Merry Christmas, PCYO!

What a wonderful time we had at the Christmas concert, showing off our hard work to friends and family while spreading good old-fashioned holiday cheer!

PCYO wants to thank all the students for their diligence in practicing for the big day, the parents for bringing in the delicious dishes (TAMALES! TAMALES!) and for the instructors and volunteers who helped make the event run smoothly. It was a resounding success!

In our midst was a professional photographer, Michael Bulbenko and in 2009 we should have a collection of memorable snapshots from the day.

In the meantime, PCYO wants to wish you the happiest of holidays!

Love & Music,

Fayeruz

Rock Star of the Week

Man, were we bummed we couldn't meet last week! Thank goodness Saturday is just around the corner. Hope you've been practicing for the big concert.

Drumroll, please...

The Rock Star of the Week is...Patricia Orozco!

This PCYO flute player has vintage taste, because she loves The Beatles! She thinks they rock, and I'd have to agree. Her all-time favorite song is Hey Jude, and if she could choose any song for PCYO to perform at a concert, it would be, Let it Be. Patricia likes to stick to the classics!

If she were to have any five people over for dinner, she would choose The Beatles and her parents. But...uh oh! Wait, there are four Beatles and two parents, making a total of (who knows their math?) six! Someone will have to get kicked off the table. Will it be Mom, Dad, or Ringo?

Check out her ultimate PCYO concert song, Let it Be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67J_66hdN-I

Did You Know?
Beatle Paul McCartney (singer of Let it Be) has a daughter named Stella who's a cutting-edge fashion designer! Check her out right here: http://www.stellamccartney.com/

Don't forget to blog your answer for last week's trivia question in order to take home a brand new Hollywood tee shirt!

Now go and practice, practice, practice. See ya Saturday!

Love & Music,
Fayeruz

Hollywood Prize and Rock Star of the Week!

Hey PCYO!

Hope you've been practicing. The holidays are just around the corner, and that means a mind-blowing Christmas concert that will bring tears to the eyes of your parents. Keep up the hard work.

In the meantime, the first person to respond online with the correct answer to this trivia question will score a Hollywood tee shirt, size XL. If it doesn't fit you, it will make the perfect holiday gift. Here's the trivia question:

Q) Genius Albert Einstein not only played the piano, he played the _________.

First person to answer scores the Hollywood tee. Good luck!

Drum roll, please...

Our Rock Star of the Week is...Favian Mendez!

This 12 year-old trumpet player has Slipknot on the brain! His favorite band is Slipknot, his favorite song, Before I Forget, is by Slipknot, and if PCYO could compose a song together, he wishes it were Before I Forget. Now, for the burning question...if he could invite anyone to dinner, who would it be? Slipknot?

No! Barack Obama! That's it. No one else. No Slipknot. Although I'm sure our future Mr. President would make excellent company.

Check out Favian's favorite music video right here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_09wFxoaeQ

And if you think Favian's trumpet is cool, this guy plays nose trumpet!
Check it: http://www.gigglesugar.com/1132700

See you Saturday at noon!

Love & Music,
Fayeruz

Spotlight on...Robert Regan!

What's up, PCYO?

The new Rock Star of the Week will be announced this weekend, but until then, we have a spotlight on...

Wait! Drum roll, please...Robert Regan!

Because sometimes the old people, er, I mean, the instructors, should share the limelight for all their work. Besides, wouldn't you be jealous if you couldn't be a rock star? I set up a little interview with the goofy tall guy. Check it out below!

Q: Is it true you love to eat Bugles and kimchee?

A: Oh yes, delicious. And once when I was 12, I ate chicken noodle soup with gummy bears.

Q: How was it?

A: It was the most disgusting thing I ever had.

Q: What's your most embarrassing moment?

A: When over half of PCYO came to rehearsal without their practice sheets!

Q: Kids, you heard it here first! What's your favorite color?

A: Blue!

Q: Why?

A: Because blue is the color of blood.

Q: That's true, oxygen makes your blood turn red.

A: That's why your veins are blue. Ahhh, veins are beautiful.

Q: Stop. You're scaring me. Who's your favorite composer?

A: First Camille Barnes-

Q: Aww...

A: Then Bach.

Speaking of Bach, there's no rehearsal this weekend, but on November 15th, Robert and rehearsal will BE BACH!

Love & Music,
Fayeruz

3-D Halloween Prizes

Hey kids,
This Saturday will be full of treats - not tricks! We're giving away the MySpace tee shirt to the student who can answer the Fender trivia question (see the last blog), PLUS, in celebration of Halloween weekend, you could score a scary 3-D movie postcard, just by answering some questions!

Make sure to raise your hands with some answers on Saturday; so many different scary postcards will be given away, that you could all trade during the break.

Drum roll, please....Anthony Thompson is the Rock Star of the Week!

Who says 13 is an unlucky number? Anthony is 13 and living large. He rocks the saxophone at PCYO and loves blasting Metallica, his favorite band. His favorite song is Metallica's One, but when it comes to a song he wishes PCYO would play together, he opts instead for a song called Amilio.

Anthony must have an awesome family, because if he could choose any five people to come to dinner, he wouldn't even invite Metallica! Instead, the lucky people to score an invitation would be his parents, grandparents and cousin.

Check out Metallica's music video, One. It's Anthony's favorite! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j39ABZyzek

Don't forget to come to PCYO on Saturday with an answer to last week's Fender trivia question, and have a happy Halloween!

Love and Music,
Fayeruz

PS) Hey Anthony, I went to a Metallica concert in 1994 - am I cool or what?

MySpace Prize and Sonja - Rock Star of the Week!

Want to score a MySpace tee shirt? Then get ready to answer a trivia question! All people who post comments with the correct answer will be automatically entered into the contest. Next rehearsal, a PCYO instructor will pull the name out of a hat. Or a box. Or whatever. Ready? Here we go:

Q: Is the Fender company known for making brass, woodwind or stringed instruments?

Post your comments and good luck!

Drumroll, please....

Sonja - ROCK STAR OF THE WEEK!

The lovely Ms. Sonja Einem is 15 years old, and plays the viola for PCYO. If she were to invite any five people to dinner, she doesn't go for the historic, the famous or the glamorous. She thinks her friends are the best company possible, so why switch it up? Sonja would like for PCYO to perform Prokofiev's 5th Symphony together. Her favorite song is Night Driving, and her favorite band is Asian Kung Fu Generation. Why? She finds them calming. Perhaps she had better pop that CD in the car before she takes driving lessons next year!

Check out her favorite band, Asian Kung Fu Generation, on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrh9B4vTiw4

Check out Prokofiev's 5th Symphony with funny video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8BSa0etgE8

Don't forget to answer the trivia for a chance to win!

Love and Music,

Fayeruz

Welcome to the PCYO Blog!

To all you budding musicians, dedicated parents and gifted instructors, welcome to the PCYO blog!

Every few days, we'll hit you up with trivia, updates and interesting tidbits on our gifted ensemble of students. Right now, you can click on a link to hear a free sample of the big song to be played by PCYO at the upcoming Christmas Concert - Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold" from the iconic western, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly."

Plus, you can click on the orange icon to see how you can receive updates every time a new blog is posted. In the meantime, feel free to post a comment and share some ideas for hot topics, trivia and all things music!