CSOYO - The the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Youth Orchestras

JANUARY 2022 NEWS

COMING UP IN JANUARY 2022:

COVID EXPOSURE? Not sure when to stay home or for how long? The CSOYO will always follow current CDC Guidelines when helping members decide if they should attend rehearsal or not. Please visit this very helpful site to decide if you can attend rehearsal or should stay home:

CDC GUIDELINES: Quarantine/Isolation

Rehearsal Schedule

MONDAY, JAN. 3: Due to the current high community spread of COVID-19 in Hamilton Co., and out of an abundance of caution, this rehearsal will take place VIRTUALLY for all CSOYO Orchestras. We will monitor HCDE's response when they reopen later in the week and continue to evaluate our options going forward. Our priority is the safety of all YO participants.

This rehearsal WILL COUNT toward attendance. All YO members will log into a Zoom rehearsal at 6:00 PM with their conductors, and receive a playing assignment to upload to Flipgrid following the session. YO Members and parents should check their emails for specific instructions and links to Zoom and Flipgrid. If you do not receive instructions by 12 N on Monday, please email the CSOYO Manager.

***If you have any accessibility issues, please notify the CSOYO Manager via email and the recording will be sent to you following the rehearsal so that you can still complete the playing assignment.

Chamber Ensembles will resume on Monday, January 10 for all ensembles, including the new Brass Ensemble.

Please note: The Boys Choir orchestra rehearsal and concert for selected Symphony and Philharmonic members is still scheduled for Jan. 6/7. Each participant will be required to submit a negative COVID test by Thursday at 12 N. Tests will be provided by the Boys Choir if needed. Further instructions will be sent in a separate email to these YO members.

MONDAY, JAN. 10: (Revised Jan. 4, 2022)

Regular Rehearsals for Prelude at 5:00 PM and Etude at 6:30 PM.

Symphony and Philharmonic will split and meet for sectionals:

6:00 – 7:00 PM: All Strings in both orchestras will meet for 1 hour

7:00 – 8:00 PM: All Winds & Percussion in both orchestras will meet for 1 hour

Chamber Ensembles will resume this week at these times:

4:45 – 5:45 PM: String Ensembles (Holritz, Sims, Van Winkle)

5:45 – 6:45 PM: Woodwind Quintet and Brass Ensemble

MONDAY, JAN. 17: NO REHEARSAL - MLK Day Holiday

MONDAY, JAN. 24: Regular rehearsals for all ensembles and orchestras

Due to the current high COVID case counts in our community, which have prompted several HCDE school closures through Monday, we will hold the CSOYO’s Jan. 24, 2022 rehearsal virtually, via Zoom. This rehearsal will be counted and attendance will be taken. Please check your email or see the Members Only page for the Zoom links and instructions for your orchestra. Thank you for your understanding as our top priority is to keep our members and staff safe. We will make decisions about upcoming rehearsals on a week-to-week basis for the next few weeks.

SUNDAY, JAN. 30: Symphony Brass Ensemble performs at PAL Showcase

MONDAY, JAN. 31: Regular rehearsals for all ensembles and orchestras - SECTIONALS with CSO COACHES (don't miss!!)

NEW PARKING RECOMMENDATIONS for Monday nights:

Starting in January, all Philharmonic drivers (parents who stay during the 2 hour rehearsal, and student drivers) should enter the FBC parking lot in the far RIGHT lane (closest to HWY 27) and park to the right, in the row of spaces that border the access road next to (facing) Hwy 27.

ALL OTHER DRIVERS for Symphony and Etude should enter in the LEFT LANE and park in the large main lot.

At 8:00 PM when rehearsal ends, Philharmonic members will be dismissed through the lower side door. Parked Philharmonic drivers should back out, pull up to the side door to pick up, and then EXIT UP THE HILL on the right side of the church, circle through the back parking lot and exit onto CAMERON HILL CIRCLE rather than circling back through the large main lot. This should alleviate a fair amount of traffic from the main lot, if Philharmonic drivers will exit around the rear of the building and not turn left into the large lot to exit.

ALL OTHER DRIVERS (for Etude and Symphony) should carefully circle one way through the large main lot and exit back onto Gateway Avenue/6^th Street when exiting. PLEASE DO NOT PARK in the space that is not really a full parking space at the top end of the lane closest to the stairs. Cars in this space stick out into what is already a tight corner, blocking turning vehicles and creating a hazard.

