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"Welcome
to the Wednesday Night Music Club" A reprint from the Gazette Newpapers, December 8, 1999 Edition
December 8, 1999 It is Wednesday night in Rockville. The sound of a hundred giddy, giggling, hormonal teens rises up from within the confines of a high school auditorium. Tempted to head in the opposite direction? Don't. These are the children of the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra, practicing for their upcoming concert to be held this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Gaithersburg High School's auditorium. They make a sound unlike any other you've heard young people make before. They play their music loud, it's true. But you will never, ever ask them to turn it down. The Montgomery County Youth Orchestra was founded in 1946 by Conductor/Music Director Emeritus Chester J. Petranek, then a music instructor in the Montgomery County Public Schools and eventually Supervisor of Music for the entire school system. Petranek's objective was to meet the needs of the county's gifted musicians. To that end, he set up a symphony orchestra-- in laymen's terms, that's a string section, woodwinds, brass and percussion, all on the same stage at the same time -- giving those who make the grade an opportunity that even the crèème de la crèème of Montgomery County's young musicians might otherwise not experience. From its beginnings at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School to its current facilities at Rockville High School and Meadow Hall Elementary School to its much-anticipated liaison with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Strathmore Arts Foundation, the MCYO remains a county institution. MCYO has had innumerable honors bestowed upon it, including that of being the first youth orchestra showcased at the Kennedy Center, where it has performed on the Christmas Eve program since 1981. The MCYO has traveled abroad -- to Switzerland, to England and most recently, to Austria. This summer, the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Olivia W. Gutoff, celebrated the centennial of Johann Strauss by performing his works in his Austrian homeland. They completed a performance and sightseeing tour that took in Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz, and included a performance at the fabled Schonbrunn Palace. Back at home, the MCYO makes its mark as members graduate and move on to big things, musically and otherwise. About 10 percent of the orchestra's alumni go on to major in music, some studying at renowned schools of music like Julliard, Curtis, Eastman, Oberlin, New England Conservatory and Peabody. Some grads go on to make music their career. Many take their talents to the Ivy League. And just about every student who experiences membership in the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra develops a love of music so deep and strong it lasts an entire lifetime. How do you get The Philharmonic section of the MCYO is taking its weekly rehearsal. At the podium, Olivia Gutoff reigns. The conductor of the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for five years now, the University of Florida graduate has been teaching music for 30, and her bands and orchestras consistently receive superior rankings. This one is no exception. She instructs one section, and the others sit quietly. There is clowning, yes --but it's minimal. Almost nonexistent. These young men and women know who they are, and they know why they're here, for sure. When the music starts, the awkwardness vanishes. You can almost see it lift and waft away, over heads that sport scrunchies and buzz cuts and even one or two garish dye jobs. Whatever other things might be locked away within these teens, whatever other talents they possess or predilections they express, tonight they are first and foremost musicians. A lurch of Gutoff's baton and Pagliacci erupts in a sobbing, stirring tsunami that washes across the room. You can look into the faces and wonder at their youth and confidence, or you can close your eyes and let the music take over. Manage to do both and you'll see it: the invisible thread that connects these children on the brink of one century to children of centuries and centuries past. For some, there will always be music. The world does not turn without it. David A. Levin has a theory. The Symphony Orchestra Conductor has been teaching music for two decades here in Montgomery County, and he has a feel for what makes kids tick. "I've noticed in a totally unscientific way that a lot of my good musicians are gifted academically," he says. "Which came first, I have no idea. But there always seems to be a high correlation between the hard work and dedication that go into music and what that same child achieves in school. I don't necessarily think kids in a music program are smarter; they just develop a more disciplined approach. "They probably have messy bedrooms, though," he adds with a smile. How can they help it, with schedules that can include between 15 and 30 hours a week of practice, practice, practice. Seems like a lot, until you consider that the average American watches up to 40 hours of television a week. For the not-exactly-average Americans that make up this symphony orchestra, the name of the game is practice. They do the school band thing, just like every other music-loving student. Then there are private lessons -- a virtual prerequisite for young musicians of this caliber, and one that requires daily practice. Many are members of other ensembles -- plus MCYO. Each band requires a certain amount of practice, and a rehearsal that's concentrated and intense. It's