What do you usually do on a Monday night? Read a book, have a movie night, or go to bed early? My Monday nights are booked up during the school year. Let me tell you what I do.

 

I play my violin with the Winston-Salem Youth Symphony program. There are four orchestras in the program:

I am in the Youth Philharmonic directed by Margaret Rehder. We practice at a middle school on Monday nights from 7:00 - 8:30 pm every week. My brother and our friend are in Chamber Syphonia. I joined the Youth Philharmonic in the Fall of 2023, and it has been a blast! My symphony is made up of many instruments. The violins are split up into 2 sections, the first violins and the second violins. I play first violin. The first violins usually have the melody and the seconds usually have harmony and some melody. Then we have violas and cellos. That’s the string section. There is also a wind section that includes flutes, a piccolo, two clarinets, one oboe, and a bassoon. One trumpet player and some percussion players round out the group.

 

I have learned to much from Margaret Rehder. Her teaching and conducting have really helped in my daily practice and private lessons. Mrs. Rehder is in the Winston-Salem Symphony and she is one of the people I look up to. I would love to play in the symphony like her when I grow up.

 

Going to symphony concerts with my mom is always an amazing experience. The music is so good and watching all the instruments and hearing how all the different parts go together always wows me. The director of the Winston-Salem Symphony is Michelle Merril. She is so much fun to watch. I would also love to be a conductor like her. I would highly recommend going to a concert!

 

My Youth Philharmonic has a concert coming up at the Moravian Advent and Christmas Festival and Market at Old Salem. The festival is on December 13 from 10am to 5pm. Admission to the festival and our concert is free. Here is a list of some of the fun things to do:

 

For more information about the Christmas Festival, please visit: moravianmusic.org/christmasfest/

 

If you’d like to view upcoming concerts and purchase tickets for the Winston-Salem Symphony, check out their website: https://www.wssymphony.org/