JRS2014-15Handbook

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Columbus Symphony Youth OrchestrasPeter Stafford Wilson, Music Director

Junior Strings

2014-2015 Handbook

Key Contacts

Junior Strings Orchestra Conductor: Sara Given

Operations Coordinator: Melissa Zigler, [email protected]

Youth Orchestras Manager: Devon Broderick, [email protected]

Parent Representatives: Karin Schuler, 614-230-2057

[email protected] Underwood, 614-506-3223

[email protected]

Website: www.charmsoffice.com/

Hotline: (614) 221-5639, then option 4 for Junior Strings.

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2014-2015 Junior Strings Handbook2

Table of ContentsSection I: Membership Requirements.

Attendance...Tardiness.. 3

Excused Absences.Unexcused Absences....Dress Rehearsals and Concerts..Inclement Weather Policy..Personal Injury or Damage to Instrument...

Private Lessons........................................................................................................... School Music Programs.Code of Conduct.

Behavior InfractionsSerious Behavior Infractions.Withdrawal or Dismissal from the CSYO

Grounds for Dismissal

Section II: Rehearsal and Concert Policies

Concert Attire...Concert Recording Policy..Music Stands...Seating AuditionsSheet Music.

Section III: Administrative Policies...

Financial PoliciesPrivacy Policy..

Section IV: General Information...

Members Card and Columbus Symphony Orchestra Concert Tickets.Corporate, Foundation and Individual SponsorshipsInstruments for Loan..Volunteer Opportunities.

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2014-2015 Junior Strings Handbook 3

Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestras2014-2015 Season

Junior Strings Handbook

The mission of the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestras (CSYO) program is to provide talented youngmusicians of central Ohio with challenging rehearsal and performance experiences in professional settings.CSYO emphasizes the performance of traditional orchestral literature under the leadership of professionalconductors.

The following policies enable the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestras to maintain a high level of musicalexcellence. As a CSYO member, you must abide by the policies presented in this Handbook.

Section I: Membership Requirements

A. Attendance

Attendance at all rehearsals and concerts is mandatory. Our attendance policies are strict to ensure thehighest quality performance, which is only possible if all members are present at every event. Remember thatyour commitment is not only to the CSYO staff but to your fellow musicians as well. Make sure you will beable to make this commitment. Evaluate your schedule, check for conflicts (including musical and non-musicalactivities both in and out of school) and follow the steps outlined below.

All absences must be reported to the Operations Coordinator, NOTthe Youth Orchestras Manager.

1. Tardiness

CSYO members are expected to be on time to all CSYO events. To be on time is to be completely ready torehearse/perform when the conductor is ready. Any member not ready at the beginning of therehearsal/performance will receive a tardy, and three (3) tardies will count as an unexcused absence.Additionally, any member not in their seat 15 minutes after the start of a rehearsal will receive anunexcused absence for that rehearsal. If you feel that your tardy should be counted as excused rather thanunexcused, you must talk to your Operations Coordinator immediately.

2. Excused Absences

CSYO members are excused from rehearsals only in the case of illness, a death in the family, a family

emergency or a conflicting concert with their school music organization (including orchestra, band,choir and school musicals). Members must not exceed more than 2 excused absences per concertcycle.

To report an excused absence, follow these steps:1. Report the absence to the Operations Coordinator before the rehearsal missed2. Call the CSYO Hotline (614) 221-5639, then option 4 for Junior Strings3. Call and/or email the Operations Coordinator4. TURN IN ABSENCE FORM!!!

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5. Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of inclement weather on a rehearsal night, the conductor will make a decision no laterthan 12:00 PM-(Noon) as to whether the rehearsal will be held on the given day. If inclement weathershould occur on the day of a concert, the conductor will make a decision no later than two hoursbefore the report time.

Decisions to cancel/not to cancel a CSYO event will be recorded on the Hotline, sent via e-mail andposted on the Youth Orchestra website and FaceBook Page, if possible. We will establish a phone tree

at the beginning of the season to quickly reach all members. You may also contact your orchestrasOperations Coordinator via e-mail or the CSYO administrative staff via e-mail or phone.

