Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra

JACKSON YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Notice: Due to Covid-19 and the Governor’s executive order, Jackson Youth Symphony will be postponed until at least January of 2021. If you are still looking for learning opportunities in the meantime, our Community Music School is holding private lessons online and in person. Please go to our CMS website for further information.

Dr. Schultz is the music director and conductor for the Livingston Symphony Orchestra and the Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra, and also serves as a conductor for the Ann Arbor Comic Opera Guild. Previous conducting positions include associate conductor of the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, conductor of the Mason Youth Symphony Orchestra, and conductor of the contemporary-music ensemble Musique 21 at Michigan State University. As a guest conductor he has worked with high school orchestra programs in Chelsea, Dexter, Jackson, and Okemos, and will appear as a guest conductor for the Dexter Community Orchestra in 2019.

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As a violist, David performs with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and has also played with many orchestras in mid-Michigan. He is a violist and co-founder of the Lansing-based contemporary-music ensemble ConTempus Initiative.

As a composer, his original works and arrangements have been performed by the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Youth Symphony Orchestra, Livingston Symphony Orchestra, and Northwest Repertory Singers in Tacoma, WA. He has also scored films for Sisbro Studios’s “Riddle Solvers” series, and has arranged for artists such as Laith Al-Saadi and Stephanie Anne Johnson, both finalists on NBC’s “The Voice.”

David received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Orchestral Conducting from Michigan State University, and holds a Master of Music in Viola Performance from Michigan State University, and a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from Lawrence University. He has studied music in Vienna, Austria, at the Aspen Music Festival, and has conducted in workshops with the Boulder Chamber Orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, at Bard College, and at the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival. His conducting teachers include Leon Gregorian, Raphael Jimenez, Marin Alsop, Gustav Meijer, and Markand Thakar. David lives in Dexter with his wife Emily and their two children, Elinor and Julian.

REHEARSALS

Rehearsals are on Sundays from 3-5 pm at Weatherwax Hall.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the JYSO is open to musicians of high school age and younger from the Jackson area, and is based on auditions held at the beginning of each season. JYSO members are encouraged to be leaders in their high school’s musical ensembles. The yearly fee for membership in the JYSO is $120.00. For families with more than one member in the JYSO the fee for each additional member is $60.00. Please contact us if there is a financial hardship and you would like to apply for a half-scholarship.

ATTENDANCE

All members of the orchestra are important, and as a result, attendance at rehearsals is critical. In the event that a musician must miss a practice, it is their responsibility to notify their section leader as soon as possible. For planned absences notice should be at least 48 hours in advance, for illnesses or emergencies notice should be as soon as possible. If a musician misses more than two rehearsals in a concert cycle, his or her participation in that concert will be at the discretion of the musical director.

SEATING

Part and seating assignments take a great deal into consideration, including quality of audition, grade, number of years with the JYSO, leadership abilities, and the overall difficulty of the music. Ultimately, the music director makes seating and parts decisions to enhance the quality of the ensemble. A seating rotation will be used to ensure that each member gains a wide range of experience in situations appropriate to their level. Concerns over seating should be presented to the music director outside of rehearsal.

MUSIC AND FOLDERS

Each musician is responsible for the music and folder provided to them. Writing on the music should be in pencil only.

CONCERTS

Concerts are generally held on Sunday afternoons, with a dress rehearsal held on Saturday morning prior to the concert. It is not necessary to dress up for the dress rehearsal. Concert dress is as follows: Ladies- black dress or black skirt and pants with a black or white blouse. Gentlemen: black pants, white shirt and black bow tie, black jacket is optional.

CONCERT DATES

  • February 17, 2019 concert 3:00pm Western High School
  • April 27 through April 28, 2019 Tour to Cleveland
  • May 5, 2019 concert 3:00 pm Grass Lake High School

PARENTS / GUARDIANS

We rely and strongly encourage parental participation. We ask that each family sign up for providing one snack for one Sunday. Signup sheets will be at the first couple of rehearsals.

CONCERTO COMPETITION

Each year, the JYSO holds a concerto competition for its members, with the winner or winners to perform with the orchestra at the final concert of the season. The competition is open to members in good standing and will be judges by the music director and a guest judge. Winners are not eligible to compete in the competition the year after they perform, but may enter the competition the following year.

SCHEDULE

  • Sunday 9/8 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Open house
  • Sunday 9/15 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM: Auditions
  • Sunday 9/15 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 9/22 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 9/29 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Rehearsal
  • Sunday 10/6 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 10/13 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 10/20 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 10/27 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 11/3 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Saturday 11/9 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Dress rehearsal
  • Sunday 11/10 at 1:30 PM: Warm up
  • Sunday 11/10 at 3:00 PM: Concert
  • Sunday 11/17 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 11/24 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Saturday 12/7 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Dress rehearsal
  • Sunday 12/8 at 3:00 PM: Run-out concert
  • Sunday 1/5 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 1/12 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 1/19 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 1/26 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 2/2 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 2/9 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 2/16 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Saturday 2/22 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Dress rehearsal
  • Sunday 2/23 from 1:30 PM: Warm up
  • Sunday 2/23 from 3:00 PM: Concert
  • Sunday 3/1 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 3/8 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 3/15 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 3/22 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 4/5 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 4/19 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Sunday 4/26 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rehearsal
  • Saturday 5/2 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Dress rehearsal
  • Sunday 5/3 from 1:30 PM: Warm up
  • Sunday 5/3 from 3:00 PM: Concert