Youth Symphony
of Denton
Noteworthy!
November 2023
Our New Rehearsal Facility
On August 26th, 2023, we began rehearsing at the University of North Texas Music Building in the old Orchestra Hall. This is where Mrs. Cleaver rehearsed when attending UNT in the early 1980's! There are many benefits of having our rehearsal here. As we walk through the halls, we hear many college musicians practicing. We've been able to hear the Early Music group practice on instruments many have not heard before. We've run into various string professors who have asked about our work. We've had some students be able to take private lessons before rehearsals with college professors. And best of all, we now have access to their percussion instruments! We have 5 students signed up to play percussion, and every one of them is getting to play for our Christmas Concert. We will also continue to have our concerts at Voertman Hall in the same building. This is an exciting time for the Youth Symphony!
October Halloween Concert
For the first time in Youth Symphony history, we decided to have a Halloween Concert. We chose some spooky, exciting music, wore costumes (well the younger kids did. Our older kids had a little trouble getting into the spirit of things!), and the Symphony group combined with the Denton Community Orchestra to perform some classic favorites. The Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter officiated the proceedings, and fund was had by all. The Symphony also performed the following weekend at the Brookhaven campus.
Youth Symphony of
Denton
Noteworthy!
July 2023
Trip to South Korea
On May 31, 2023, 6:15 am fifty students, staff and family members departed from DFW airport to travel to South Korea. After a VERY long flight, we arrived in Incheon at 3:45 pm the following day. We were picked up by our two travel busses and transported first to a dinner of Korean food and then to our hotel in Incheon. The following days included visits to the National Palace, the Presidential headquarters (The Blue House), markets, the De-militerized Zone, and a train trip on the bullet train to Daegu, Mr. Chang's home city. We remained in Daegu for 9 days and took day trips to explore monasteries, ancient temples and villages, ancient burial grounds, the beach in Busan, and many other markets. Kids exerpeinced a Korean movie theater playing the newly released Transformer movie, went to Crazy Pang Pang (think huge ball pits with unique ways to enter), an amusement park and a beautiful city park 5 minutes away from Mr. Chang's mother, where some lucky kids got to each lunch. We ate many truly Korean meals, tried things we never thought we would eat (for me it was octopus!) and everyone can now handle chopsticks, as sometimes they just didn't have forks!
The highlight of the trip was the rehearsals and performance with the Daegu International Youth Orchestra. Our students joined with theirs and experienced rehearsals where the conductor was not speaking English (sometimes our Korean kids translated.) This experience truly showed that music is the international language and can be made by people not speaking the same language. For me the highlight of the concert was the encore of Arirang, the Korean folk song, when the conductor turned around and encouraged the audience to join in singing and clapping the song. We had dreamed about this trip for four years, and it was everything we ever dreamt it could be and more.
The highlight of the trip was the rehearsals and performance with the Daegu International Youth Orchestra. Our students joined with theirs and experienced rehearsals where the conductor was not speaking English (sometimes our Korean kids translated.) This experience truly showed that music is the international language and can be made by people not speaking the same language. For me the highlight of the concert was the encore of Arirang, the Korean folk song, when the conductor turned around and encouraged the audience to join in singing and clapping the song. We had dreamed about this trip for four years, and it was everything we ever dreamt it could be and more.
Summer Camp
We will have our fifth annual summer camp on July 17-21 at Redeemer Church. The theme this year is Music from Around the World. Students will ne learning folk songs to play in a large group and a smaller ensemble. They will also be learning about improvisation and theory and music history. We always have a great time at camp. Hope you can join us!
Staff Change
It is with GREAT sadness that we inform you that Mr. Dandron has accepted a teaching position in Ohio and will be leaving us. Under his direction, the students in the Philharmonic Orchestra and grown and developed into more sensitive musicians who truly understand the art of making beautiful music. He has challenged them with difficult repertoire and encouraged them to rise to the occasion. He joined us on the trip to Korea, where his relationships with students deepened and they truly felt his love and care for them. He is a wonderful teacher, musician and friend and I know we will all miss him greatly.
