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¥ Photo by Peter J. Thompson Ashley Bissonnette no longer attracts the geese with her squawky clarinet. She has learned to play the instrument well enough to be part of the Halton Youth Orchestra, which musicians must audition for each year. Final performance is the highlight (Continued from page 19) from the Mississauga Symphonic Association and will also have an opportunity to work with Janos San- dor, the festival conductor. Composers Louis Applebaum and John Weinzweig will be on hand to work with the young musi­ cians on their compositions includ­ ed in the program. The highlight of the festival is the final performance, when all them musicians come together to perform under Sdndor's baton. This special program will feature Apple- baum's Place Setting, Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty Waltz, Elgar's Pomp and Circum­ stance No. 4, Brahms' Hungarian Dances No. 5, 6, 7, Strauss's Radet- sky March, Weinzweig's Symphonic Ode, and Khachaturian's Masquer­ ade. Tickets for the final perfor­ mance, which is presented by Orchestras Canada and hosted by the Mississauga Youth Orchestra, are $7 and are available by calling the box office at 306-6000. Orchestras Canada is the nation­ al association serving Canada's symphony, chamber, and youth orchestras and small ensembles from every province. Science is his career of choice (Continued from page 19) with his cello too often, his fingers get soft and he must go through the pain of building up calluses again. And, he says, "The strings need to be kept warm." But, it's no wonder the young musi­ cian rises so early, considering the things he wants to accomplish in the remainder of the day. For example, Orr is also "fast track­ ing it" through high school. And his music credits, along with his summer school academic courses, will help him accomplish one of his goals, which is to graduate in two years. However, he claims he could graduate next year if he chose to do so. At any rate, when he does graduate, it is not music but science that will take him to university. "I'm going into chemistry. Music is more like a hobby," he says. "I've been thinking of going into pharmaceutical engineer­ ing - applied chemistry. I really like it." In his spare time, which almost seems non-existent with such a busy academic and musical schedule, Orr is a volunteer peer helper at school, tutoring math. And he also volunteers with the Special Olympics, coaching basketball, golf and T-ball - activities he is hoping will soon be acknowl­ edged as competitive sports by the Special Olympics. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 21 S elf-m o tiv a ted to s u c c e e d 4 Young clarinet player taught herself to read music By C aro l B a ld w in ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Ashley Bissonnette took up the clarinet because, she says, "Some idiot told me it was easy." That was back in Grade 7 at Queen Elizabeth Park School, and now the Grade 9 student plays the clarinet well enough to be one of five in the Halton Youth Orchestra (HYO). But back in the beginning it wasn't as easy as her classmate suggested. "I had a really hard time with the way you have to hold your mouth, and with the fin­ gering and stuff," she says, noting that she also had braces at the time. "And I didn't know how to read notes. I could sing doh, rah, me...but I kept thinking of the notes as the first note, the second note, the third note." But perseverance prevailed. This young musician wasn't about to number each note and remember those numbers for every piece of music, and she couldn't just wing it. So, on her own time, Bissonnette taught herself to read music. Then she borrowed a clarinet from school for the summer and took lessons, including theory. By the end of the summer, she quips, "I was doing less squeaking and the geese were no longer perching on our lawn...Once I got the hang of it, it's not that hard to learn the notes." And, her mother adds, the neighbours even expressed their gratitude for the improve­ ment over the summer. Now the 14-year-old has her own clarinet, and will play her mother's favourite tune, Strangers on the Shore, on occasion. She even adapted the sheet music for the clarinet. But her motive may not have been as pure as the notes she plays. Ashley admits to using that song to mollify mom - she plays the song and her mother's insistence on having a particular chore done disap­ pears like magic. As for the HYO, Bisson­ nette got wind that they need­ ed clarinet players, so she auditioned last June. And despite the harrowing experi­ ence of her first audition, she was accepted. "I burst into tears," she says of the audition with embarrass­ ment. "I don't do well under pressure. And I had to learn a new finger position." She did, however, survive the ordeal, and is not as ner­ vous about this year's audition. (Musicians must audition for the orchestra every year.) Although Bissonnette is a member of her school band, she prefers playing with the HYQ. "In the school band, the Grade 7s are just starting and the pieces are a bit easier. They spend more time polish­ ing up," she explains. "After two months with the HYO, you're learning new pieces. It's a lesson in humility. I'm not as good as I thought. I don't have time to get the c pieces completely polished...I've learned how to fake a lot." Bissonnette says she has also learned to tune the clar­ inet, an instrument that will offer a shrill reminder when not tuned. And the teenager, who has also learned to appre­ ciate classical music through the orchestra, is convinced that she's the only teen in town who borrows her parents' CDs. But it's not all work and no play for Bissonnette and the other young musicians in the HYO. The orchestra does offer an annual retreat where orchestra members have an opportunity to relax and enjoy some social times together as well as hone their musical skills. And the concert this Sunday is the culmination of a week­ end at Erindale College, which Bissonnette is eagerly antici­ pating. I presents: Vienna, City of Dreams fea tu rin g guest a rtis t G loria Saarinen -Piano Saturday, May 15th, 8:00 p.m. Sunday, May 16 at 2 :00 p.m . OQ CHE&TBA Pnjoy wonderful music from ballet, opera, as well as selections from such popular musicals as Les Miserables, West Side Story and a Chorus Line! The O A K V ILLE I S Y M P H O N Y That Dorothy Parker... In th e S tu d io T heatre Fri., & Sat., M ay 28 & 29 at 8:30 p.m. Written & performed by Carol Lempert A one woman tour-de-force chrdhicles Dorothy P arker's life and work. A witty, biting, touching slice o f literary history! (905)815-2021 B eco m e a B ig T icket M em ber N O W and receive an invitation to our Member Season Preview May 19th at The Oakville Centre Visit the box office, 130 Navy Street (at Lakeshore), Monday to Friday, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday 2 to 5 p.m.; or two hours before show time. For more information on upcoming shows explore our website at vyww.oc4pa.com by Affirmative Communications. For only $30 you get: • savings o f 20% on the shows o f your choice • first chance a t the best seats in the house • mailing list priority »special offers from associated restaurants & retailers JOIN NOW! VOLVO Advertising S po n so r Visit Volvo of OnkviOr to test drive the a ll new "99 Vobo S80