BACKSTAGE http://ayoblog.posterous.com Behind the Scenes of the Australian Youth Orchestra posterous.com Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:11:04 -0700 The End - By Natasha Conrau http://ayoblog.posterous.com/the-end-by-natasha-conrau http://ayoblog.posterous.com/the-end-by-natasha-conrau

Well, what a few days it has been. On Tuesday we began rehearsing in the Opera House and also got to rehearse Carl Vine’s Violin Concerto with our soloist, Dene Olding. Having only rehearsed the orchestral accompaniment, it was great to finally have the solo violin part to put the textures and harmonies into context, and hear the complete work. I was quite flabbergasted at the way Dene casually and calmly smashed the living daylights out of this piece (in a good way!). I was particularly amazed by a small passage of artificial harmonics in the slow movement; they’re not the easiest thing for string players to execute, but Dene managed to make it sound incredibly beautiful and very easy. How lucky we are to be premiering a work with a musician like him! Another privilege was having Carl Vine himself at the rehearsals for his work, as well as the Hon. Jane Matthews AO, who commissioned the piece.

 

  Then on Wednesday came what we’ve all be working towards – our first concert. AYO concerts are always surrounded by a lot of energy, excitement and nerves. This one was no different, however, for the majority of the orchestra's members it was their first time performing in the Opera House, marking it as quite a special occasion. The concert went quite literally without a hitch as we’ve rehearsed so much in the past week. Maestro Dausgaard has this amazing ability to make everyone feel completely calm, so we were able to really ‘go for it’ and fully enjoy this opportunity to play in Australia’s most iconic concert hall. As our concerts are a part of the Sydney Symphony’s ‘Meet the Music’ series, there were many younger audience members and the night concluded with some incredibly loud cheering, a few screams, and a lot of applause.  

 

  In less than 24 hours we are going to have to rejoin the real world and go back home. It’s been such a great ten days that I will be incredibly reluctant to board my plane tomorrow and have to say goodbye to all my AYO friends (the ONE downside to AYO programs!). So in the meantime I am going to savour the time I have left with everyone and play my heart out in the two concerts we have left. Farewell AYO Season Two!

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Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:17:00 -0700 AYO JULY SEASON CONTINUES - MEETING DAUSGAARD http://ayoblog.posterous.com/ayo-july-season-continues-meeting-dausgaard http://ayoblog.posterous.com/ayo-july-season-continues-meeting-dausgaard

Day 5  - by Natasha Conrau

 

 

It’s been a busy few days full of tutorials, sectionals, tutti rehearsals and a whole lot of walking to and from the ABC. After a few late nights of hard work on the Nielsen and Debussy, we had a free night and a large proportion of AYO-ers took this opportunity to go to the Sydney Symphony's concert at the Opera House. In the first half we heard Sibelius’s Violin Concerto played by a young Armenian violinist by the name of Sergey Khachatryan, who completely stunned me with his drama and intensity, which he upheld throughout the whole concerto. I've never seen vibrato that fast! In the second half the Sydney Symphony performed selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, which is a nostalgic favourite of mine as I used to listen to it frequently as a child. The Sydney Symphony's performance was quite something and I left feeling elated and musically inspired, as many of my fellow AYO audience members did.

 

 

 

  The next morning we met our conductor for the season, Thomas Dausgaard. He immediately engaged us with the way he spoke, especially with his intriguing accent that one could almost mistake as English (he’s Danish!). As an introduction, he gave us a small part of his insight into Nielsen’s legacy in Denmark and the significance of such a composer in a small population of 5 million. This made me realize just how lucky we are to be playing this music in a city so far from where it was written, yet conducted by someone with such a close connection to and understanding of the composer's music. When we began playing the Nielsen, I was struck by the way he so precisely communicated what he wanted without saying a thing. His facial expressions and theatrical body language indicated the exact character, emotion, phrasing and articulation he wanted throughout the work. When we got to La Mer, so many moments I had been unsure of how to play were suddenly easy and logical. He quite vividly brought the music to life in such a short period of time and I await the next rehearsal with a ridiculous amount of anticipation!

