Weekly Updates) of ongoing projects or events. Please participate and invite fellow SDYS musicians to do so too as your meaningful contributions are what create inspiration, sense of community, and positive
advances to the future of SDYS.

Thank you for the fantastic interview, Ellie!
COVID-19

The SDYS office is closed, and all rehearsals in Balboa Park are suspended until further notice. Staff are available via email and are working to provide opportunities for students to learn remotely. We are continuing to evaluate this fluid situation and will contact you regarding program updates. Please visit sdys.org/COVID-19 for any new information.

Educational Resources

Learn more about programs for preparing for college, summer intensive study, conservatory and collegiate opportunities from our promotional partners.
Sincerely,
Anna Sharp
Conservatory Program Assistant
Financial Support Provided by the City of San Diego.
This activity is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency.
Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.