We are currently looking for his replacement and are in talks with a couple of potential directors. We will let you know as soon as a decision is made and will send an introduction of the new director. Change is never fun, but we will do all in our power to make this a smooth transition.
We are currently looking for his replacement and are in talks with a couple of potential directors. We will let you know as soon as a decision is made and will send an introduction of the new director. Change is never fun, but we will do all in our power to make this a smooth transition.
Parent Student Meeting - August 1st
We will be having our Parent Student Meeting on Tuesday, August 1st from 7:00 - 8:30 at the UNT Music Building, the new home of our rehearsals. We don't have the definite room yet but as soon as I know I will update this. This is an important meeting that you don't want to miss as we discuss all the important things for the year. Please do your best to attend.
Kick - Off Event at Rancha De La Rocha - Saturday August 19
We will not be having a retreat this year but will instead have a fun kick-off day at Rancha De la Rocha in Aubrey. Each group will have a rehearsal, but most of the day will be spent having fun and getting to know one another. There will be boating, fishing, swimming, volleyball, playgrounds, and indoor games, and of course, lots of yummy food. Cost to be announced soon, but it will be no more than $20.
Pictures from May Concert
There are still pictures available for purchase from the May concert. Cost is $10, and I will send you all the pictures that your child is in from the concert. I can't guarantee individual pictures, especially for the Symphony group, and I will reimburse you if there are not enough good ones, but in general, you can expect to be sent 6-8 good pictures. You can pay via Venmo.
Youth Symphony of Denton
Noteworthy!
May 2023
Final Concert
This past Saturday, we had our final concert of the season. Each group performed incredibly well and displayed the growth that had occurred this season. we also heard from our newly formed Chamber Music program. Two ensembles performed and created beautiful music. Chamber music really enhances the students ability to listen to one another and perform in a very musical manner. The Chamber music program will definitely cause growth in the main ensembles.
We also held a Silent Auction and a Bake Sale and were able to raise $1,249 to help the orchestra. I wish to thank all of the incredible parents who were responsible for both of these events and for checking people, and for the students who volunteered to be ushers. My job was so much easier because of these helpers. Thanks everyone.
We also held a Silent Auction and a Bake Sale and were able to raise $1,249 to help the orchestra. I wish to thank all of the incredible parents who were responsible for both of these events and for checking people, and for the students who volunteered to be ushers. My job was so much easier because of these helpers. Thanks everyone.
Concert Pictures Available
During dress rehearsal and the concert, we had a professional photographer taking pictures of the ensemble as a whole and as many individual pictures of students as possible. We will make this file available to anyone willing to pay $10. You can then print as many pictures as you wish at whatever size you desire. Half of the cost will go to the orchestra and the other half to the photographer. The file may not be available until after the Korea trip, but let me know if you are interested.
Taste of Culture Party
On May 27th from 5:30 - 9:00, we will have our year end celebration - A Taste of Culture! Families are encouraged to bring food dishes from their cultures of origin (we intend for this to be dinner, not just snacks), and students and others will be performing music from various cultures. We will be asking for donations to the program at the event for those who would like to contribute, but it is intended to be our End of Year celebration party, so it is not required. The event will be held at the home of the Roden family at 418 Texas St., Denton. Parking is available in the TWU parking lot across from their home. Please bring a folding table and chairs or blanket to sit on. Swimming will be available as well as other outdoor fun games. If you wish to help out with the planning or on the day of the event, please let Mrs. Cleaver know. Come join us to celebrate our season and enjoy being together as a family!
Auditions
We will hold auditions for those students wishing to move to a different ensemble next Fall. The dates for the May audition are the 20th and 27th, and there will also be an audition in July. Students who are currently happy with their placement and do not wish to advance need to fill out a registration form, but do not need to reaudition or pay the audition fee. Any 2nd Violins in Symphony who wish to move to the 1st Violin section will also need to audition. New audition music is now posted, and our promotional video is posted on our home page. Please tell your friends to watch it and come join us for our fifth season. We want to hit 100 members this Fall! Cost for auditioning is $20.