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Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:26:00 -0700 AYO JULY SEASON BEGINS! http://ayoblog.posterous.com/ayo-july-season-begins http://ayoblog.posterous.com/ayo-july-season-begins

Day 1  - By Natasha Conrau

 

The first day of my AYO season began in the usual fashion – a trip to Melbourne Airport, a brief argument with the automatic bag drop at check in, then through security to the gate lounge where I was cheerfully greeted by Bonnie Williams and Rhianwen Bramble. A very lovely start to the first day! Upon arriving in Sydney, the Melbourne crowd joined a bevy of musicians milling around outside the airport, all smiling and chattering profusely. I saw a lot of old AYO friends around, however, the majority of the faces were new to me. We were then driven to The Women’s College to get acquainted with our temporary home and were given a ‘briefing’ for the season by our lovely AYO staff. Dinner consisted of the usual college food – interesting to look at, with some fascinating fluro coloured drinks to go with it. We’re quite lucky that our accommodation is in Newtown, right near some great Thai restaurants that will no doubt be frequented this week (including my personal favourite “Thai Riffic”).

 

  The last thing on the agenda was a rehearsal in Eugene Goossens hall. I sat down next to my deskie, Leigh Thompson, who also happens to be my oldest AYO friend attending this season – a very nice coincidence. We ran through Nielsen’s Symphony No.5 and Vine’s Violin Concerto. The Nielsen contains one incredibly long unison passage for the string section. Prior to the rehearsal I heard a lot of comments like “how are we possibly going to play it that fast, in unison, in tune, and make it sound good?” Fabian Russell very kindly took it at a reasonable ‘first rehearsal speed’ and while it was definitely a tad messy, the terror was lifted. It did, however, reveal just how much work we’re going to have to do to get this polished in just a week. And the challenge begins!

 

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Sun, 15 May 2011 23:55:00 -0700 AYO Young Symphonists - 2012 http://ayoblog.posterous.com/ayo-young-symphonists-2012 http://ayoblog.posterous.com/ayo-young-symphonists-2012

AYO 2012 Applications are now open. It's been a very busy time for all at AYO as we've been busily putting together the programs, repertoire conductors and tutors who are set to make AYO 2012 such a fantastic year.  Each day we'll post our videos up here of our programs for 2012. We thought it would be a great way for you guys to see a bit more about what happens on programs and grab some firsthand information about being part of the AYO. First up is the AYO Young Symphonists Program, with Marielle Allen, French Horn

AYO_Young_Symphonists.mov Watch on Posterous

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Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:02:00 -0800 Feb Season - Photoshoot http://ayoblog.posterous.com/post-to-ayo-blog-entry-make-me-a-supermodelor http://ayoblog.posterous.com/post-to-ayo-blog-entry-make-me-a-supermodelor

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Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:01:00 -0800 More Photos from Photoshoot http://ayoblog.posterous.com/photos-for-our-blog-second-most-recent http://ayoblog.posterous.com/photos-for-our-blog-second-most-recent

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Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:59:00 -0800 Photos from Feb Season - Photoshoot and Dress Rehearsal http://ayoblog.posterous.com/photos-for-blog-troubleshooting-help http://ayoblog.posterous.com/photos-for-blog-troubleshooting-help

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Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:43:00 -0800 A rehearsal by any other name: the nature of the dress http://ayoblog.posterous.com/a-rehearsal-by-any-other-name-the-nature-of-t http://ayoblog.posterous.com/a-rehearsal-by-any-other-name-the-nature-of-t

After spending the previous day on a bus from Adelaide to Melbourne (except those tripping the light fantastic- see previous post), our musicians would have been understandably keen to spend today experiencing the delights of the Victorian capital.   But as the first rays of the morning sun caught the spires of the Eureka Tower, a realisation also dawned- there was to be no Chapel St shopping or Yarra River strolling this morning to recoup.  A more pressing commitment awaited at the Town Hall: the dress rehearsal.

