Welcome to the ASOG Team!
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FROM YOUR PRESIDENT
Greetings,
I am delighted to serve as your President this year and grateful for the people who have agreed to serve on the Board as well as committee chairs. Our first meeting is Thursday, September 19th at 10:00 a.m. at the Little Rock Country Club-YES, we are having BRUNCH! Invite a friend to join you as we learn about our exciting plans for the year.
Under Larry West's great leadership we will be conducting the 25th Symphony Designer House April 10-May 10, 2020. As you know, this is always our biggest fundraiser that requires all of us to step up and volunteer. We have scheduled the Children's Concert, which was sold out last year thanks to Beth and Paul Nyhus' persistent work. Gail Davis and Linda Raff have agreed to chair the Bridge Bash in February 2020. As always we will conduct our Orchestra and You programs for the children in grades 1-3 and the Stella Boyle Smith Competition for 12-18 year olds in Arkansas. Wow!
I wanted to share that some Guild members volunteered to assist David Renfro and other ASO staff with their musician auditions in August. It might interest you to know that they had over 200 people apply for 15 positions, people from all the USA-from California, Hawaii, New York, Miami and 2 from Toronto. That speaks so highly of our symphony and its reputation throughout the musical world.
So....a great Symphony, a wonderful Symphony Designer House XXV, and accredited music education programs for young people in central Arkansas. I hope you will plan to be a major partner in fulfilling our mission of raising funds for the ASO, advancing music education programs and encouraging audience development.
I look forward to seeing you on the 19th of September.
Betty Herron,
ASOG President
REFLECTIONS FROM 2018-19
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League of American Orchestras Presentation by Beth Nyhus and Betty Herron
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Stella Boyle Smith Winners
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Musician Appreciation Dinner
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New ASOG Board at Spring Luncheon
L-R: Larry West, Pat Luzzi, Dale Ronnel, Nikki Lawson, Betty Herron, Teresa Osam, Gail Davis, Tandy Cobb, Shirley Vanderslice
(Susan Marsh, Mary Frances Cotham and Debbie Bass not pictured)
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Rhythm on the River Fundraiser
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Presentation of Guild check by outgoing President Nikki Lawson to Christina Littlejohn
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Spring Luncheon Performers
Anna McLeran & Samuel Durand
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Samuel Garcia and Hee Kyung Juhn at Fall Luncheon
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Orchestra and You ASOG Helper Bob Fitzgerald
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USHERS NEEDED!!
If you are willing to serve as an usher for ASO Concerts, you can hear a beautiful performance without purchasing a ticket and will be contributing to ASOG Volunteer Work. When the Guild provides ushers, it saves the ASO a great deal of money. If you are interested, please contact
Lori Llewellyn
at 501-920-6903 or
Mary Rock
at 501-951-4501.
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The strains of a Sousa march stream from a large Boom Box and rows of energetic 1st, 2nd, or 3rd graders burst in and find their seats. After a member of the ASO greets the students and plays his/her instrument for the students, the Narrator explains the four "families" of the orchestra. As the Narrator describes each instrument, the Boom Box Operator plays music performed on that instrument. Guild Helpers move in to assist the students as they play their designated instruments (albeit facsimiles). Finally, prepared by a Guild Helper, a student emerges dressed in a conductor's jacket and raises the baton while all of the "musicians" raise their instruments and perform together.
Can you imagine yourself spending an occasional hour or two in one of the roles describer above-Narrator, Boom Box Operator, or Helper?
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An Orientation Session is being planned, and hands-on training occurs at each school presentation. The rewards are observing the obvious interest and joy of the students, which contributes to their music education, and, for some, even a career in music. Please join us by contacting one of the co-chairs below:
June Lloyd (jacyll47@gmail.com) 214-298-4999 or
Dale Ronnel (pictured above)(dronnel@sbcglobal.net) 501-225-7337 l
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Eric Hayward was an associate concertmaster and principal second violinist with the ASO for 38 years and was a founding member of the Quapaw String Quartet prior to his death in 2018.
The first concert of Festival of the Senses' 2019-20 performing arts season will feature a string ensemble playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio in A Minor and a new piano quartet composed by Dustin Yoder in memory of Eric Hayward. The free concert will be at 7:00 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 4106 JFK Boulevard in North Little Rock on Tuesday, September 17. Performing on the concert are Kiril Laskarov, violin, Stephen Feldman, cello, May Tsao-Lim, piano and Eric's son, Christoper Hayward, viola.
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ERIC HAYWARD MEMORIAL CONCERT
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
(Yearbooks with complete dates and locations will be mailed after the September Brunch so new members can be included.)
SEPTEMBER 2019
Sept. 19-ASOG Board Meeting 9:00 a.m. and ASOG Brunch-10:00 a.m., L.R. Country Club, Reservations Required
Sept. 28 and 29-ASO Masterworks Concerts
OCTOBER 2019
Oct. 1-River Rhapsodies
Oct. 17-ASOG Board Meeting 3:30 p.m. and Membership meeting-4:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 and 20-ASO Pops Concerts
NOVEMBER 2019
Nov. 9 and 10-ASO Masterworks Concerts
Nov. 12-River Rhapsodies
Nov. 21-ASOG Board Meeting 10:30 a.m. and Membership meeting-11:30 a.m.
DECEMBER 2019
Dec. 12-Holiday Party 5:30 p.m.
JANUARY 2020
Jan. 16-Membership Meeting 11:30 a.m.
FEBRUARY 2020
Feb. 13-Membership Meeting 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 29-Stella Boyle Smith Competition
MARCH 2020
March 12-Membership Meeting 11:30 a.m.
APRIL 2020
April 16-Membership Meeting 4:30 p.m.
MAY 2020
May 21-Spring Luncheon 11:30 a.m. , Governor's Mansion, Reservations Required
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Guild Notes will be published monthly. Please send all notices to be included in the next issue to Ouida Keck, (kecko@obu.edu) no later than September 25.
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