Holy Youth Orchestra!

PCYO, are you sitting down?

Check out Gustavo Dudamel's Youth Orchestra. You will be blown away by the creative genius! Hmmm...think PCYO could hit such great heights? Remember, practice makes perfect. And what better time to hone your skills than for the PCYO concert in May? That's right, next month, all you little rock stars will play your hearts out for an adoring audience.

Speaking of rock stars...

Drum roll, please...

Our Rock Star of the Week is...Raymond Luna!

This big-shot student instructor is a Godsend for PCYO, mentoring the up-and comers. His musical taste is refined. Raymond loves the old school class of The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and if PCYO could play just one song together, it would be their classic, In the Mood. Raymond, I hope to see this too! But Mr. Luna isn't all tuxedos and swing dancing, he's a little bit "jeans and t-shirt" as well. His favorite song is Everlong by the Foo Fighters, explaining, "I like their style and composition."

If this 14 year-old trumpet-player could invite any five people to dinner, he would invite President Barack Obama and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Hmm...looks like a couple of orchestra players are going to have to hit El Pollo Loco instead, that's a big band!

Reminder: there will be a parent meeting next week following rehearsal on April 11th at 2:00 pm. The PCYO instructors would love the parents to attend so they can discuss development, student practice, and score some parental feedback. They hope to see everyone there!

Love & Music,
Fayeruz

Rock Star of the Week

Spring is on its way, PCYO! Spring is a time of new beginnings. If you've been practicing your instrument diligently, make a fresh start by playing in front of others. It gets the jitters out! For those of you who haven't been practicing, put down the Hot Cheetos and remote control and make some beautiful music.

Drum roll, please...

The Rock Star of the Week is...Larysa Bulbenko!

Some know her as the talented violinist, others remember the knock-out photos her talented father took at the Christmas concert. Creativity runs in the family! Larysa is 11 years-old and loves a good dose of Vivaldi. She think it's fun to play his music.

Her all-time favorite song is the legendary rock ballad Stairway to Heaven, by Led Zeppelin. The beautiful and haunting melody can be heard here. Speaking of classic rock, if she could invite any five people to dinner, she'd invite The Beatles. She had better make sure to lock her doors, so the mobs of screaming girls don't break in.

Hmm...so that's Ringo, George, Paul and Jon. ...Wait! There's one space left at the dinner party. I think I'll invite myself. I'd like crab legs and a banana split, please. Not together!

Love and Music,

Fayeruz

Hey, Where'd Everyone Go?

Yoohoo PCYO,

A little birdie told me only seven people showed up this Saturday. Seven?! Say it ain't so!

When we did our usual round of reminder phone calls a couple of weeks ago, we said that we would not be calling to remind you anymore. You guys were getting the hang of it, and it saved us time. So...what happened?

Bewildered,

Fayeruz

Happy Valentine's Day, PCYO!

Hola, PCYO!

Hope you're feeling the love this Valentine's Day. PCYO is sure feeling the love from The Pacific Southwest Covenant Church, who just wrote an article about us. Check it out! This is only the beginning - so start practicing signing your autograph! Wait - I take that back. Just practice your instrument for now. Practice like Cupid shot you with the love of music!

Until we see ya next Saturday...

Love & Music,

Fayeruz

PCYO

Rock Star of the Week - Family Edition!

Hey, hey, hey PCYO!

It may seem like the rain won't stop, but let's look at the bright side. Los Angeles is taking a much-needed shower, everything is green and growing and YOU have plenty of time to stay cozy indoors practicing your instrument!

I have plenty of time to catch up on our Rock Star of the Week feature. So much time, that I am doing a double-edition, family style.

Drum roll, please...

The Rock Stars of the Week are...Bailey & Mackenzie Equite!

The talented duo are close in age, (Bailey is 11 and Mackenzie is 10) but they're light years apart in taste. Let's take Bailey for instance. He's got classic taste, a real gentleman in the making. His favorite musician is Duke Ellington and claims this jazz / swing legend is what inspired him to play music. Much like Ellington's music, Bailey prefers to play the piano and trumpet. He has such a strong sense of past, that if PCYO perform one song together, he would want it to be The Star Spangled Banner.

Mackenzie on the other hand has a taste for the fun, pop-infused stylings of Miley Cyrus, her very favorite musician. Mackenzie rocks the flute, and if PCYO could perform one song together, it would be Where You Belong. Mackenzie's favorite song is the inspirational tune, Something Far Greater.

But it looks like these siblings won't be invited to one another's ultimate dinner party! We asked each of them to name the top five people they would invite to dinner, and here are the results:

Bailey's guest list: Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Justin Timberlake and Abe Lincoln

Looks like Bailey has a strong sense of family! He'd invite his parents even if he does eat with them every night. Question: Could Honest Abe convince JT to rock a vintage colonial beard?

Mackenzie's guest list: Harriet Tubman, George Washington, Duke Ellington, Justin Timberlake and Miley Cyrus

Wow, Mackenzie's a fan of Mr. Ellington too? Must be a family thing! I smell a musical collaboration. How would it sound if JT, Miley and Duke Ellington decided to make a song together? Perhaps our first president (Mr. Washington) and Ms. Tubman (historic abolitionist and forerunner of The Underground Railroad) could engage these rockers in a heated political debate. Wish I could be a fly on the wall for that one!

Until next time, remember all things good about the rain and keep practicing!

Love and Music,

Fayeruz

PCYO

Happy New Year, PCYO!

Happy 2009, PCYO!

Maybe you got Guitar Hero for Christmas. Perhaps you're a fan of Rock Band. Either way, there's nothing better than playing real music, and we can't wait to hit the ground running! In a year of fresh new starts, let's all get hyped about mastering our instruments, and playing something to be proud of. We'll be dedicated to making you the best you can be in 2009 and beyond.

And without further ado, drum roll, please....

Joshua Ramirez is the Rock Star of the Week!

This 11 year-old trumpet blaster loves to listen to Dragonforce. His favorite song is Viva La Vida by the very talented Coldplay. Alas, Dragonforce and Coldplay didn't get an invite to his exclusive dinner party. If Mr. Ramirez could invite any five people, they would be Juan Esteban, Obama, Bach, Gabriel Iglesias (AKA Pikachu) and George Lopez. What a crazy mix! What would they talk about? Would George Lopez teach Bach how to make tacos? Will Pikachu teach Obama how to make hilarious speeches?

See Joshua's favorite song, Viva La Vida, here!

Last but not least, out next rehearsal is on Saturday, January 17th. We can't wait to see you.

Happy New Year,
Fayeruz

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