We are so proud and thrilled that our students have been working hard to stay musically active during this time at home, through BYSO lessons and rehearsals but also independently. Enjoy reading about (and watching!) some of the great projects, goals, etc. that students have been working on over the past few months!

Name: Henry
Instrument: Viola
Ensemble: JRO
Year in School: 6th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 2
"I've started taking weekly theory/composition lessons recently."

Name: Chase
Instrument: Percussion
Ensemble: BYS and REP
Year in School: 8th Grade
Number of years in BYSO: 1
"During my time at home, I’ve been continuing to develop my musical skills through practice for BYSO, private lessons, online programs, and work for my school’s concert band and jazz band. Although we’ve been unable to have live rehearsals, I’ve definitely been able to keep busy. In addition to my BYSO music and material for our weekly zoom meetings, I’ve been exploring many new orchestral pieces, as well as listening back to some of the music we previously played in BYSO. In addition, I’ve been working on learning and reviewing pieces for my lessons, while spending time working on my technique and the musicality of each composition. Through our school, I have been attending various zoom conferences and completing virtual assessments with current and former band conductors and teachers. Despite the difficulty of not being able to physically meet in person, I have been provided with many exciting opportunities, such as performing over zoom for younger musicians and peers. It’s unfortunate that we haven't been able to gather during these strange times, but I’m grateful that BYSO and my teachers have been dedicating their time to continue helping me grow as a musician."

Name: Ashley
Instrument: Oboe
Ensemble: BYS
Year in School: 11th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 4
"I have felt extremely grateful for all of the musicians in my life that have taught me so much, such as the faculty at BYSO and my private oboe teacher. However, since professional musicians can no longer perform and do gigs, they are suffering greatly during these times. To contribute just a bit for these artists, I created a GoFundMe that donates directly to the Boston Center for the Arts Artist Relief Fund. My friends and I miss going to rehearsal so much and have such deep love and appreciation for the musicians in our lives, and I hope that this fundraiser will help them get through these tough times."

Name: Israel
Instrument: Viola
Ensemble: REP
Year in School: 9th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 9.7
"I am preparing for an ICP event called Solofest"

Name: Frances
Ensemble: Violin
Ensemble: JRO
Year in School: 5th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 4
"I have been doing BYSO & lessons over Zoom and Facetime, daily practice as usual, performance evaluation weekly videos, duets with my mom."

Name: Olivia
Instrument: Viola
Ensemble: YPSO
Year in School: 6th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 2
"I've been practicing a lot more than usual. I have private lessons on Skype and am learning the piece Carnival of Venice by Charles Dancla (viola version.) I've learned a lot of new bow strokes (such as sautille, ricochet, staccato jete)...I also play for the neighbors sometimes; they don't always enjoy it (not that I sound wonderful all the time) but they do like it at times."

Name: Kenneth
Instrument: Cello
Ensemble: JRO
Year in School: 6th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 6
"I've been practicing more and my school ensemble is doing a project."

Name: Kanon
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: YPSO
Year in School: 5th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 2
"One way I have been staying musically active during my time at home is having lessons on Skype and I was really happy seeing Ms. Marta on Skype. I have been also trying to teach my little sister how to play the violin."

Name: Ryan
Instrument: French Horn
Ensemble: JRO
Year in School: 7th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 4
"I have been practicing daily."

Name: Wesley
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: REP
Year in School: 7th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 6
"I have been listening to classical music over dinner."

Name: Tabitha
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: BYS
Year in School: 10th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 9
"I started recording myself playing my violin piece, then recorded myself playing the piano accompaniment while listening to the violin recording. Then I used computer software to put it together and make my own performance!"

Name: Rob
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: YPSO
Year in School: 6th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 3
"I have been practicing more violin each day to improve."

Name: Noa
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: REP
Year in School: 7th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 4
"I have been practicing violin, trying out pieces I am interested in, playing around with some duets with my sister, and singing."

Name: Waverly
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: BYS
Year in School: 11th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 3
"I created a playlist called Journey Through Music to share music with the people in my community and at school. The goal of this is to spread some happiness to others during this stressful time. Through this, I hope that more people can appreciate music and understand its many benefits."

Name: Kaitlyn
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: REP
Year in School: 7th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 3
"I joined my sister, Waverly Shi- BYS, to create a YouTube Channel which we just record ourselves playing a couple of songs every week (for me both violin and piano- we are also planning to do a duet for violin - Waverly and piano - me). I thought that this was a pretty neat idea because it not only helps us expand our repertoire and get to know new pieces that we would have never thought about playing, but it also brought joy in others. At first this channel was dedicated for nursing home seniors to watch when they were feeling alone, but we soon expanded and shared our channel with our school communities. We hope that our music can spark some joy in others and possibly even relief some stress!"

Name: Elli
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: PE
Year in School: 2nd Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 1
"I have been practicing everyday! Singing songs and also pairing the violin with piano."

Name: Sean
Instrument: Trumpet
Ensemble: REP
Year in School: 10th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 4
"I have been practicing trumpet and bass guitar and piano. I am working on composing a piece for school for a full orchestra. Ideally it will be around 10 minutes and it is supposed to be a musical interpretation of Euripides' Medea."

Name: Jihye
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: PE
Number of Years in BYSO: 1
"I have online violin lessons with my violin teacher, and my classroom teacher looks forward to my performance in the Zoom check-in meeting every week. It is very exciting!"

Name: Mateo
Instrument: Tuba
Ensemble: REP
Year in School: 9th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 1
"My band director has set up a TV series starring different members of the band playing short pieces and being interviewed. These shows are then streamed on local television for the senior centers and nursing homes."

Name: Alison
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: JRO
Year in School: 8th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 2
"I've been working on Bach's Partita no. 3, and Bruch Concerto no. 1 op. 26!!"

Name: Ayelet
Instrument: Violin
Ensemble: YPSO
Year in School: 6th Grade
Number of Years in BYSO: 3
"I have been making videos with friends on the 'Acapella' app, and I have been having lessons."