 

Dress rehearsals are strange things.  Having rehearsed a program for weeks and performed it once already, one would think that performance number two would be a relatively simple affair.  Everybody knows their part backwards, so we just walk on stage, play the concert and be home in time to catch Lateline Business. No dramas.  Not quite.

 

Each hall is different and the dress rehearsal is a chance for orchestra and conductor to come to grips with any unique and subtle acoustic differences.  Dynamics get tweaked, balances altered and even tempos might be modified to allow the orchestra to sound its best in a new hall.  Contrary to popular belief, performance dress is not required to be worn and the number of AYO T-shirts peppering the orchestra was a dead give-away as to the collective state of the orchestra's laundry.    

 

With rehearsal over, the afternoon was free to laze about, snooze, or do some frantic last minute practice on those trickier passages (as a hypothetical only).  The anticipation about tonight's concert is high, particularly for any fresh faces in the orchestra.  For many people, playing in the AYO for the first time is the realisation of a long term goal and it is this unadulterated excitement that makes AYO concerts unique.  Early tomorrow morning, participants will fly back to their home states, but with Season 2 taking place in Sydney in the middle of the year, the AYO bandwagon still has some miles to roll for 2011. Stay tuned.

 

Jack Chenoweth

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Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:47:17 -0800 Make me a Supermodel!...or failing that, an orchestral musician. http://ayoblog.posterous.com/make-me-a-supermodelor-failing-that-an-orches http://ayoblog.posterous.com/make-me-a-supermodelor-failing-that-an-orches

Life in the Australian Youth Orchestra is  pretty simple: rehearse, eat, sleep and perform.  But after a successful concert in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon, one group of AYO musicians jetted to Melbourne ahead of their colleagues to break this cycle. Move over the  Concertgebouw and bring on the catwalk!  These were the  models for the 2012 AYO brochure.

 

Modelling and orchestral playing are two activities that do not often intersect.  Few conductors have been known to follow statements such as 'winds, the intensity of the crescendo has to grow right through the top of the phrase' with 'and second flute, is that skirt from the 2011 Winter Prada collection?'  Today though, our musicians had the chance to form this most unusual of unions.  At a suitably urban chic warehouse in St Kilda, exasperated cries of 'this high section is so hard to play in tune' and 'I just can't get those low notes out' were replaced with 'I just wish  this hem would sit correctly' and 'these shoes really don't match my hair'.

 

For most musicians, having someone fastidiously attend to your hair and make-up would have been a novel experience after two weeks of rolling out of bed, splashing some water in the vague direction of your face and trying to make it to breakfast on time. Similar sweet relief was found in having bundles of new and fashionable outfits thrust upon you after weeks of gingerly trying to determine which T-shirt was the cleanest.  For the record, as an ex AYOer, I can confirm that donning the official AYO T-shirt was a clear sign of surrender to a mountain of dirty laundry.

 

The session today seemed to go smoothly.  The photographers seemed happy and the lunch table was attacked with expected commitment, categorically demonstrating that unhealthy body image would not be an issue for these models. Tuesday night sees them returning to what they do best and the anticipation is high amongst all players.  And the results of this foray into glamour and style?  You'll have to wait for the 2012 AYO brochure.

 

Jack Chenoweth

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Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:48:00 -0800 The Getting of Wisdom (!) http://ayoblog.posterous.com/the-getting-of-wisdom http://ayoblog.posterous.com/the-getting-of-wisdom

The triumphal conclusion is in sight: we’re building to the climax of our two-week musical adventure. By now, adrenalin is kicking in to take its role in keeping us all going, as we approach the challenging final stages of stuff-strutting.

For the Department of WAM, the deadlines for delivery of program notes, radio features and the Camp newsletter have by now all been, by some miracle, met, giving us the opportunity for a couple of days to reflect upon the wider context of the symbiosis of music and writing. To aid in this endeavour, we’ve met with three sterling fellows who’ve shared their insights and experience to provide us with some trajectories for future cogitation, contemplation and even action.

