If you want to give your child the gift of music but feel intimidated because you never learned an instrument yourself — you’re not alone. Homeschool moms write to me saying:
“Where do I even start?”
“What instrument should we choose?”
“Is my child too young?”
“How do I know if the teacher is good?”
My daughter played in the Knoxville Youth Symphony Orchestras for six years.
This guide breaks down the 5 steps I wish I had known when I started my children in violin and piano (and then harp for my daughter). Continue reading »
On May 1, 2023, at the Tennessee Theater, the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra performed their last concert of the season. This concludes our fifth year with this organization.
Youth Chamber in rehearsal at Bearden Middle School – the conductor is on the right of the sitting area, checking the sound
It gets tough to drive them there once a week for 70 minutes one way and to return home around 9:45pm. By February I wonder if I am quite right in my mind to be making such efforts so they can “be in orchestra.” But then I persevere and the Winter Concert happens. I take heart for the last third of the season.
By the Spring Concert, we feel like it was all worth it. A lot of progress invariably happened. Beautiful music flowed into our minds and souls, improving our quality of life and character. The time spent commuting helped bond us in many ways as we shared our thoughts and feelings with each other.
Our son plays in the Youth Chamber orchestra and they played Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony – a jewel of a piece. Katie Liaw conducted.
In the last two weeks before the concert, we had a scare that he would not be able to play. He had hurt his shoulder blade due to a combination of shoveling, flapping his arms fast, and taekwondo over three days.
He sat out one rehearsal and took Aleve every 12 hours, as the doctor recommended. As time went on, he got better and better and was able to sit in the dress rehearsal – whew! Crisis averted. It would have been so disappointing to practice for the entire season and miss the last concert.
Our daughter plays in the Philharmonia Orchestra. They played two arrangements of Tchaikovsky pieces and an American contemporary composer. Cynthia Wright conducted.
In February, our children played at the historic Tennessee Theater with their respective orchestras. This was the 2023 Winter Concert put on by the six ensembles which comprise the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras.
Inside the Tennessee Theater
Of all the things I do as a homeschool mom, taking the kids to the concert hall so they can perform is one of the best. It is right up there with competing in the Spelling Bee and Science Olympiad. Continue reading »
How is this possible? How did I not blog about my pride and joy, the youth symphony concerts which have already happened this season? So back in November, our children with their respective orchestras played at the Tennessee Theater in Knoxville.
The Tennessee Theater
There are six orchestras. Our daughter plays in Philharmonia (the one in the middle) and our son plays in the Youth Chamber (the second from the top). The music is gorgeous. Continue reading »
In 2006, when I first heard about the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra, something told me this would be a wonderful thing for my children, if I had any. At the time, I did not have any, but I had recently been married.
Our children before the first orchestra rehearsal of the school year
Fast forward a decade and our children auditioned successfully for the youth symphony. For four years, between 2016-2020, we drove to Knoxville every week for rehearsals and concerts at the Tennessee Theater. The children made progress slowly but surely, advancing through the orchestra levels. Continue reading »
Oh, what a week! It started out with a dress rehearsal and then the actual concert with Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras. Our daughter plays in Preludium and our son in Sinfonia. Here are YouTube links to their concert: Preludium and Sinfonia.
2020 SO Medals – one medal for every event
They did well, as usual. It does not get old – that’s the first lesson. As much as we work with them in music lessons and driving them to orchestra practice, at the end of the day, it is worth it. If you can afford music lessons, it would probably be the best use of your money on extracurricular activities. Continue reading »
We have come close to the middle of this school year. Week 18 will happen here in a couple of weeks. In the US, there are 36 school weeks, or 180 school days, in case you did not know that. So here we are, starting week 17 and looking back at week 16. What have we learned?
Before their concert at the Tennessee Theater in Knoxville
First of all, I have slowed down my Trello lesson planning. For those of you new to homeschooling and planning, this happens every year. Once you know what you are doing and what your daily goals are, you do not need to put it into writing anymore. Continue reading »
My son’s orchestra, Philharmonia, gave a winter concert last night at the Tennessee Theater in Knoxville, alongside three other ensembles: Preludium, Sinfonia, and the Chamber Orchestra.
My kids goofing off after the concert
One of my friends has a daughter in the same orchestra and she films it. We are so grateful for her efforts. Here’s a link to the 2018 Philharmonia Winter Concert. My son is in the second violin section. Continue reading »
Recently, KSYO asked me to join their fundraiser team of parents and staff. I am not looking for things to do, but it was hard to refuse. I like this organization and what they are doing for my children. I accepted and then started researching a bit how I can help.
Fundraisers are notoriously difficult to get right. No matter how hard you work, there is always something waiting to go wrong for you. However, real persistence and a willingness to go the extra mile can pay off big time. You first need to start thinking about what makes a good school fundraiser. When you know what success would look like, you can start putting the right plans in place. Here are some of the things that help make a good fundraiser.
Fun
First and foremost, your school fundraiser has to be a lot of fun. Otherwise, why would anyone even want to get involved or play a part? It might seem like an obvious thing to point out, but you’d be surprised by the number of school fundraisers that truly are no fun at all. All that will do is sour the experience and ensure people don’t come back next time. It’s important to think about the long-term, not just the here and now.
Something Out of the Ordinary
Most people and most parents have been to a million school fundraisers before. That means they don’t want to be presented with the same old stuff and the same old ideas that they’ve seen a million times before. Do something out of the ordinary if you want to get people talking about your fundraiser and turning up in higher numbers. To put it simply, don’t be boring.
Prizes to be Won
No school fundraiser would be complete without a raft of prizes waiting to be given away. You definitely need to make sure the prizes you’ve got lined up are appealing to the kinds of families and parents that are most likely to show up to this whole thing. Head to httpss://www.the-fund-raiser.com/how-to-personalize-wine-gift-baskets/ if you want some gift basket ideas. Put thought and care into the selections you make.
You’re going to need to have a good venue lined up for your fundraising event because if you don’t, it might not be suited to what you’re trying to achieve. Make it somewhere that people will find easy to get to. And don’t forget to think about all the logistical things such as car parking. All these things matter a lot, and they shouldn’t be swept to one side.Continue reading »
The night of the Gatlinburg wildfires, my children and I were in Knoxville for their last orchestra practice of the year. That was the night we picked up their orchestra portraits and some merchandise we had ordered: a car magnet for me, which says “Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras;” two mascot lamas, and sweatshirts with the orchestra logo and roster.
With everything going on since the fire, I have barely had time to enjoy these things or to blog about them. A life-changing event like a national disaster sure puts things into perspective. Nevertheless, as things begin to align toward a new normal, we have time and energy to feel the pride of having joined the youth orchestras this year. Continue reading »