Korea Trip
We are two weeks away from the Korea trip, a trip we have been planning and hoping to take since 2021. All the kids are excited and our chaperones are getting ready up. We will be touring the country and seeing the many sites, and will perform a concert with the Daegu International Youth Orchestra. We will keep everyone back home connected through Instagram and our Band ap. If you do not currently subscribe to either of these, please do. Instagram is Youth Symphony Denton, and the Band ap is available for free in Ap stores.
Rehearsals Next Season
It is official! WE will begin having our weekly rehearsals at the UNT Music building in Room 232. We are very excited about this change and are looking forward to having all the percussions instruments we need and a great space to rehearse. We are extremely grateful to Redeemer Church for allowing us to use their space for the last two and a half years. They have been so loving and gracious to us, and we owe a lot to them for the growth we have experienced. We will still have our camp at Redeemer this summer.
Season Kick Off at Rancha De La Rocha
Put it on your calendars now! Our kick off for our fifth season will be on Saturday, August 19th, from 10:00 - 9:00 at Rancha De La Rocha in Aubrey Tx. Each ensemble will have a rehearsal with their group, be able to play some getting to know you games, eat some yummy foods, swim, paddle boat, play volleyball, etc. There is a lot to do at this venue, and kids are going to have a blast.
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Final Season Concert, featuring our Concerto Contest Winners !
Our final concert of the 2022-2023 season will take place on Saturday, May 13th at 4:30 at Voertman Hall on the UNT campus. This concert will feature our three Concerto Contest winners, Isaac Phee, Edward Hwang and Loghan Runnekko. They will perform their concertos with the Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Hank Chang. The Symphony will also perform "Danse Macabre" by Saint Seans, and "Hoedown from the Rodeo Suite" by Copland. The String Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra will also perform and you will be amazed at the progress they have made since the beginning of our season.
There will be sub sandwich meals available for purchase beginning at 3:30, and there will also be many baked goods to satisfy your sweet tooth! Please contribute individually wrapped items for the bake sale and help our program raise some much needed funds.
There will also be a Silent Auction that will take place virtually before and during the concert. Many of the items available involve activities that would help fill those long, hot summer days. A link to this sale will be attached here as soon as it is available.
A Taste of Culture
On May 20th from 5:30 - 9:00, we will have our year end celebration - A Taste of Culture! Families are encouraged to bring food dishes from their cultures of origin (we intend for this to be dinner, not just snacks), and students and others will be performing music from various cultures. We will be asking for donations to the program at the event for those who would like to contribute, but it is intended to be our End of Year celebration party, so it is not required. The event will be held at the home of the Roden family at 322 Texas St., Denton. Parking is available in the TWU parking lot across from their home. Please bring a folding table and chairs or blanket to sit on. Swimming will be available as well as other outdoor fun games. If you wish to help out with the planning or on the day of the event, please let Mrs. Cleaver know. Come join us to celebrate our season and enjoy being together as a family!
The Korea Trip is Almost Here!
All the money has been collected and passports have arrived. We are ready to go! Those participating in the trip will have two rehearsals on Saturday, May 20 and 27, from 2:30 - 5:00. If you are not one of the lucky ones getting to join us, you can still experience some of the fun and excitement by following us on social media or through the Band ap. We will be posting pictures throughout the trip and maybe even a recording or two of the concerts.
Auditions May 20th and 27th
We will hold auditions for those students wishing to move to a different ensemble next Fall. Students who are currently happy with their placement and do not wish to advance need to fill out a registration form, but do not need to reaudition or pay the audition fee. Any 2nd Violins in Symphony who wish to move to the 1st Violin section will also need to audition. New audition music is now posted, and our promotional video is posted on our home page. Please tell your friends to watch it and come join us for our fifth season. We want to hit 100 members this Fall! Cost for auditioning is $20.
