Members of NYSO’s Senior Orchestra are putting the final touches on their music pieces for their upcoming Chamber Concerts.  String and Wind Ensembles have been preparing for their concerts since December.

I had the good fortune to photograph these young musicians yesterday.  What a pleasure for me to listen to their beautiful music as went about my work.

The students will be having an extra rehearsal Saturday at Enrichment Day.  Their first concert is March 6^th at 3:00 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading. This is a special event. It is a great opportunity to hear the individual instruments of the orchestra in these smaller ensembles.  Some of the pieces that they will be performing are:  Haydn Quartet No. 25 in C major, Serenade by Eduard Herrmann, Op. 14, Receuillement by Charles Dancla, Telemann Concerto No. 4.  This concert is also FREE!

The honors chamber ensembles will be performing again at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport on March 13^th at 6:30 PM.  It is a special honor that we are asked to perform this concert, and a great opportunity for those selected to play.  Admission to the Firehouse concert is $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for students.  This concert is free for NYSO families!

The ensembles will be giving back to the community performing in local nursing and retirement homes from March 20^th thru April 9^th.

Congratulations to all of the students who will be performing.  I can’t wait to hear you perform!

After being a professional photographer for 32 years I had my first “parade gig” this May 31^st.  I was there to photograph the Spofford Pond Marching Band.   As the Memorial Day ceremony played out, I couldn’t help but be swept up in the emotions of community, pageantry, pride, sorrow, and beauty displayed before me and my lens.  It made me proud to be part of this community.   I was glad I was there to save the memory of the moment for those who were there.

Ms. Monty shaped these awesome musicians into “The Spofford Pond Marching Band” for all parade watchers to enjoy.  Liam McGrath and Will Gibeley both had solos.  They played “Taps”.   Will played in front of the Boxford Fire Fighters at the cemetery and Liam at the ending ceremony while the rest of his band members stood with their hands over their hearts.

My son Phil plays the trombone in the band.  I asked him how it felt to play for this event.  He said “I felt important to be there and play my best for those who kept us safe and for those who have lost their life keeping us safe. They deserve our thanks.”

A Reason to Ride is a fun event that Tom DesFosses, BIDMC patient and brain tumor survivor started as a way to give back.  At the last event more than 100 cyclists pedaled from the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers across the scenic North Shore of Massachusetts to raise awareness and critical funds for brain tumor research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Diagnosed with primary CNS lymphoma, a cancerous brain tumor, more than four and a half years ago, DesFosses launched “A Reason to Ride” in 2007 to benefit Dr. Eric Wong’s Brain Tumor Research Fund and Dr. Lewis Cantley’s General Cancer Research Fund—100% of the proceeds go to Dr. Lewis Cantley, and Dr. Wong’s lab.

Tom credits Dr. Wong and Dr. Cantley with saving his life. He has established an event that will run year after year, with more and more people.

Tomorrow Tom will have chemo – the last treatment in a 5 year protocol.  It takes about 3 hours for the chemo which is yellow to drip through the IV.  Tom says that he imagines that it is liquid sunshine making him healthy and strong. Please keep Tom in your prayers tomorrow and through the week as he recovers from the treatment.  YEAH, TOM!

September 12, 2010

8:00am – 2:00pm
Danvers, MA

Register or donate today!

www.gratefulnation.org/areasontoride