August/September 2017 Newsletter

Orpheus Academy of Music August/September 2017 Newsletter A pedestrian on Fifty-seventh Street, Manhattan, stopped Heifetz and in- quired, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” “Practice!” Heifetz replied.  In this Newsletter: New Musical Journey trophies, students of the month Graydon and Joshua, notable Carnegie Hall debuts and much more!! A Letter from the Directors: Dear Students, I don’t know about you, but the start of Fall is always the most crazy-busy time of the year for us. Between getting our daughter settled in middle school, getting all the new schedules of students and teachers under control and (it never fails) one or two completely unfore- seeable events (somehow each of our HVAC systems found a time to go out in the past month, despite each being under five years old!). This year, though, is extra busy for all the right reasons: 1) We have broken our single-month enrollment record with over 50 new students! 2) New Musical Journey Trophies for each level – no additional cost! 3) CARNEGIE HALL, 2018! Every faculty member is out-of-their-minds excited to be part of this momentous occasion. The number of students interested in going is almost scary. Carnegie Hall is the concert venue for classical musicians, with a Carnegie Hall Debut often marking an artist’s entry into the ranks of international level performers. Check out some notable Carnegie Hall debuts – including the Beatles! – on page 3 of this newsletter. Beyond all the excitement, we are still focused, above all, on the highest quality music education available anywhere in the country. We continue to improve our lessons, Musi- cianship classes and ensembles through training with visiting experts, research and your input. Every single one of our 22 amazing teachers is returning to Orpheus this year (Mr. Devin has decided to continue to teach on Saturdays) and the community and sense of col- laboration will take lessons to eleven (sorry, musician joke). We thank you for making all of this possible through your amazing commitment to the transformative power of music. Thank you for making music with us! Klondike and Wendy Upcoming Events! Performance Classes Saturday, September 2nd 2:00pm (5-10 years) Piano/Voice 3:00pm (5-10 years) Piano/Voice | Guitar 3:00pm (all ages) Violin 4:00pm (11-Adult) Guitar | Piano/Voice Parent Education Classes Sunday, September 17th 3:00pm Tuesday, September 26th 7:00pm Open House 2:00pm | Saturday, September 9th Carnival of the Animals Concert 3:00pm | Sunday, September 10th Carnegie Hall Registration 8:00am | Saturday, September 16th Adult Impromptu 4:00pm | Saturday, September 9th Piano Faculty Duet Concert 3:00pm | Sunday, September 24th

Students of the month June and July 2017! “Graydon is a bright, dedicated student. He’s made excel- lent progress in piano lessons and works hard to learn his pieces. He’s never satis ed until he’s done his best. He even goes above and beyond his weekly goals and learns pieces he’s interested in like ‘The Eyes of Texas’ He’ll be taking the Musical Journey test in the fall, and I’m ex- cited to see how much we’ll learn together this next year.” -Olivia, Piano Instructor “Miss Olivia is nice. I like learning new songs. I love playing piano for both the feeling of accomplishment for mastering a new piece and the thrill of performance.” -Graydon Tanner, Piano Student  “Joshua has been taking music lessons at the Orpheus Academy since the Spring of 2017. Joshua is the student of the month be- cause he has shown a tremendous drive for music, which is evi- dent through his great practice and lesson ethic. He hasn’t missed a single lesson all Summer! He has even created a dice game so he can practice his scales. I am extremely very proud of him. Congratulations on being the Student of the Month at Orpheus!” -John, Piano Instructor “I’ve always loved listening to music. This year I decided that I wanted to learn how to play the piano. Someday I want to write and play my own songs!” -Joshua Fox, Piano Student. New Musical Journey Trophies We have new Musical Journey Trophies for each level that a student completes! These beautiful new markers of your achievement are on display in the waiting area and are covered by your annual activities fee.  Faculty Retreat! Our annual Faculty Retreat is a time for the teachers to come together and inspire each other to reach for ever-new heights in music education. Each year we consider a topic that inspires us by breaking into small groups, listening and sharing and then reforming with a new group. This year got the use a beautiful conference room overlooking Lake Travis and with these vistas to inspire us as we discussed ways to make Orpheus a more musical place for our students. One point many agreed on was the importance of understanding what creates enthusiasm for each student. With each student’s qualities in mind, we can craft a joyful musical experience unique to that student.    Notable Carnegie Hall Debuts  December 19th, 1893 – Dvorak’s New World Symphony gets it’s rst hearing. November 14, 1943 – Leonard Bernstein steps in for Bruno Walter (who had the u) to conduct the New York Philharmonic. With no time to assemble the orchestra for a rehearsal, Bernstein met only brie y that morning with Walter to review the scores. He did not even own the proper formal wear and had to lead the concert in a gray business suit. The concert was broadcast nationally to great acclaim and the 25 year old Bernstein became an overnight sensation. February 12, 1964 – The Beatles perform two concerts in one day. While in New York for the rst time, The Beatles appeared three times on the Ed Sullivan Show—and played Carnegie Hall twice in one day. Their concerts paved the way for other rock artists at Carnegie Hall, including The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, and Billy Joel. June 29th, 2018 – Orpheus Academy of Music – will you be there?!  Congratulations to our Musicianship Maestros!  Please congratulate these students on completing all 3 years of Advanced Musicianship! With this honor they have received a scholarship and a trophy.  Veronica Hodapp    Carter Luppino     Anne Zimmerman Asa Shepard     Gustavo Brooks Welcome New Students! Please be sure to welcome all the new faces at Orpheus this semester! We’ve had a record enrollment and spots have been lling up quickly. We are so happy to see our musical family grow and look forward to a very exciting year!  Abby D George G Kalki P Ashok P Sonja D Daniel L Aubrey M Ashton M Nell F Rohan E Emma A Kaiya J Joana E Daniel E Leire E Daphne G Natalia R  Beckett H Arjun E Alex D Edie T Ella T Julia H Lucia M Marc M Tessa F Ryan D Nathan C Samantha P Sarah M Jessica L Nicole P Esha R Arjun R Nico V  Di W 2013 Yulong Guo Soloist Classical Guitar, with a cedar double top, an ebony fretboard, Indian Rosewood back and sides, and an armrest. Comes with its original hard-shell case. $3000 512-680-1954 | 512-659-6030