Mark Carroll, Music Historian and Associate Professor here at the Elder Conservatorium, presented a Schenker-like model for the task of program note writing: a layering approach, of firstly establishing our in-depth knowledge of the particular piece to be written about, then adding further dimensions of enlightening the reader and finally (last but not least) of entertaining them. Graham Strahle, Adelaide’s pre-eminent music critic, outlined the challenges and principles for approaching this important task, again emphasising the need for sound preparation and background-building, but in the context of elegantly articulating a personal response to the performance. Whether this is to be achieved by immersion or objectivity, that is the question… And Vincent Ciccarello gave us an insight into his own career path from musician to musicologist to artist manager and now, journalist – a fascinating tale of the contest between aspiration and reality and of the importance of serendipity. Vince also gave us an insight into the world of journalism, its pressurised environment and demands for balancing the hard and the soft.

All three gave splendid amplification to the themes we have been drawing out from our two chosen role models in the realm of music and words: Richard Taruskin and Alex Ross. Heroes, really, for the contemporary writer about music, and perhaps also for everyone engaged with the future of classical music. I'm seeking out a copy of Taruskin's "The Danger of Music", not to mention Bob Dylan's "Chronicles", pronto...

Thanks to Mark, Vince and Graham for their contributions to the “getting of wisdom”, supporting the students of WAM as they seek their directions for the future.

James Koehne

WAM Tutor

 

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Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:16:00 -0800 Crash, bang, wallop! http://ayoblog.posterous.com/40377702 http://ayoblog.posterous.com/40377702

This afternoon the percussionists swarmed the limelight. The percussion ensemble concert gives the chance for those guys with sticks up the BACK to become guys up the FRONT with sticks.

This year all 13 of the orchestral percussionists let rip on all things that could be beaten, brushed or banged. Instruments included: break drums, toy piano and steel rods fresh from Bunnings Warehouse. Highlights of the program included John Cage’s Dance Music for Elfrid Ide, featuring both a party and slide whistle.

The concert was a success showcasing the ability for percussion to be both lyrical and just plain LOUD.

Similar to the contrasts of the percussion concert, Adelaide seems to be oscillating between freezing and sweltering. For the large part I think it’s the air-conditioning but it seems that this festival state has given us the whole range of weather.

From rain and clouds to heat and sun and then back to blankets on beds, perhaps good music really does affect the elements?

However the overarching climate around the halls and colleges is one of finality as we enter the second half of the second week of National Music Camp. To all those loved ones across the country, prepare the beds, washing machines and the ovens (please) we'll all be coming home soon! As Emma the librarian painted the picture of NMC as a bubble, the camp is on the brink of popping or maybe that was just my ears at the percussion concert.

 

Lachlan Snow

The odd couple: one of two percussion tutors, Tom O'Kelly with a smattering of percussionists.

 


 

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Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:05:00 -0800 Partners in crime http://ayoblog.posterous.com/partners-in-crime-0 http://ayoblog.posterous.com/partners-in-crime-0

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Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:00:00 -0800 No man is an island … http://ayoblog.posterous.com/no-man-is-an-island http://ayoblog.posterous.com/no-man-is-an-island

… nor is any camper. Every snatched moment of solitude is countered by at least as many spent in the company of like-minded (or perhaps mind-opening) others: from the rhythmic pad of be-sneakered feet at dawn, running solo along the pavement beneath my window, to the steady stream of rehearsal-ready or retiring hordes traversing King William Street back and forth throughout the day; from the lingering strains of isolated instruments carried through the early breeze to throbbing conglomerates filling every pocket of air with resonance; from the first to sit down at table to the last to begrudgingly leave the ball on the oval after the post-meal kick.

We take responsibility for our own notes to play our part in the whole.