Friendraisers are Here
What is a Friendraiser, you may ask? A Friendraiser is a small gathering of people who are interested in young people pursuing the art of music and want to come on board with us to help make this organization the best it can be. We are trying to expand our base of supporters by meeting new people and sharing what the Youth Symphony of Denton is all about. However, we need your help with this. Please help us find these people who are willing to spend a couple of hours enjoying fine food and warm fellowship and learning about us. They may be family members, friends, acquaintances, etc. Send us their contact info and we will send them an invite. We will NOT be asking for donations at these events, but will be asking that people consider how they can best support the orchestra. Please help us have three successful events this summer. If you are willing to open you home to one of these events please let us know.
Rehearsal Location for Next Season
The church has recently informed us that they will no longer be able to host our group for rehearsals. They have grown exponentially and are now providing seminary type classes on the weekends and really need to reclaim their facility. We have happily rehearsed there for 2.5 years and are so grateful for the provision of this facility at a time when we were young and growing. They have been so supportive of us and have often been willing to receive their payment late when we were struggling financially. We will miss being at this beautiful place!
We are currently in discussion with the University of North Texas about using their music building for our new rehearsal site. The benefits of rehearsing there include the use of their chairs, stands and best of all, percussion equipment. We are hoping to be able to rehearse there with no increase of price, but that may not be possible. If you know of any other potential rehearsal site for us, please let us know.
Best of Denton Voting Begins
Help us be recognized in the city of Denton and get some free publicity. Please go to bestofdenton.com, and nominate the Youth Symphony of Denton in the "Life and Fun" category, "Private/Group Music Lessons." If we make it past the first round, we will call on you to vote in the final round. We won in this category in 2021. Let's do it again in 2023!
Make Music Day, June 21
Make Music Day is an international event that takes place worldwide. As a musical organization, we must join in on the celebration! I do not have specific details yet, but last year a small group of us performed at the Square. I will send more details as soon as the event planning begins, but put the date on your calendar.
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Concerto Contest Winners 2023!
On February 3rd, 10 students came to the rehearsal facility to play their Concertos for the judges. We are amazed by the level of talent third year and how all performed very well. Narrowing it down to three solos was difficult, but the following were chosen to perform with the orchestra at the May concert on the 13th.
Isacc Phee, Philharmonic student, age 10 will perform the Vivaldi Concerto in A minor for violin. Isaac studies with Mrs. Kim and has been in the Youth Symphony program since Spring of 2021. We're very excited to watch the continues growth of Isaac as he progresses through our program.
Edward Hwang, Symphony student, age 15, will perform Concerto in A minor by J.S. Bach. A student of Mr. Chang's, Edward has been a part of the Youth Symphony since Fall of 2021.
Loghan Runnekko, Symphony student, age 18 will perform the Concerto for Tuba by Gregson. Loghan just joined our program in November of 2022 and recently performed with the All State 5A Wind Ensemble.
Dallas Symphony Concert Field trips
This year we have added a new activity for the students - field trips to orchestra concerts in the metroplex! Most of these concerts are at the Dallas Symphony, but we did also attend the Richardson Symphony when two of our former clinicians were performing Mozart Sinfonia Concertante. The Dallas Symphony has a Student card that is available to purchase for area students. There is a one time fee of $25 to purchase the card, and the card gets the student and one other person into select concerts for free. This card is good for 4 years!
We go as a group about once a month to hear these wonderful concerts, and my favorite part is listening to the students talk about the music and program notes on the way home. Their insight and interest in the music is surprising at their ages, and we are developing the orchestral audiences of the future. Anthony Harnan, one of our regular participants said "I find our musical expeditions to be rather inspiring. I am always moved by their incredible performances, and after each performance,
I am reminded to push myself to their professional level and become a greater musician."
Thank you Dallas Symphony, for making these concerts accessible to the younger generation!
Auditions May 20th and 27th
We will hold auditions for those students wishing to move to a different ensemble next Fall. Students who are currently happy with their placement and do not wish to advance need to fill out a registration form, but do not need to reaudition. Any 2nd Violins in Symphony who wish to move to the 1st Violin section will also need to audition. New audition music will be posted April 1st. Cost for auditioning is $20.
We're Off to See Korea!
