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YMSA in the News

= Concert caps off summer's session =   The entire ensemble performed together to close out the concert that wrapped up the Young Musicians Summer Academy, Thursday, July 20 at Colonel Richardson High School. PHOTO BY ABBY ANDREWS

Ensemble at Young Musicians Summer Academy
Posted: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 12:23 pm | // Updated: 1:24 am, Wed Jul 24, 2013. //

By ABBY ANDREWS Staff Writer

FEDERALSBURG — The Young Musicians Summer Academy capped off a three-day schedule of intensive performance practice and talent development for local student musicians with a public concert June 27 in the Colonel Richardson High School auditorium. This was the second year for the summer academy, produced through the Caroline County Department of Recreation and Parks, with funding support from the Caroline County Council of Arts. Co-directors were Rob Honer, a Colonel Richardson Middle School science teacher, and Andrew Woodard, instrumental music instructor at the same school. The program attracted 43 middle and high school musicians, ages 11 to 17, who spent the three days leading up to the performance working individually and collaboratively with eight instructors from the Eastern Shore, Philadelphia and New York City, including Columbia University master and conductor Andrew Pease. “Engaging young people with the talent of serious musicians inspires their growth,” said Honer. Woodard said students in Caroline can rarely afford the music enrichment camps offered at local colleges, but they are just as hungry and have just as great a potential to be excellent musicians. At the concert June 27, Woodard told the parents and supporters gathered for the final performance the students had worked extremely hard over the three days to produce good music and learn skills. “It’s been rewarding to see the amount of growth just over the last three days,” Woodard said. Pease told the audience the concert was just the tip of the iceberg of all the students’ work. He thanked the parents for their support. “Music brings us together as people more than anything else in this world,” Pease said. Woodard also thanked Colonel Richardson High School for the use of the auditorium and its band instructor, Thomas Cheezum, who was also a program instructor, and B&B Music in Salisbury, Empire Pizza and Walmart in Denton, which all donated supplies. The concert included performances by the middle and high school musicians, as well as by smaller ensembles of low brass, strings, percussion, flutes and saxophones, and a clarinet duet. The final performance brought together all 43 students, plus a few of the instructors. Open to any musicians entering sixth to 12th grades, the program is targeted to return in 2014 the last week in June. For specific program information, access the Wiki page at http://ymsacc.wikispaces.com/home or call Recreation and Parks at 410-479-8120.