Players play, but more importantly they listen, they take in the others around them. Composers gift us their art by delineating on the page the sounds within their teeming brains, administrators perform their own specially designated choreography in an organisational ballet and WAMs write, share, collect and collate.

Even if the only times we see some is while we eat with them, sometimes through this intermittent communion we learn more about one another than if we were to be by their side all day; they have more to tell us, and we have more space to attend to it. I have heard composers spilling opinions and their obstacles, flautists lamenting note-ful plenitude, AAs considering the benefits of layering methods for stage setup and have laughed with my fellow WAMsmiths til my belly ached, over bowls, plates, mugs, napkins and handfuls of varying gastronomic fare.

Musing, and musicking. One needs the other, one feeds the other, and here (hear) we enjoy them both.

 

Jennifer Mills

Words About Music participant

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Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:02:51 -0800 WAMologists at work http://ayoblog.posterous.com/40087974 http://ayoblog.posterous.com/40087974

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Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:58:41 -0800 Inside the inner sanctum: the workings of WAM http://ayoblog.posterous.com/inside-the-inner-sanctum-the-workings-of-wam http://ayoblog.posterous.com/inside-the-inner-sanctum-the-workings-of-wam

Dear Reader,

Over the last eight days, you have been enjoying the exclusive access and breathtaking insights into NMC ’11 that my colleagues and I have brought you.  In the true spirit of the parliamentary press gallery, we have stalked the halls and lain in wait for unsuspecting campers, our presence only revealed by the flash of a camera or thrust of a microphone into an unsuspecting face.  Our commitment to journalistic integrity is surpassed only by those at Team Rupert and we walk countless metres and work untold minutes to get the ‘real’ story for you.  But what actually happens in the nerve centre?

High up on Level 4 of our very own ivory tower is the centre of WAM operations.  After completing numerous swipecard checks to gain access, one arrives at the WAM mothership.  Sitting in front of seven computers, our correspondents work diligently in-between checking Facebook, email and various news sites.  Our bodies are sustained by selections of fruit and chocolate, and our minds are constantly attuned by humorous quips on the correct noun for a group of WAM students, or possible synonyms for ‘conservative’  — for the record, the best one so far was ‘Tory,’ but perhaps not in the sentence ‘the music that young Richard Strauss wrote was undeniably Tory’.  

It is not all bottled water and chocolate though.  The merits (or lack thereof) of colons and brackets are hotly debated, and exasperation runs high when a fourth draft of an article is required.  So far our program notes have been a success, all deadlines have been met (Touch wood! – ed.) and production continues on schedule for our radio features and the camp magazine.  Tune in at the end of the week to see if the colon skirmish has developed into a full scale conflict (stand by Ban Ki-moon) and whether ‘WAMologist’ (from the latin studentium musicae wordinundium) is the accepted collective noun. 

With best wishes

Jack Chenoweth

 

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Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:47:11 -0800 Tuning Time http://ayoblog.posterous.com/40068092 http://ayoblog.posterous.com/40068092

P6_review

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Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:42:00 -0800 The ABC of NMC: Saturday Concerts Review http://ayoblog.posterous.com/the-abc-of-nmc-saturday-concerts-review http://ayoblog.posterous.com/the-abc-of-nmc-saturday-concerts-review

Highlights of the annual Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp include the two Saturday public concerts as the culmination of each week. This year the Alexander, Bishop and John Curro orchestras presented a varied, though often bleak, repertoire in the buttressed interior of the Elder Hall.  

The John Curro Chamber orchestra, directed by Dale Barltrop, began the afternoon concert with flair in their performance of Telemann’s Don Quixote Suite. The quartet section demonstrated particular delicacy, and the Gallop just enough roughness to suggest a speedy passage. Smalley’s Footwork provided a chance to show off their tango style and the versatility of the ensemble, led by Amy Brookman. The Curro Orchestra’s later performance of the Shostakovich ‘Chamber Symphony’ was even more impressive. This chamber orchestra setting of the Eighth String Quartet adds a richness to the sonic texture, though players were also able to produce sparse, pure tones when required. The work is bleak and shies away from musical resolution, and the final note died away into absolute silence and stillness, before the hall erupted in applause.  