On May 31st, in the grey dawn, 35 students and 16 parents, siblings and staff will leave DFW airport for South Korea! We will be touring many historical sites, hiking some mountains, playing in the ocean, and most importantly, performing with the Daegu International Youth Orchestra at a local performance hall and also for the American Military base. This trip has been long in coming as we had to wait out Covid and restrictions in travel that resulted from that. If you're not getting to travel with us, you can still enjoy the sites by following along on our Instagram account (Youthsymphonydenton) or on the Band ap. It's going to be incredible!
Taste of Culture Fundraising Event
On May 20th at 6:00 PM we will have our Spring fundraising event, the Taste of Culture. Famiilies are encouraged to bring food dishes from their cultures of origin, and students and others will be performing music from various cultures. We will be asking for donations to the program at the event, but it is intended to be our End of Year celebration party. More details to follow.
On February 3rd, 10 students came to the rehearsal facility to play their Concertos for the judges. We are amazed by the level of talent third year and how all performed very well. Narrowing it down to three solos was difficult, but the following were chosen to perform with the orchestra at the May concert on the 13th.
Isacc Phee, Philharmonic student, age 10 will perform the Vivaldi Concerto in A minor for violin. Isaac studies with Mrs. Kim and has been in the Youth Symphony program since Spring of 2021. We're very excited to watch the continues growth of Isaac as he progresses through our program.
Edward Hwang, Symphony student, age 15, will perform Concerto in A minor by J.S. Bach. A student of Mr. Chang's, Edward has been a part of the Youth Symphony since Fall of 2021.
Loghan Runnekko, Symphony student, age 18 will perform the Concerto for Tuba by Gregson. Loghan just joined our program in November of 2022 and recently performed with the All State 5A Wind Ensemble.
Dallas Symphony Concert Field trips
This year we have added a new activity for the students - field trips to orchestra concerts in the metroplex! Most of these concerts are at the Dallas Symphony, but we did also attend the Richardson Symphony when two of our former clinicians were performing Mozart Sinfonia Concertante. The Dallas Symphony has a Student card that is available to purchase for area students. There is a one time fee of $25 to purchase the card, and the card gets the student and one other person into select concerts for free. This card is good for 4 years!
We go as a group about once a month to hear these wonderful concerts, and my favorite part is listening to the students talk about the music and program notes on the way home. Their insight and interest in the music is surprising at their ages, and we are developing the orchestral audiences of the future. Anthony Harnan, one of our regular participants said "I find our musical expeditions to be rather inspiring. I am always moved by their incredible performances, and after each performance,
I am reminded to push myself to their professional level and become a greater musician."
Thank you Dallas Symphony, for making these concerts accessible to the younger generation!
Auditions May 20th and 27th
We will hold auditions for those students wishing to move to a different ensemble next Fall. Students who are currently happy with their placement and do not wish to advance need to fill out a registration form, but do not need to reaudition. Any 2nd Violins in Symphony who wish to move to the 1st Violin section will also need to audition. New audition music will be posted April 1st. Cost for auditioning is $20.
We're Off to See Korea!
On May 31st, in the grey dawn, 35 students and 16 parents, siblings and staff will leave DFW airport for South Korea! We will be touring many historical sites, hiking some mountains, playing in the ocean, and most importantly, performing with the Daegu International Youth Orchestra at a local performance hall and also for the American Military base. This trip has been long in coming as we had to wait out Covid and restrictions in travel that resulted from that. If you're not getting to travel with us, you can still enjoy the sites by following along on our Instagram account (Youthsymphonydenton) or on the Band ap. It's going to be incredible!
Taste of Culture Fundraising Event
On May 20th at 6:00 PM we will have our Spring fundraising event, the Taste of Culture. Famiilies are encouraged to bring food dishes from their cultures of origin, and students and others will be performing music from various cultures. We will be asking for donations to the program at the event, but it is intended to be our End of Year celebration party. More details to follow.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns,
please contact Damia Cleaver at
[email protected]
or call her direct at (940) 390-5956.
If you have any questions or concerns,
please contact Damia Cleaver at
[email protected]
or call her direct at (940) 390-5956.