HSOG Arts and Academics Study Group Project Receives Gold Book Classic Award

 

Beth Wise and Susan Anderson just returned from Detroit where they attended the League of American Orchestras Conference. While there Susan presented the Arts and Academics Study Group project, which received a Gold Book Classic Award. The award represents our collaborative effort to improve attendance and add value to the work we do with educators, musicians, and students in the classroom prior to the Young Peoples Concert.

“This special Gold Book Award is not given every year.  It recognizes a project that has made a continuous contribution to its orchestra and community for 10 years or more.”   – Beth Wise 

Debbie McKinney, President of the Volunteer Council with Susan Anderson

Camille Williams, Conference Awards Chair with Susan Anderson

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild Wins Gold Book
Award of Excellence

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild Wins Gold Book Award of Excellence
From the Volunteer Council of the League of American Orchestras for Outstanding Volunteer Project Arts and Academics Study Group

The Volunteer Council of the League of American Orchestras is pleased to announce that the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild has won an Award of Excellence in the annual Gold Book competition. Their project is titled Arts and Academics Study Group. The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild supports the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra (HSO). The award will be presented at the League’s National Conference in Detroit, MI from June 6-8, 2017.

The Arts and Academics Study Group is a collaboration among educators, Guild members, HSO staff, and The Schools Foundation to increase local attendance at the Young People’s Concerts (YPC). Developing this Study Group was suggested by our State School Board member Mary Scott Hunter, whom the Guild consulted about music education standards. Since 1968, the HSO with HSO Guild support has presented the free, annual YPC, yet educators had not previously been consulted. The three school districts within Madison County, Alabama, Huntsville City, Madison City, and Madison County, appointed fourth grade teachers, elementary music educators, and a principal to the Study Group. HSO’s Director of Education and Guild members, including the president, education chairman, YPC chairman, and previous chairmen met with the educators in a technologically rich conference provided by The Schools Foundation. Among Study Group recommendations is a post-concert survey designed and sent to all attending teachers. A rising ninth grade magnet student was recruited to produce the prezi used to present YPC to the three school boards prior to the concerts; she also produced the prezi showing survey results. The survey will be sent for two more years to establish three years of data as basis for further recommendations to increase the value of the YPC for area students.

The annual Gold Book competition recognizes outstanding projects created and implemented by volunteer associations of symphony orchestras throughout the United States and Canada. Projects are judged by the League’s Volunteer Council each fall. All of the submitted projects will be featured online at www.goldbookonline.org.

The League’s Volunteer Council is an organization of recognized community leaders throughout the United States and Canada who have demonstrated outstanding support for their symphony orchestras. The Council’s awards honor volunteers who, through their hard work and dedication, help to insure the success of their organizations.

League of American Orchestras

The League of American Orchestras leads, supports, and champions America’s orchestras and the vitality of the music they perform. Its diverse membership of more than 2,000 organizations and individuals across North America runs the gamut from world-renowned symphonies to community groups, from summer festivals to student and youth ensembles, from conservatories to libraries, from businesses serving orchestras to individuals who love symphonic music. The only national organization dedicated solely to the orchestral experience, the League is a nexus of knowledge and innovation, advocacy, and leadership advancement. Its conferences and events, award-winning Symphony magazine, website, and other publications inform people around the world about orchestral activity and developments. Founded in 1942 and chartered by Congress in 1962, the League links a national network of thousands of instrumentalists, conductors, managers and administrators, board members, volunteers, and business partners. Visit americanorchestras.org.

Thanks to Guild member Jamie Saunders for sending and receiving the Survey Monkey evaluation survey!

For more information, contact:
Susan Anderson
256-5332935
chamaskas@comcast.net

Click on the “start prezi” arrows in the center of the images to begin each prezi.  Then use the arrows at the bottom of each image to navigate through the presentations. 

Arts and Academics Study Group Presentation

Arts and Academics 2016 YPC Survey Results Presentation

Guild presents check from Silver Tea to Huntsville Youth Orchestra

At our March 11 Guild Meeting, we presented a check to the Huntsville Youth Orchestra (HYO) in the amount of $14,000 for funds raised from the 2015 Silver Tea.

(left to right) Ashley Walker, 2016 Guild HYO liaison; Debbie Washburn, 2015/2016 Guild President; Karen Morris, 2015 Silver Tea Chair; Bruce Zeiger, HYO Board Chairman; Deborah Brown, HYO Executive Director; Joe Lee, HYO Music Director

(left to right) Ashley Walker, 2016 Guild HYO liaison; Debbie Washburn, 2015/2016 Guild President; Karen Morris, 2015 Silver Tea Chair; Bruce Zeiger, HYO Board Chairman; Deborah Brown, HYO Executive Director; Joe Lee, HYO Music Director

Young People’s Concerts

On Tuesday, February 4 and Wednesday, February 5, the 2015 Huntsville Symphony Orchestra’s Young People’s Concerts were held at the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall of the Von Braun Center. These concerts are an annual educational event sponsored by Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild and other individuals and businesses in conjunction with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. This year, we were grateful to have Dana Town and SEA Wire and Cable as sponsors. We always look forward to this special event as our desire is to bring music to all area children with the ultimate goal of instilling in them a lifelong love of this art. With that in mind, we’re pleased to announce that this year’s concerts were attended by over 7,000 fourth-graders!

Gregory Vajda, HSO Music Director and Conductor, led the orchestra members in a beautiful performance of Listen! Watch! Play! along with a special piece performed by the winner of the Young Artist Auditions, Joey Li.

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