Music

Each musician will be issued a folder with individual parts provided for a particular program.  The folder, the music, and a pencil are required for each rehearsal. Music no longer needed for the remainder of the season must be returned at the end of a concert.  A lost-music fee of $10 per piece will be charged, up to $30 maximum.  However, with rental music, additional charges may be imposed.

Rehearsal Expectations

Rehearsals are conducted in a professional manner.  Students are not professional musicians but they are expected, and should be able, to conduct themselves in a professional manner during rehearsals.  Commendable rehearsal behavior would include the following:

* Arrive early and be seated 5 minutes before rehearsal starts.

* Always bring your own music folder and mark, with a pencil, everything in it that the conductor tells you about tempo changes, articulations, phrasing, etc., at the rehearsal.

* Pay attention and be on task all the time during rehearsal.  Gum chewing, cell phone use, talking and disruptive behavior during rehearsal will not be permitted and may constitute cause for dismissal. Proper playing posture will be expected from each student.

* Always show respect and consideration for the conductor, coaches, and all other members of the orchestra.

Chair Placement

For the first few rehearsals of the year, the Music Director will set the seating. For each concert, string chair placement will be set by the string coach and the Music Director  based on auditions held after the first few rehearsals of each concert cycle. Music for the seating placement auditions will be chosen from music for that concert.

Playing skills tests for woodwinds and brass will also be held regularly in the same manner, but changes in seating would rarely occur as a result of these skills tests.

Concert Attire
All students have the following two options:

Option 1: White Shirt and black bow tie, black tuxedo (jacket and slacks), black socks and black dress shoes.

Option 2: Black dress, or black blouse with a black skirt or black slacks; black shoes. All dresses and skirts must be below knee length when seated. All blouses and dresses must have sleeves, and please: no plunging necklines.

Students may be sent home to change clothes if proper concert attire is not followed on concert day.

Senior Soloist Award

Each year, one or more Senior Soloist Awards may be given to exceptional senior musicians.  Winners are selected by audition to be featured as soloists in LYS concerts.  In order to be eligible to audition, the student must be a member of LYS, a high school junior at the time of the spring auditions, and the student must have demonstrated strong commitment to LYS by showing excellent rehearsal manners and a great rehearsal/concert attendance record.

Students are not required to audition on the same instrument on which they perform in LYS. Auditionees should play the instrument that demonstrates their best musicianship and mastery of techniques.  The music selection should be readily available in the standard repertory, and music performed in the audition shall be the same selection which the student wishes to perform in concert. Piano accompanists are required for the competition.

LYS staff will serve as the primary adjudicators for the auditions, and the Supervisor of Music for LPS will also be invited to participate in the auditions.  Winners are chosen based on their demonstration of exceptional musicianship (such as phrasing, tempo, clarity of musical ideas presented) and mastery of techniques of the instrument (such as tone, intonation, rhythm and bowing or tonguing techniques). It is expected that auditioners will dress professionally for the auditions, but concert dress is not expected.

The audition information and sign-up will be available two weeks before the final concert.  The audition date will be published on the LYS schedule, to be typically held on the Tuesday immediately following the final concert