Poised for the Upbeat

Camp is less than a month away and excitement is building. Olympic Strings Workshop participants received their "Dynamic Duo" sheet music this week, much of it arranged just for them by violinists Richard and Roxanne from Duo Vivo. Students requested favorites such as the "Orange Blossom Special," Piazzolla's "Libertango," and film music from "Interstellar" and "Frozen."

 

Music Director, Dr. James Ray announced the chamber orchestra repertoire, which includes a Concerto Grosso by Handel, the "Adagio Cantabile" by Nathaniel Dett, arranged for strings by Dr. Ray, and a commissioned piece from Caleb Vaughn-Jones that will be announced next week.

 

Advanced preparation is a trademark of our camp, and this month students and faculty will meet via Zoom to study the repertoire so that everyone's parts are secure and ready for great music making when we meet in person. 

We hope to share all of this with you at our concerts on August 5 and 6!

MORE INFO

More Than a Conductor

by Marley Cochran

Dr. James Ray has been an integral part of music education here on the peninsula since before any of our counselors were even in middle school. He spent 9 years in Port Angeles teaching at every level, from grade school to high school. I personally had the honor of receiving his private violin instruction every week for seven of those years, and many of our current students, counselors, and staff have been able to forge lasting relationships with Dr. Ray.

 

Just recently, in 2019, Dr. Ray was given the opportunity to move from Port Angeles and begin his journey at Western Washington University as the Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music Education. While teaching classes at Western, he has somehow come up with the energy and drive to continue to conduct, play, and even stay involved with what he has been known to call his “other hometown”—Port Angeles!

 

Dr. Ray was first approached by Dr. Chuck Whitney when the idea for the camp had just begun to brew. James was very familiar with the students in the area and was able to bring valuable insight into how they would best benefit from the camp. Since its inception, we have been fortunate enough to welcome him as our conductor. He says that he was “honored by Chuck and Monique Mead to be invited to take on an active role in the workshop itself.”

 

As the conductor for the Olympic Strings Workshop, Dr. Ray most enjoys being involved when students are able to participate in what he describes as “co-construction,” the process of learning a new piece as a group, where each participant is “contributing their unique

musicianship toward a coherent and impactful whole.” James explained that when put into a

camp-like setting, where students are only given a short amount of time to come together and

prepare a piece, they are able to dig much deeper than they would have been if they had been given months to learn the piece rather than a matter of days. These students, he says, are given the unique opportunity to discover something about themselves. They are able to "see themselves as capable of achieving more than what they may have previously thought

possible.” James revels in this process, and is able to take on a direct role in it, “insisting upon attention to detail and challenging performers to expand their musical imaginations from that very first downbeat.”

 

Dr. Ray is looking forward to seeing the students build community amongst themselves, finding somewhere that they will know without a doubt that no matter their instrument or the part that they play, “their role is both vital and valued.” This lesson can be brought with students from our one-week camp to every walk of life. Whether it’s musical or personal, Dr. James Ray has always ensured that every single one of his students feels special, and we are so fortunate to be able to welcome him as our maestro and continue to foster that environment here at Olympic Strings Workshop.

OUR FACULTY

OLIVIA CARROLL

Olivia is entering her senior year at Port Angeles High School and is also enrolled at Peninsula College through Running Start. Olivia spends a lot of time outside hiking, biking, gardening, and hanging out with her pets. She also plays bass and acoustic guitar in addition to violin. Olivia wants to pursue environmental and civil engineering in college. She's looking forward to playing with new people and friends at camp and working on her skills as a violinist.

TINO CARDENES 

A rising junior, Tino is a Pittsburgh-based pianist and composer who enjoys producing his own music videos. He recently produced "Spark Your Creativity," a commission that features his musical teen family. This summer, Tino is co-directing a porch concert series for the neighborhood.  At camp, he especially enjoys playing music outdoors.

OUR CAMPERS

Music Makes a Difference

We believe that at its core, chamber music is a practice of world peace. Few things in life require the degree of awareness, empathy, and precise togetherness that ensemble playing demands, and nothing is quite as satisfying as as playing in perfect harmony with others. Help us make this opportunity possible for students by contributing to our scholarship fund.  Every dollar will be matched by the William and Valerie Anders Foundation. Together, we can make a difference.

Thank you!

 

 
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