Sorry for the wait. Thanks to you, we are finally able to start recruiting members for the second term.

During this time since the first concert in March, we decided on this year's activity plan, asked last year's members if they wanted to continue, compared it with the main piece for the next concert, identified the missing parts, and asked for recommendations from current members. In the process, we found that there were more members who continued than we expected (there was a high level of satisfaction with last year's activities, and almost no one left except for reasons such as finding a job or taking an exam, which was a pleasant surprise for us as the secretariat), and many people who wanted to be recommended after hearing the reviews. After a long journey, we decided to recruit a few members this year. We have to set a certain number of members because there is a limit to how many people can get on stage at one time, and it is about 110 at most. From the philosophy of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, we want everyone to be on stage, and we don't want to turn away people who want to join by auditioning or selecting them in the first place, so we decided to recruit quietly. Last year, we were just getting started, and we announced it in the newspapers Iwate Nippo, Kahoku Shimpo, and Fukushima Minpo, where we are directors of the general incorporated association. We would like to eventually set up a beginners course for children who don't have their own pieces of music but want to play in the orchestra, and increase the number and diversity of our members.

Along with this recruitment, we have also announced the location of our summer training camp and the main piece for our concert in March next year. After last year's training camp in Miyakojima, where we had to worry about the path of the typhoon, this year we will be in Hokkaido. How easy to understand that Hokkaido is next after Okinawa. As an activity to make Shisa last year, we are considering milking cows. And we will be practicing Mahler's Symphony No. 1. Some may be concerned about the performance ability of a junior orchestra and whether they will be able to play Mahler, but according to conductor Toshio Yanagisawa, the current Tohoku Youth Orchestra will be able to practice and be able to play it by the time of the performance. It's reassuring. Just as I was amazed that the children called Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 "Chaigo" last time, the children are calling it "Maraichi". If we follow Hasumi Shigehiko's "The Countess," which won the Mishima Yukio Prize this year, it should be "Maraichi".

Putting aside such adult topics, the additional recruitment targets for this year are as follows:

You are between the fourth grade of elementary school and the fourth year of university, and you were living in Fukushima, Miyagi, or Iwate prefectures on March 11, 2011, or you are still living there.

The instruments being recruited are:

The set includes violin, viola, cello, double bass, bassoon and percussion including timpani.

Another important thing is to be able to attend every practice. This is very important. For more information and the entry form, please click here.

http://tohoku-youth-orchestra.org/entry.html

Please help spread the information appropriately.