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Hello!

My name is Cate Winsor, and I'm a violinist for the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra. I wanted to share my (brief) story of my time in this organization with you.

This is my 7th and second-to-last season with EYSO. It's crazy to think that I've been a part of this amazing community since I was only in elementary school, but I can't imagine it being any other way.

Throughout my time here, I've not only gotten to experience a deeper understanding of the music I'm playing, but I also get to be a part of a tight-knit, supportive community that I'm overjoyed to return to every Sunday evening.

I tend to view EYSO as my anchor when I'm going through tough times. If I'm having a really difficult week, I remind myself that I'll be able to go back to EYSO soon and that I can let all of my stress and problems go while I'm there. Even during the pandemic, that statement held true. Despite all other youth orchestras completely halting rehearsals during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, EYSO powered through. When things were really unknown and challenging, we still met on Zoom every Sunday, even if it was just to talk about the music we're learning.

As soon as it was possible for us to do it, we resumed in-person rehearsals. We were able to do it while meeting every guideline that was set for group gatherings. That effort is something many other youth orchestras in the area didn't even begin to try until the spring of 2021.

I'm proud to be in EYSO because of the persistence everyone on the team has to keep the music playing. In a world full of "no"s, conductors, staff, and students said "yes". In this rapidly changing world, we were all able to keep EYSO a constant in our lives.

Not only am I a part of Youth Symphony in EYSO, I've also been offered the opportunity to be a part of one of the honors string quartets EYSO founded as a part of their Chamber Music Institute: the Hanson String Quartet. Being a part of this quartet has been incredibly valuable to me in the fact that I get to play my instrument in a more intimate and personal environment. There's no conductor, so the music-making is all up to myself and the other three members of the quartet. This amount of autonomy is what makes playing in a chamber group and performing with them one of the most rewarding things I've ever gotten to experience. As a quartet, we also get to be coached by world-class musicians, gathering their advice and wisdom so we can become even better players. Overall, my time being with Hanson and the Chamber Music Institute in general has been really eye-opening, and I value every moment I have there.

If you couldn't tell already, EYSO has truly changed my life for the better. This is the place that made me want to major in music performance and music education. I want to share everything I've learned and the passion I've developed for music with the world.

So please, for this organization that has kept me on my feet and inspired for so long, would you please donate to EYSO? Student tuition costs only cover 1/3 of the money required to pay for one season. The rest of that sum is covered by company grants and from donations like yours. If you choose to donate, you'll be contributing to the EYSO difference, which is "to create a community of young musicians, enriching their lives and the lives of their families, schools, communities, and beyond, through the study and performance of excellent music."

Thank you so much for reading my story, and thank you for supporting EYSO!

-Cate Winsor

P.S. Watch us perform! Check out our schedule at EYSO.org or view video clips on our YouTube channel.