a debt of honor that each child fulfills without nagging. "Every child is different," says Levin, laying out the musical "food chain" that leads the hungriest to his rehearsal room. "School band teachers are encouraged to have their top students take private lessons. Private teachers are encouraged to have their top students audition. Six hundred kids audition -- and only half of them make the cut." It's a tough business, but Levin is not a tough guy. He is downright jolly, with an easy rapport that perfectly suits his young charges. He claps and sputters, his hands fluttering in the air, and shouts goofy pronouncements like "Musicality!" or "Body!" or "Ugly! Ugly! Ugly!" during the rehearsal, which proceeds in fits and starts as the children fine-tune their piece. Peeking in on "the Symphonys" as they rehearse is like gazing into a snow globe that's been shaken with abandon. With the exuberance of youth, they burst into "The Marriage of Figaro." There's a blur of bows over violins and cellos, and the air almost crackles with electricity. They like it -- you can tell. They are children who speak a language that is beautiful, traditional and conservative -- just as a young man named Mozart did before them. Their conductor's pride has a happy expression, and he gives them a break once he's put them through their paces. They break more gently, more quietly, it seems, than you might expect from sixth- through ninth-graders. They are excited but polite -- almost subdued -- as they file out for some water and chatter in the hall. There's an almost tangible niceness to these young musicians. There are no bullies here. There are also no guarantees -- and the conductors say that's what keeps the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra in top form. "Every year is a fresh start," says Levin "We begin with a rigorous audition, and the kids prepare every year. The audition tests scales, a prepared piece and sight reading. They take everything they've learned and apply it to the audition. We encourage everyone to try and try again, but we only take the best. That's who we are." Four orchestras: "Chamber Strings" featuring fourth- through sixth-graders, "Young Artists" which is grades five through eight, "Symphony," grades six through nine, and Philharmonic Orchestra, which runs up to twelfth grade. The orchestras are divided by age and also by ability, so there's a place for older children who may be newer at the instrument, or younger ones who are more advanced. Sometimes, but not always, the ages overlap, with the groups divided by ability. A future of music There's a fun game to play if you're ever lucky enough to listen to the MCYO's Young Artists. Listen with your eyes closed -- on this Wednesday night, they are rehearsing "The Czech Wedding Song," and the music is strident and purposeful. Just as the intensity builds and the huge, grown-up sound is about to take over, whip open your eyes and take a look at the musicians. Their faces are so impossibly young -- this one seems more likely to be holding a binder full of Pokéémon cards than a bass that looks bigger than he does. Perhaps there are Pokéémon cards during the day -- there must be -- but tonight the subject is music. The maestro's baton goes up, and dozens of bows shoot up in the air. Scott Herman is conducting -- a tall, youthful man who talks to his young charges musician-to-musician. He is serious, and they are too -- and the music they are making is nothing short of fabulous. "This is a special brand of kid, " says Herman, a graduate of Seneca Valley High School in Germantown and the University of Maryland who developed the instrumental music program at Cabin John Middle School in Potomac where he teaches. "They're high achievers who are motivated to excel, and they're supported by parents who are ready to sacrifice and to become involved," he says. It's the kind of sacrifice that translates into hours in the car -- and dollars upon dollars spent on instruments and tutelage. "Imagine having three kids in music -- it gets expensive," says Herman. "We're not exclusive to 'the rich and famous,' though. We have scholarships for those who have big financial obligations. Still, there's driving every day, between music lessons and rehearsals, plus ballet and soccer, which many of our students still take. Some parents spend the hours between 2:40 and 10 just driving kids around -- it's a major undertaking. "They have high standards," he adds. "And we try to be sensitive to the kids and their parents. It's a team effort." Part of that team -- a very important part -- is the board of directors of the MCYO. Herman speaks of the longevity of the organization, its traditions and high standards -- but he's also quick to point out that all the adults running the program have a clear vision and similar goals. They get along well, he says, with the best interests of the program --and the children who are in it -- always at heart. "The conductors are compensated for their time," he says. "But there's a group of volunteers -- the board, the financial directors, the publicity directors, the newsletter and Web site coordinators -- and of course, the parents -- that make this huge operation work." "This huge operation" -- the MCYO. An organization of daunting high standards, hallowed traditions, and incredible commitment, it's a stellar achievement for a county that's justly proud of its educational system. But for a few hundred kids, once the nail-biting audition and week's worth of practice are over, it's the Wednesday night music club. Hard to get into. Even harder to get out of your system.
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