Thanks so much - we'll see if this helps!

MASK UPDATE:

RECOMMENDATION: Due to the highly contagious nature of the Omicron variant, several experts are recommending a review of the type of mask you are wearing - cloth masks aren't much help anymore. A close-fitting, multi-layer N95 mask is now recommended to help fight off the variant, which multiples 70 times faster than previous strains.

Read the full article here: MASK UPDATE

Masks will still be required at FBC for CSOYO rehearsals on Mondays until further notice.

WINTER ADVISORY:

As we enter the colder winter months, two issues usually play more of a factor in attendance - illness and cancellations due to the weather. Please be familiar with the CSOYO policies on each of these factors, as found in your Member Handbook/Calendars:

ILLNESS: The CSOYO is sympathetic to our members who become ill and are not able to report to rehearsal. To stop the spread of illness, please do not attend if you are coughing, sneezing, contagious or vomiting. However, while unplanned, absences caused by illness are still counted as an absence. Please get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and wash your hands frequently during the cold and flu season. (Please see the Handbook for more information on COVID-related absences.)

REHEARSAL CANCELLATION: In the event of inclement weather that leads to school closings, please check the CSOYO website homepage, Facebook page, your email, or the Remind App for verification of cancellation. We MAY OR MAY NOT follow the HCDE closure schedule. The CSOYO will make the decision of whether to hold or cancel a scheduled rehearsal based on current and forecasted weather conditions in the valley, road conditions, the advice of our rehearsal venue, and any emergency declarations by state or local officials. If conditions are hazardous in your area, please do not travel - however, if rehearsal is held, the CSOYO Attendance policy will be observed.

Please contact the CSOYO Manager with any questions regarding these winter weather issues. Thank you!

CONCERT AUDIENCE UPDATE:

The CSO Board of Directors recently set the CSO Health and Safety Policy with regard to protocols for audience members. These protocols will be applied to CSOYO Concerts also. The policy states:

We want each CSO supporter and staff member to have a safe and healthy experience as we come together to share our love of live music. To ensure this, attendees should expect to adhere to the following guidelines until further notice when attending concerts in the 21/22 season:

All concert attendees must present their vaccination card or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the past 72 hours for entry.
All concert attendees, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask over their nose and mouth for the duration of the event.

Thank you for your support as we aim to create a concert experience that everyone can safely enjoy!

This policy will be in effect for the upcoming CSOYO Chamber Ensemble Concert on Dec. 6, 2021 at 7:00 PM Brainerd Baptist Church. Specifically:

CSOYO Concert Attendees age 12 and over and any Parent Volunteers will be required to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test results within 72 hours of the concert when they arrive in order to be admitted. This applies to volunteers at the Sunday venue rehearsal also on Oct. 31, 2021.
CLARIFICATION ADDED 10/12/21: HOME TESTS: Home tests for COVID 19 will NOT be accepted at the door. Only test results from a medical source such as a county Health Department, a doctor’s office, or a pharmacy clinic will be accepted. PARTIAL VACCINATION: If you have received the first shot of a vaccine but have not received the second dose yet, you WILL be admitted. Partial vaccination will be accepted with a vaccination card or record.

CSOYO musicians are not included in this policy because some of them may not be old enough to be vaccinated.

All Attendees, including CSOYO Musicians, must wear a mask when inside the building for the duration of the event. Wind players may remove their masks to play once seated onstage.

Any audience member not in compliance with this policy will not be admitted to the concert, and the concert will NOT be offered as a livestreaming event.

CSOYO LOGO ITEMS STORE NOW OPEN!

CSOYO Logo items, including mugs, masks, totebags, magnets, stickers and notebooks are now available for purchase in the new CSOYO Logo Items store on the Zazzle.com website. The CSOYO logo, 21/22 Season Logo, and Alumni CODA logo are featured. The CSOYO earns a commission off each item sold. Check out the store and get your items TODAY!!