The performances of the Bishop Orchestra were also notable. Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration is a significant undertaking. Unison lower strings showed great depth of sound, and under the free-wheeling and sometimes frenetic baton of James Judd the brass section laid waste to all before them. The Vaughan Williams Symphony No.6 featured some of the best playing of the evening. A piercingly intense opening threw the audience back in their seats, and the juddering rhythms of this underperformed masterpiece were perfectly together. The performance was dedicated to Queensland, in view of the recent catastrophic floods in that state (and all money for concert entry was donated to the Premier’s Flood Appeal). With such melancholy associations, the prolonged pianissimo of the final movement seemed particularly appropriate, though the silence following the work’s conclusion was soon broken by disconcerting simian hooting from the gallery.  

The Alexander Orchestra also demonstrated their versatility across the two concerts. Their performance of Stanhope’s Machinations was an exciting rendition of a crowded work, complete with solo for manual typewriter. The Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3 which concluded the afternoon concert was particularly magical. The beautifully filigreed Elder Hall organ easily provided both a subtle basis for rapturous strings and a dominating declaration in the joyous final movement. The Allegro Moderato was immediately gripping, calls and answers near perfect, achieved with a minimum of gesture from conductor Edwin Outwater. Trumpets were transcendent, and the inner string voices seized their opportunity to shine. Compared to other performances of the work, the immediacy and blend of organ and orchestra was notable. The music gave us goosebumps - a compliment of the highest order.  

All three orchestras shone, displaying their strengths to an extremely appreciative audience.   

  

Anna Doukakis  

Words About Music participant  

 

 

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Sun, 16 Jan 2011 15:24:00 -0800 Candid shots of R.C.'s http://ayoblog.posterous.com/candid-shots-of-rcs http://ayoblog.posterous.com/candid-shots-of-rcs

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Sun, 16 Jan 2011 15:16:00 -0800 The Three Musketeers of Camp http://ayoblog.posterous.com/the-three-musketeers-of-camp http://ayoblog.posterous.com/the-three-musketeers-of-camp

Sunday morning saw a phenomenon called ‘free time’ appear on our schedules; with most people taking the opportunity to either see the sights, do a bit of shopping, have some down time, go to the beach, do work, sleep or practice incessantly (French horns and violins I’m talking to you).

Whilst the rest of us scamper off to our various activities and to general merriment of our own creating, I had a chance to canvas our three tireless Residential Coordinators (RC) about their week's so far. And so far, so good!

This year’s RC team are Katie Spicer (veteran RC of seven years), Matt Toffolon (once a camper, then a staff member, now RC) and Annette Brown (who declined the RC position a few years ago when her daughter was here for fear of “cramping her style”, but has latterly succumbed and done a couple since).

So what are the essentials for an R.C?

Annette: “Good pyjamas.” All kind of embarrassing situations can be overcome with the proper overnight attire. She bought special pyjamas for camp to avoid these situations this year.

Matt: “A book.” This is definitely the best way to pass the time in quiter moments between rehearsals, meals and "lights out" times.

Katie: “A first aid and sewing kit.” So handy in so many situations.

But whatever the hours of duty, the RCs are definitely a team. It's a case of one for all and all for one! 

 

by Felicity Haigh 

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/958214/AYO_horn1_small2.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1kLAPjgndLxv Australian Youth Orchestra Behind the Scenes of the Australian Youth Orchestra Australian Youth Orchestra
Sun, 16 Jan 2011 01:40:00 -0800 An AA's work is never done http://ayoblog.posterous.com/an-aas-work-is-never-done http://ayoblog.posterous.com/an-aas-work-is-never-done

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/958214/AYO_horn1_small2.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1kLAPjgndLxv Australian Youth Orchestra Behind the Scenes of the Australian Youth Orchestra Australian Youth Orchestra