Parents, if school is canceled for your childs district on the same day a s a CSYO rehearsal, yourchild is not required to attend the rehearsal unless you feel the roads are safe . If your child will bemissing rehearsal for this reason, please call and let us know. This is an excused absence.

6. Personal Injury or Damage to Instrument

If you sustain an injury that prevents you from playing your instrument or if your instrument is being repaired,you are still required to attend rehearsals, sit in your section, attentively follow along in your part and makenotations to your music.

B. Private Lessons

All CSYO members are required to take private lessons on their instrument and must complete a PrivateLesson Verification Form documenting their participation. Private teachers will be contacted to verify you area member of their studio. If you are in need of a private teacher, please contact the Youth OrchestrasManager.

C. School Music Programs

The CSYO supports and cooperates with the music education community, and we expect our members to berole models and musical emissaries in their school ensembles. Therefore, all CSYO members are requiredto participate in their school band or orchestra program on the instrument in which they perform on in

our ensembles. Students must complete a School Music Participation Form documenting theirparticipation. Home-schooled students and students who attend schools that do not have a schoolband/orchestra are exempt.

Although the CSYO informs school music directors of our concert and rehearsal schedule well in advance inorder to avoid any conflicts, we realize that sometimes conflicts are unavoidable. We require students to lettheir school music directors know of their participation in the CSYO and to notify both their music director andthe CSYO immediately of any conflicts. Our general policy is that if the conflict is between a rehearsal and aconcert, the concert takes precedence, and a student will be excused from a CSYO rehearsal to participate ina school music concert upon providing advance written verification of the concert (see Attendance above).Other conflicts will be decided on a case-by-case basis, and it is the student's responsibility to get approvalfrom both the CSYO and their school music director before they miss a concert or rehearsal due to a conflict.

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D. Code of Conduct

All CSYO members are required to behave appropriately and respectfully while representing their orchestra.Members must adhere to the following code of conduct while participating in any CSYO-sponsored event:

1, Behavior Infractions

The following types of behavior infractions may result in dismissal from the CSYO without a financial refund

depending upon the severity of the infraction:

1. Electronic Devices: Devices such as cellular phones, pagers, PDAs, MP3 players, CD players andportable gaming systems have no place in a music rehearsal or concert. CSYO members caughtusing these items during a rehearsal or concert will be asked to leave the event, and the missedevent will be counted as an unexcused absence.

2. Facilities: Treat the facilities we visit with the greatest respect (including the buildings themselves,lockers, pay phones, elevators and any other equipment within or outside the building). At no time arestudents permitted to touch and/or use anything within the facilities without permission from theconductor or operations coordinator. Food and drink are not permitted in rehearsal halls orperformance locations at any time.

2. Serious Behavior Infractions

The following types of behavior infractions will result in immediate dismissal from the CSYO without afinancial refund of any kind:

1. Criminal Behavior: Any criminal behavior within CSYO or the community at large.2. Illegal Substances: The CSYO does not permit the use of tobacco, alcohol, or other illegal

substances.3. Zero Tolerance Policy: Use of negative, degrading, intolerant or prejudicial speech or actions against

a person or group of people based onrace,gender,gender identity,age,ethnicity,nationality,religion,sexual orientation,disability,language ability,moral or political views,socioeconomic status,occupation or physical appearance (such as height orweight)will not be tolerated.

3. Withdrawal or Dismissal from the CSYO

If you must withdraw from your orchestra for any reason or if you are dismissed, you must do so in writingindicating the reasons and circumstances for your withdrawal. No refund of tuition will be extended.

4. Grounds for Dismissal

1. Failure to honor conditions of membership.2. Failure to maintain a level of performance appropriate to your orchestra demonstrated through private

study, school involvement, proper rehearsal behavior and practice as judged by the conductor.3. Excessive absences and/or tardiness (see Attendance above). 4. Serious behavior infractions as listed above.