CSOYO LOGO ITEMS STORE

FYI: CSOYO COVID POSITIVE OR EXPOSURE POLICY:

If a CSOYO member, staff member or volunteer tests POSITIVE for COVID-19, the following actions will be taken:

1. The CSOYO Manager or CSO Executive Director should be notified immediately.

2. The CSOYO Manager will notify all members of all orchestras that a positive case was reported, and will share when and where the person was onsite. The person will remain anonymous. Members and their families can make their own determination of whether they need to be in quarantine.

3. The Hamilton Co. Dept. of Health will be responsible for contact tracing. When doing so, they are most concerned with people who were in close proximity (within 6 feet) with an infected person for 15 minutes or longer.

The CSOYO will examine each case and if multiple cases are reported in a particular group, we may decide to shut down this group temporarily.

CSOYO Members, staff and volunteers are encouraged to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing while moving through the building before and after rehearsal, and in the parking lot outside, in order to minimize the chance of spread. Carpooling should be avoided whenever possible.

DEFINITION OF CLOSE CONTACT by the Hamilton Co. Health Department:

Close Contact

Per the CDC, those that have been in close contact (within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone who has COVID-19 need to quarantine, unless they have been fully vaccinated. People who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless they have symptoms, however, fully vaccinated people should get tested 3-5 days after their exposure, even if they do not have symptoms. They should also wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.

Symptoms of COVID-19 may include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body ache, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea or other symptoms as recognized by the CDC.

Do I need to quarantine following an exposure to COVID-19 after being vaccinated?

Current CDC recommendations should be followed regarding length of quarantine. See: CDC Guidelines

CSOYO 2021 VACANCIES - LATE AUDITIONS:

Following the 2021 spring video auditions, we have a few vacancies for the CSOYO 2021-22 season. Late Auditions will be held via the Flipgrid platform on July 15-16, 2021 to fill these vacancies. Any local musician may audition for these vacancies at Late Auditions if they complete an online application, pay the audition fee, and complete the video audition. See below for current vacancies. Vacancy Auditions will consist of the first two listed scales for your instrument, the chromatic scale, plus the two excerpts required for your chosen orchestra:

SYMPHONY: EX 1 and 2 PHILHARMONIC: EX 3 and 4 ETUDE OR PRELUDE: EX 5 and 6

CURRENT VACANCIES:

VIOLA for Philharmonic, Etude or Prelude

Audition requirements: first two listed scales, Chromatic Scale, plus the two excerpts for your chosen orchestra. Musicians who audition for Philharmonic or Etude will be considered for Etude or Prelude also.

DOUBLE BASS for any orchestra:

Audition requirements: first two listed scales, Chromatic scale, plus the two excerpts for your chosen orchestra

OBOE for Philiharmonic:

Audition requirements: first two listed scales, Chromatic scale, plus Excerpts #3 and #4.

BASSOON for Symphony or Philharmonic:

Audition requirements: first two listed scales, Chromatic scale, plus the two excerpts for your chosen orchestra. Musicians who audition for Symphony will be considered for Philharmonic also.

HORN for Symphony or Philharmonic:

Audition requirements: first two listed scales, Chromatic scale, plus the two excerpts for your chosen orchestra. Musicians who audition for Symphony will be considered for Philharmonic also.

TROMBONE for Philharmonic:

Audition requirements: first two listed scales, Chromatic scale, plus Excerpts #3 and #4.

PERCUSSION for Symphony and Philharmonic (percussionists play for both)

Audition requirements: All previous audition materials for percussion, including 4 excerpts plus a solo piece. If you do not have access to percussion equipment for the video audition, you can schedule an appointment to use the CSOYO equipment at First Baptist Church downtown. Please contact the CSOYO Manager at csoyo@chattanoogasymphony.org to make an appointment.

Once your application and audition fee payment has been received, you will be sent audition instructions via the email on your application. If you have any additional questions, please contact Stephanie Pearson, the CSOYO Manager at csoyo@chattanoogasymphony.org.

ONLINE APPLICATION & AUDITION FEE

CALENDARS FOR 2021-2022:

Please review before you audition to be sure you can attend all mandatory rehearsals and concerts. Thank you.

PRELUDE & ETUDE CALENDAR REVISED - 2021-2022 (revised 6/23/21)

PHILHARMONC CALENDAR REVISED - 2021-2022 (revised 6/23/21)

SYMPHONY CALENDAR REVISED - 2021-2022 (revised 6/23/21)