Donate to NOTES today!

EYSO is collecting donations as part of our annual fundraising event: the NOTES campaign. The purpose of this campaign is to help keep tuition affordable for EYSO members, encouraging EYSO families to collect donations from friends, family, co-workers, neighbors—and you! All contributions to the EYSO are tax deductible, as allowable by law. This campaign runs from January 26 to April 5.

Would you, or someone you know, be willing to donate to EYSO?

This year, the EYSO is celebrating our 44th season with the theme MOVE! Five orchestras, a brass choir, two percussion ensembles, and a chamber music program with nearly 350 students from fourth grade through college comprise the EYSO. We perform three concerts each year, and each concert explores a different connection between music and movement. You can learn more about the EYSO at EYSO.org.

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

Personally, music has been in my life for its entirety. I’ve been playing violin for 13 years, and been in the EYSO for 9 of those years. Music has been with me through the hardships and joys of life, and has made many deep connections with people. Over the years, I’ve learned to love and value the violin and the music I make. I find something new about music every day to appreciate and enjoy. I grew to be dedicated to music and to enjoy it every time I play. Playing music has taught me discipline in which only music could do, and it has allowed me to apply it to everything I do in my daily life. Being able to play music is so worthwhile, and has shaped me to who I am today.

To play music is one thing, but to learn about the music I play is another. EYSO has taught me so much, from being an “expert noticer,” understanding how music can relate to all sorts of themes, to being a great musician overall. I’ve been in all five levels of the EYSO orchestras, and I still remember the memories I made back in the very first one, Primo.

When I started out in EYSO, I couldn’t read music—I was poor at sight-reading, and could only play by ear. Funny story, I was in Prelude—a string orchestra that was offered to elementary and middle schoolers—and I was so bad at reading music, but I knew the melody so well that I actually just played the melody the entire time! (I hope I don’t get shamed for this—Mr. Masters, if you’re reading, please don’t be mad!) Slowly but surely, the EYSO, along with my private teacher, had taught me how to sight-read, and get better at reading music.

Today, I am in the top orchestra, the EYSO, as well as an honors chamber ensemble, the Maud Powell String Quartet. The EYSO did not only give me opportunities of learning great music and playing it, but opportunities where I could grow to be an amazing musician. The EYSO means so much to me, and it feels like one big family. This organization has sparked me to have the passion I have for music and reminds me of the dedication I put in nearly every day.

Please consider donating to EYSO to help the Youth Symphony meet its goal—more importantly—benefitting everyone in EYSO.

Once the NOTES campaign is completed, you will receive a donation acknowledgement from EYSO for tax purposes. This campaign runs until April 5.

Thank you so much for your support! It has meant a lot to me, and everyone in the EYSO.

- Zylle Constantino

P.S. Come hear Youth Symphony perform! Click here for the season schedule or click here to view video clips from the November 2019 concert.