DCYO spring 2020 performance invitation
By Elizabeth Wood West
Like so many other businesses and organizations, Douglas County Youth Orchestra (DCYO) was hit hard by COVID-19 this spring. Rather than canceling rehearsals for their spring 2020 performance of “Tom Sawyer,” students Zoomed with DCYO’s conductor and assistant conductor. The spring performance transitioned into a virtual experience.
DCYO violinist Ella Winkler said, “When we were unexpectedly forced into quarantine due to COVID-19 only two months into our spring season, I wasn’t sure how we were going to continue playing together as an orchestra. I was so relieved when our Maestro Thomas A. Blomster gave us the option of trying something new, something we hadn’t ever tried before as an orchestra, a virtual final project,” she stated.
Winkler continued, “Even though we weren’t able to play together in person, we were able to submit a recording of ourselves playing our individual pieces of ‘Tom Sawyer,’ a song by the rock band Rush. With the help of our conductor and his colleagues, all the individual parts were arranged together to create a wonderful piece of music. I was so excited to hear the final arrangement, and I’m proud of DCYO for being innovative and making the best of a not-so-great situation. It just goes to show the great number of talented and committed musicians we have at DCYO, and I am proud to be one of them.”
DCYO invites the public to enjoy its spring 2020 performance and learn about the youth music programs by visiting www.douglascountyyouthorchestra.org.