Section II: Rehearsal and Concert Policies

A. Concert AttirePlease adhere to the following guidelines for concert attire:

LadiesWear a long-sleeved white collared dress shirt paired with a black skirt or pants. Sleeves must be length orlonger. Skirt or pants must be length or longer. Wear close-toed black dress shoes and sheer blackstockings (or black socks if you choose to wear pants). Keep jewelry at a minimum, and avoid flashing jewelryand/or beads or sequins that would create a visual distraction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnicityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_orientationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socioeconomichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socioeconomichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_orientationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnicityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race

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GentlemenWear a long-sleeved white collared shirt, black dress pants, black bow tie, black dress shoes and blacksocks.

Clothing to AvoidThe following are not permitted for either ladies or gentlemen:

1. Casual clothing: T-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, sweatpants, tennis shoes, flip flops2. Overly revealing clothing: Low-cut tops, tops that reveal your midriff, low-rise bottoms, bottoms with

side slits or back slits above the knee, anything see-through

3. Dirty or destroyed clothing: Anything with tears, holes, stains, rips or a ragged appearance.

In general, if you arent allowed to wear it to school, dont try to get away w ith wearing it on stage.CSYO staff will be on the lookout for dress code violations on concert days, and if your clothingdoesnt meet these expectations, you WILL be asked to change clothes or not to take part in theconcert.

Concert attire is required for the Photo Session.

B. Concert Recording PolicyThe CSYO offers high-quality audio and video recordings of each concert that are available for purchase.

Parents are permitted to audio- and/or video-record all CSYO events.

Capitol Theatres Recording Policy:For concerts at the Capitol Theatre, we ask that parents taking videorecordings using a tri-pod record from the balcony. Tri-pods are not allowed to be set up on the blue carpetedareas.

C. Music StandsJunior Strings members may need a wire music stand for the spring concert tour, and all parts of the standmust be labeled with the students name.

D. Seating AuditionsThe initial seating order will be determined by the conductor at the beginning of the season based on spring

audition scores. The purpose of the Junior Strings seating audition is to give the orchestra staff anopportunity to hear each student play individually and to determine an appropriate seating order for the bestsound production of the entire orchestra. The purpose of seating auditions is not to give students anopportunity to compete against each other, but rather to provide information to determine the best seatingorder for the good of the entire orchestra.

The following policies will be followed for Junior Strings seating auditions:

1. Scheduled seating auditions will be held twice a year, with the dates listed on the calendar. Additionalseating auditions may be held at the discretion of the conductor. Students will be notified of any otherseating auditions a minimum of two weeks in advance.

2. If a student must be absent from a rehearsal when auditions are scheduled, they must notify theirOperations Coordinator immediately. An alternative date will be scheduled for the student to

complete the audition within two weeks of the original date; if this is not possible, the student will sit atthe end of the section until the next seating audition opportunity.

3. Seating auditions will consist of excerpts from the orchestra music, and students will be scored onaccuracy, tone quality, musicianship, and posture and technique.

4. Students will be notified of the results of seating auditions at the following regularly scheduledrehearsal.

The conductor has final say in all seating decisions!

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E. Sheet MusicMusicians are provided sheet music and folders for their personal use. Please adhere to the following policiesregarding sheet music:

1. All music is the property of the CSYO and must be returned to the Operations Coordinatorimmediately after each concert (or when dictated by your conductor).

2. Markings on the music should ONLY be made in pencil.3. If you lose or seriously damage your music beyond repair, you will be charged for replacement costs,

including photocopying and shipping costs. The cost varies from $5 - $50 per part!

Section III: Administrative PoliciesA. Financial Policies

1. Financial Aid: The CSYO provides a limited amount of need-based financial aid for students in all ourorchestras. Confidential applications may be obtained from the CSYO administrative staff.

