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B6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, August 16, 2000 Arts & Entertainment We invite you to listen to the great music even Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on the RadioDiai 1320 AM \ "That Night at the Opera" "Qodla sera all 't>pera" The Italian Radio Program of Opera produced and presented by Giuseppe Fava O akville B eaver E n terta in m en t Editor: Carol Baldwin 845-3824 (Extension 254); Fax: 337-5567; E-mail: baldwin@ haltonsearch.com Photos by Barrie Erskine Courtney Zylinski from Montreal was practising shortly after she moved into Appleby College on Saturday. Daniel Hambleton from Hamilton checked his music before getting started, while Gideon Weisman from Toronto listened intently to one of the instructors as the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute's summer camp got underway for the fourth year in a row in Oakville. Advanced music students, ages 13 to 26, have come to the intensive twoweek camp from as far away as Spain and Venezuela to hone their chamber music skills. A number of concerts by the teaching professionals are presented for students and the public during the two-week camp. *Oakville cellist is a SOCMI survivor By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR O kay, so maybe he wasn't sequestered on an island fending for himself, but Sam Orr was "trapped" with three string players for two weeks last year. And he survived. In fact, he more than survived. He thrived. The Oakville musician says SOCMI (Southern Ontario Cham ber Music Insti tute), which operates out of Appleby C ol lege for two weeks every August, offered "the highest level o f instruction that I've ever been exposed to. "You're trapped with these people. It wasn't: w e'll rehearse once a week. It was: w e'll rehearse every day and maybe take a break once a week. It was really inten sive," explains the young cellist. "We practised more hours in a day than we'd sleep. It was like a school day - practising, practising, practising. But I found that towards the end, we didn't really care. In fact, we didn't really want to stop." Orr did, though, have an opportunity to get away from the other members o f his quartet once in awhile by going off on his own to practise his part alone, or by attending a master class offered by the internationally acclaimed chamber musi cians on staff. He also spent time listening to some of the other quartets and quintets rehearse, which he says served as an inspi ration for him. "M ost o f the time, though, w e're just trying to put it together," he says. This year, the 16-year-old has a full time summer job, so, much to his disap pointment, he wasn't able to attend SOCMI. But he already has plans to secure a job next summer that will allow him to take two weeks off in August so he can attend the chamber music camp. O rr's introduction to music began when his mother, a music teacher, started him on the piano. But he soon discovered that piano wasn't really his cup of tea. Then when he got into high school, the eager musician began experimenting with a number of musical instruments, playing bass guitar, trombone, and percussion. But when his mom's friend gave him a used cello, it piqued his interest in the stringed instrument. "It's my dad's favourite instrument. He wanted me to play it if I could. But I never ended up using her cello," he says, with a laugh. "When she gave it to us, it was too big for me; and by the time I was ready to play it, I needed a better one. But it got me interested." Now, it's his favourite instrument, too. And chamber music has become a favourite of his as well. "I love it a lot more after SOCMI," he admits, adding that different styles of chamber music were encouraged during his two weeks at Appleby last year. "They know that teenagers are going to have to be playing this for two weeks, so they tend to pick interesting music, as opposed to something you can get bored with really quickly." Orr has nothing but good things to say about SOCMI, even though he was just an infant last year, in terms of age as well as musical expertise. But the intensive twoweek program helped him take his first steps into the world of chamber music by compelling him to practise for hours each day with three equally experienced stringed musicians. "They put you with people at your level. That way, not only is no one upstag ing anyone else, but everyone is chal lenged by the music," he says, explaining that applicants must send in a recording of their music in order to be accepted by SOCMI. However, despite his success at SOCMI last year and his hopes of participating again next year, the White Oaks Secondary School student is planning to pursue a career in science. He will, though, contin ue music as a hobby, he says. "I do enjoy it a lot...B ut there's usually a little more money and success in sci ence." (For more information about SOCMI or about the concerts that will be given by the teaching professionals during the camp, turn to page B3.) August 25,26,27 Final Clearance All Spring & Summer Merchandise Presented by Oakville Entertainment Centrum and Ford of C ana da Winston Churchill Btvd. at the QEW A PENEQUITY PROPERTY · · · · 50 70 ° ^ Attitude Kasper Lucia Anna Maxwell · Steilman · Olsen · Frapp C entrum G old Pass Reynolds St. at Lakeshore Rd. E., Downtown Oakville 844-2510 Open Daily 9:30 - 6; Thursday, Friday till 9, Sunday 1 2 - 4 w n e iu u i okkvuu Jazzline: 905 · 815 · 2022 www.oakvilleJazzfest.com . b ia v k h H jjx tiS ! m o s o n ( m ) h u w . r v >) Q p ,