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Vernon Parish Community Orchestra |
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Billboard. VPCO has plans for utilization of a commercial billboard in Leesville for advocacy of the arts in education, music performance, music instruction, music history, and music appreciation. Public Service Announcements. Under the sponsorship of Leesville radio station KVVP, the Vernon Parish Community Orchestra plans to use public service announcements for awareness of the arts, music performance and education, and orchestra activities. |
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Congratulations to Vernon Parish teen string students, Caleb Minion, Isaac Riley, Elizabeth Gautreaux, Jenae’ Riley, Eden Bonner and Lillie Minion, shown above with Dr. David Toms, Louisiana Youth Orchestra director.
Honor Orchestra
The Rapides Symphony Orchestra again hosted a Youth Honors Orchestra in Spring ‘08. The people from Sizzlin' String Studio and VPCO who were chosen to play in the orchestra are first violinists Eden Bonner, Isaac Riley and Elizabeth Gautreaux; second violinist Lillie Minion; principal violist, Jenae' Riley (who was also selected as district principal violist); and principal cellist, Caleb Minion (who was appointed co-principal cellist of the district orchestra). Conductor was David Toms, Assistant Conductor of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Louisiana Youth Orchestra. Side by Side
Young string players Eden Bonner, Caleb Minion and Jenae’ Riley have the opportunity again to play beside professional musicians from Rapides Symphony Orchestra in an orchestra performance in Alexandria December 6. These young musicians consistently qualify for this honor.
Historical Award
Ron Yule, fiddler and first violinist, received the Millet Award for his six books on the history of Cajun, country and bluegrass music in Louisiana. His newest book, My Fiddlin’ Grounds: Northern and Western Louisiana Fiddlers, is a 360-page reference book that chronicles the state of country fiddling in 20th century Louisiana.
Visiting Artists.
VPCO sponsors performances and workshops by visiting artists and instructors. Neil Weintrob, world-renowned professional violinist and teacher from New York, conducted a three-day clinic for local string students, including fiddlers, beginners, advanced and adults in the summer of 2006. at the conclusion of the clinic, Mr. Weintrob presented an evening concert in which a performed a solo, “Meditation from Thais,” and a duet with Dr. Gordy, “Double Violin Concerto” by Bach.
Under the auspices of VPCO Dr. Michael Buckles of McNeese University Music Department conducted an all-day workshop for Dr. Gordy’s string students in June 2007. |
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Congratulations to first violinist Ron Yule. He tied for first place in the Fiddling Contest at Newton County Fair, Newton, Texas, April 26, 2008.
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Fiddlin’ in Texas |
Projects and Accomplishments |
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Isaac Riley, 2009 graduating senior and son of Darwin and Becky Riley of Evans, LA, was a six-year member of the Vernon Parish Community Orchestra, playing first violin in the full orchestra and second violin in the string quartet, 2 Measure Up. Isaac devoted hundreds of hours to community service, playing music as a volunteer in numerous community venues.
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Music Theory Enrichment for Strings
Students of Sizzlin’ Strings Studio enjoyed a four-week theory class led by Dr. Karen Gordy during Summer 2008. Topics included major and minor scale building, Circle of Fifths, sharps and flats, major and minor intervals, perfect intervals, augmented and diminished intervals, rhythms, dynamics, major, minor and diminished and augmented chords, cadences, and ear training for ascending and descending tones, intervals, and rhythms.
Some students commented on the value of the theory topics as they impacted on their playing, thinking and listening skills. For Ron Foshage of Jasper, the classes reminded him to look at the key signature before attempting to play the piece. He feels the lessons will also help him pay attention to accent marks so that the music has heart and soul, and the emphasis on getting noticeably louder and softer when crescendo and decrescendo marks appear will improve his playing. Connie Hughes of Bon Wier especially liked becoming more familiar with the Circle of Fifths and the way to tell the key signature by looking at the number of sharps and flats.
Frances Simmons of Newton learned that a melody can be created from a single major scale. She enjoyed working with the major scale chart, noting the interval patterns and then using that chart to figure out the I, IV and V primary chords. Counting, listening to tones and vocabulary were a challenge for her. Elaine Kelley of Toledo Village liked ear training, interval memory training and discovering specific melodic shortcuts for learning intervals. Marilyn Barry of Toledo Village had always found D.S. and D.C. navigation markings confusing and was grateful to have the explanation and practice to handle them. She also appreciated ear training for recognition of intervals and rhythms patterns and loved the text’s listing of intervals found in popular melodies as a way of developing interval memory.
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Shown above: 2009 graduating senior Isaac Riley and his grandfather, Louisiana fiddling champion Mastern Brack. |
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Scholarship Project
VPCO encourages young musicians to further their education by awarding scholarships to string playing youth who give superior service to the orchestra. A student who has been a member of VPCO, who attends college as a full-time student, and who plays in the college orchestra is eligible to apply for a VPCO scholarship. |
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www.vpco.net |
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Caleb Minion, son of JJ and Bobby Minion of Evans, Louisiana, and former member of Vernon Parish Community Orchestra graduated from Evans High School in 2010. Caleb played cello in VPCO for six years, garnering numerous honors for his outstanding performance.
As a member of the string quartet 2 Measure Up, Caleb contributed hundreds of hours of playing as a community service. He showed leadership as principal cellist in the orchestra and performed solo in school-related activities. |
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Find Us:
Michael Bodine Conductor Leesville High School Band Hall michaelbodine@vpsb.k12.la.us
Dr. Karen Gordy Associate Conductor, Founder Sizzlin’Strings Studio kgandbg@cebridge.net |