2. Tuition: An annual tuition fee of $385 plus a $25 registration fee, and additional tour or retreat feesare required to participate in the Junior Strings. Members may not participate in concerts until theirtuition has been paid in full or financial arrangements have been made with the Youth Orchestras

Manager.

3. Tuition Refunds: The first $75 of tuition and the registration fee is non-refundable. Once the firstrehearsal for each orchestra has occurred, no tuition will be refunded for any reason.

B. Privacy PolicyEach year, the CSYO must collect sensitive personal information (home and work addresses; home, workand cellular phone numbers, e-mail addresses; medical information) and/or financial information (bankaccount numbers and credit card numbers) from its members and their families, private teachers and schoolmusic teachers. Personal and/or financial information collected by the CSYO will remain private andprotected, will be used solely by the CSYO and will not be shared with any third party organization.

Sensitive information collected by the CSYO will be used in the following manner:

1. CSYO Member/Family Personal Information:a. Orchestra Rosters: Rosters are distributed to members of each orchestra at the beginning of

the season and are available on the Members Only website for carpooling purposes. Rostersare also distributed to Parent Representatives and phone tree volunteers. These rosterscontain home addresses, e-mail addresses and home, cell and work phone numbers only.

b. Newspapers: Press releases about upcoming CSYO events will solely contain the orchestraname, member name, school district and instrument.

c. Medical Information: This information (located on the Emergency Medical Form) is used onlyin the event of a group trip or emergency and will be distributed solely to ParentRepresentatives, trip chaperones and CSYO staff.

2. CSYO Member/Family Financial Information: Financial information is used solely by the CSYO

Manager.

3. Private and/or School Music Teacher Information: This information is used solely by the CSYO toprovide information to music teachers about upcoming CSYO events.

If you are uncomfortable with your personal information being used in the above manner, please do nothesitate to contact the CSYO administrative staff.

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Section IV: General Information

A. Members Card and Columbus Symphony Orchestra Concert TicketsAttending classical concerts is a fun way to further a students appreciation and love of music.All current CSYO members will be given a ticket voucher card which can be used repeatedly for up to two (2)rear balcony tickets per classical series concertor 15% off any other seats in the theater, up to four tickets.This voucher card may not be used for special event concerts, Young Peoples Concerts, FamilyConcerts or Pops events including Picnic with the Pops or Popcorn Pops . The CSYO member MUST

be present (with ID) to receive the tickets.

CSYO Members also receive 2 complimentary tickets to the Youth Orchestra Concerts on October 12,November 19 and March 8. Present your member card at the ticket table before the concert.

B. Corporate, Foundation and Individual SponsorshipsThe CSYO welcomes and encourages sponsorships of varying sizes. For more information on how yourfamily or organization can be highlighted as a special supporter of the CSYO, please contact CSYOadministrative staff or your conductor.

C. Instruments for LoanThe CSYO owns a number of high-quality instruments that are available for use by its members. Although all

CSYO members are eligible to use these instruments, preference will be given to older students, studentswith higher seating, and to members of Youth Orchestra. Instruments will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact the CSYO administrative staff if you are interested in borrowing theseinstruments.

Violin (H. Wagner) Violin (N. Carlette) Violin (L. Genardo) Viola (J. Masters)Cello size Cello (Thiery & Paris)

D. Volunteer OpportunitiesThe CSYO relies on the assistance of parents, guardians and other family members to help the season runsmoothly. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the CSYO administrative staff at (614) 221-5650. Anyhelp you can give would be greatly appreciated! Volunteers working directly with students will be requestedto submit a BCI and FBI fingerprint background check. CSYO will reimburse the cost of the backgroundchecks (up to $60) when receipts are sent to the administrative office in a timely manner.

We, ________________________________________ (student printed name) and

_________________________________________ (parent printed name), confirm that we

have read and understood the contents of the Columbus Symphony Junior Strings

Handbookand that we will abide by the outlined requirements and policies.

Parent Signature_________________________________________ Date__________

Student Signature________________________________________ Date__________

Documents

JRS2014-15Handbook