NOTES 2024: Youth Symphony

Dear family and friends,

As an aspiring musician, there are many organizations and music groups I could get involved in to grow my skills and enjoy music, but no other local organization can compare to EYSO. EYSO has been the most musically transforming organization I have ever participated in. What is EYSO? The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra is a high-level youth orchestra that meets at Elgin Community College on Sunday afternoons. There are many different programs for different skill levels, and i am involved in the Youth Symphony, which has the highest rigor out of all the orchestras run by EYSO. Because of its professional setting, excellent leadership, and high standards for each individual member, I have excelled in my percussion skills and knowledge while playing in a high-level orchestra and percussion ensemble. My favourite part of EYSO is the opportunity to learn from amazing faculty and staff, who have a strong passion for making music and helping young developing musicians. They often come beside individual students or instrument sections and correct, teach, and help. I have learned so much from each of my directors’ teaching and advice. My percussion instructor has been one of the most influential teachers of my percussion career. He has helped me think about each individual note and has taught me to play each note intentionally to create a better sound and a better musical experience for the audience. The repertoire that my directors have put before me have always been very challenging and require lots of practice time. EYSO is a non-profit organization whose goal is to enrich the lives and abilities of new upcoming musicians. The reason why you are receiving this email is because EYSO is an expensive organization to run, as it takes over a million dollars yearly to keep running. There is an annual campaign fundraiser called “Notes” that all students participate in. EYSO is kept up mainly by donations, so please donate so that EYSO can keep affecting the lives of others like it has mine.

Thank you,

Toby Morden

Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras is collecting donations as part of our annual fundraising campaign: NOTES 2024. This campaign runs from March 24 to May 5, 2024.

Tuition covers only one-third of the total cost of each member’s participation in EYSO. Our NOTES campaign helps keep tuition reasonable and offsets program costs.

Now in our 48^th season, 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!

Donations of any size can make a real impact! Thank you so much for supporting the students of EYSO.