Elgin Youth Symphony NOTES campaign

For four years, I've been a staff member at the Elgin Youth Symphony, first as associate conductor of the top-level Youth Symphony, and this year as artistic director of the entire program. One of the innovative things we do at EYSO is the annual NOTES campaign. I'm going to tell you about the fundraiser--what it is, what it isn't, and why that's cool.

It isn't selling candy. Or poinsettias. Or pizza. Not that candy, poinsettias, and pizza aren't cool...but this is cool exactly because it isn't a sale. In fact, nobody sells anything in a "traditional" fundraising sense all year. This is the one and only fundraiser the students participate in.

Participation is just as important as the dollar amount. That doesn't mean the dollar amount isn't important--the goal is $60,0000 this year, which is around 7% of our budget. So yeah, it matters. But the participation is where the real reward is. Because kids learn to support things they care about. And to put their money where their beliefs are. And that speaking up for things makes a difference. Last year, the Youth Symphony had a 93% participation rate. And it's not mandatory--just expected.

Teaching kids about our society matters. At the end of our campaign kick-off meetings in which students learn about NOTES, I shared this with the students: although for them, asking adults for money (not in exchange for goods) feels weird, it's just something that all adults as used to. We get these asks regularly, and frankly, if it comes from a kid, it makes us think "wow, this really must be important--and I'm so glad to see a young person engaged and caring!" That's why participation matters as much as dollar amount. Because although not everyone has wealthy relatives, everyone can put their time and money where they care.

Paying back into society matters. Even in February of 2020, that was already something that was clearly important for us to teach. And not every kid gets to see that in action at a young age--and that, really, is why I think this campaign, and this organization matters. Because kids learn about music at the highest level...and they also learn how to think, how to approach life, and how to be empathetic people. We need that.

In March and April 2020, it matters more than ever. And people are recognizing it. And our students are inspiring me more than they ever have.

On March 8, we had our second EYSO concert of the year called En Pointe: Orchestra at the Ballet. Every orchestra (we have 5, plus a chamber music institute, brass choir, and two percussion ensembles--340 students) performed on stage with guest artist Luis Vazquez, a Chicago-based dancer and choreographer with the Joffrey Ballet. But they didn't just perform with him--he and I worked together to craft 1-minute videos each week during the concert cycle that the kids watched, and he visited for a full day in February to teach ballet, choreography, and to make connections between the way the music plays and the dancer moves. It was incredible, and hearing the difference in the way the students played after watching...wow. Youth Symphony, made up of high school students performed this program (click for 1-minute social media clips)

• Berceuse & Finale from Firebird (Stravinsky)--an arrangement so that our youngest EYSO-ers, Primo, could play in side-by-side
• Fugue in G minor by Bach, transcribed by Stokowski--and choreographed/danced to by Luis
• Sonata for Flute by Poulenc, transcribed for orchestra and performed by our concerto competition winner
• Suite No. 2 from The Three Cornered Hat (Falla), The Miller's Dance and Final Dance
• Symphony No. 1 by Shostakovich--the whole thing. Check out these 2 excerpts.

It was incredible. I've never been so proud of a student orchestra for what they achieved...for how they grew...for the way they cared.

And the next week, the world screeched to a halt.

It was the very next Friday, two days before we were to start our third concert cycle (Folklorico, featuring guest dancers from a local Mexican folk-dancing company), that we had to suspend in-person rehearsals due to COVID-19. The stay-at-home order went into effect the next week, and on March 31 it was extended to April 30. It's quite possible we won't be able to rehearse together again for our May 10 concert.

But we didn't stop. On Saturday, I asked my colleagues to join in a video conference in which we brainstormed, we dreamed, and we planned. And the very next day, we had our first "remote rehearsal" with all 340 students. It's not the same as being in the same room together, of course, but the joy on students' faces over the past three Sundays as they've come together as a community, continuing to learn, explore, and make music together even in these challenging times. After our first Zoom rehearsal (3 1/2 hours of sectionals, and I had perfect attendance from my students), I asked "does anyone have final questions, ideas, suggestions, input"--my usual ask. One clarinetist (Caroline) raised her hand and said this: I'm just so glad we're still doing something. Because so much is canceled, and it's just so amazing to be together like this, even if it's not in person. And parents emailed, saying how much they valued our positive outlook and push to make music. And the dean at Elgin Community College where we rehearse broke down when I shared how our instructors had been working to teach and inspire over the past three weeks.

This organization is special. We're strong, we're resilient, and we're innovative--and that's going to be more evident than ever in the coming weeks and months. But we're not immune to the effects of COVID-19, either. And like many arts organizations, we're in the midst of emergency grant writing and fundraising, as we aim to make up a potentially huge deficit from lost concert revenue while we continue to pay all staff members (simply put, because they're still working hard to deliver our music education).

Will you donate to EYSO?

With gratitude,

Matt

P.S. If you'd like to see longer videos of our performances, let me know and I'll share. And check out our program book, with notes written by our conductors to help audience members get some insight into the student experience.