In Friday’s (7/26) Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas; subscription required) David Lee Shults writes, “Local campers aren’t toasting marshmallows but are toasting musical performances this summer at the third Wichita Falls Youth Symphony Orchestra Strings Camp. Violin, viola, cello, and string bass students from grades five through 12 have been delving into ensemble practice, small-group training, and musical theory since Monday.” Faculty member Julia Gray-Lion “said one of the difficulties of this camp is that the level of experience variety greatly between grades five to 12, and so trying to pick music that will appeal to a wide skill level of students is challenging.… ‘It’s balancing both sides—individual musicians and musicianship within a larger group. We want them to walk always with some understanding that this is how music is constructed, and show them this is how you figure out stuff for yourself.’ YSO Executive Director Rachel Barber said the String Camp, which is funded by the Bryant Edwards Foundation, is a good way to introduce students to the youth symphony.… The nonprofit youth arts group usually features between 60 and 70 musicians from Wichita Falls and the surrounding communities.”
Posted July 26, 2013
