Donate to NOTES 2024: Philharmonia

Greetings, friends and family. My orchestra, EYSO's Philharmonia, is collecting donations as part of our annual fundraising campaign: NOTES. This year the campaign runs from March 24-May 5, 2024.

I have been playing cello and learning music since I was very young, and this is my fifth year playing in an EYSO orchestra. EYSO is important to me because it provides an excellent environment for the making of music with others. I enjoy playing in the orchestra because it's fun to hear all the instruments come together. The music selections are well-chosen and the staff is enthusiastic. EYSO provides music that enhances skill and allows for enjoyment of the pieces which we play. Some of my favorite pieces that I have played in EYSO include "The Blue Danube," "Egmont Overture," "Danzon No. 2," "Sweeney Todd Suite," and "The Dark Knight," by one of my all-time favorite composers, Hans Zimmer. I've also participated in EYSO's Summer Chamber Music Camp multiple years, and my favorite piece I've played there is "Pirates of the Caribbean Medley." In Philharmonia, we are currently working on another of my favorites: "Symphonic Variation: Merry-Go-Round+Cave of Mind," which is a medley of pieces from the film "Howl's Moving Castle." If you want to hear us for yourself when we play that piece and others, come to our next concert, which is on May 12, 2024, at the Elgin Community College!

Any amount of money helps! Since tuition covers but a third of the cost of each member's participation in EYSO, it is crucial that donations support the organization, that it might continue its profitable services.

Your donation would allow EYSO to continue to acquire quality music selections and would help to allow the continued flourishing of the organization.

This year, we are celebrating our 48th season with the theme Gaia. Today, EYSO serves nearly 400 students in 4th grade through college from 70 different communities via five orchestras, as well as percussion ensembles, Brass Choir and Flute Choir, and a thriving Chamber Music Institute. The mission of EYSO 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. By supporting the NOTES campaign, you are impacting the lives of so many!

In addition to offsetting the cost of tuition, the generosity of people like you also helps to:

• Provide a more diverse repertoire of music.
• Support weekly conductors and guest coaches who are leaders in the field of music education.
• Allows EYSO to have a broader reach by offering innovative community programs and initiatives.

If you are interested in donating, please do so using this page!

Thank you so much for supporting the students of EYSO and the power of music education!

Gideon Crognale