Come to the annual DSA Block Party THIS Saturday from 2-5pm, featuring Art and Performances by DSA students at the DSA South campus. Advanced Orchestra students need to be ready to play no later than 3:30; should be finished by 4:15/4:30. Come support our school and students at this super fun event! Also, we still need volunteers for the Orchestra Table! Go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f094eafae29a13-orchestra to see available time slots and lend a hand.
Our First Concert (10/8 and 10/10) is 2 Weeks Away!
Tickets are on sale for our first concert of the year. 2022-2023 prices for the performances are: $17 Adults; $12 Senior; $10 Students (non DSAO). Purchase your tickets by going to the DSA Box Office: https://dsa.dpsk12.org/performances/.
Important reminders:
Orchestra students are required to attend all DSAO performances. For String Orchestra concerts, this means that Advanced Orchestra students sit in the audience when Sinfonia performs and during intermission, the two groups switch. We have complimentary seats reserved for our DSAO students, no purchase is necessary.
Concert call time is 6:30pm. Students need to arrive in concert attire and be in the orchestra room warming up at this time.
WE NEED A CONCESSIONS COORDINATOR — During concerts, we run concessions selling snacks and beverages donated by our orchestra families. The concessions coordinator oversees the operation, making sure we have enough snacks and drinks to sell, setting up the tables in the hallway, and keeping track of the cash generated. We need someone to create and manage a sign-up asking (1) for volunteers to help run the tables and (2) for food & drink donations. If you’d like to help out, contact carla_mead@dpsk12.net ASAP. If we don’t get volunteers, we won’t have any concessions at our Oct. 8/10 concerts.
Ushers — We generally have 2-3 ushers per concert checking tickets, passing out programs, and assisting anyone who needs help finding or getting to their seat. Our seasoned ushers have students who are seniors, so please consider shadowing the team this year with an eye to taking over the role in the 2023-24 school year. We will need: Lead Usher-in-Training, Volunteer Ushers. Contact janehkreed@yahoo.com to learn more.
Midwest Clinic Updates (Full Orchestra families)
Formal photo for The Midwest Clinic program will be Tuesday, 9/27 after school in the Concert Hall. Make sure your student brings their concert attire to school that day.
We are getting closer to knowing our chaperone needs and will reach out to parents who have requested to be added to our list as soon as possible. Once selected, chaperones will need to register/pay for the trip and begin the DPS background check process. Contact Wendy Berhman at wberhman@gmail.com.
We are starting a scholarship fund for families needing assistance paying for this (and future) trips. If you would like to contribute or know of other donors who would like to help, please send a check (payable to “Denver School of the Arts Orchestra”) to DSA/Attn: Dr. Lasansky at 7111 Montview Blvd, Denver 80220. Please include “Orchestra Trip Scholarship Fund” on the memo line so that we can specifically earmark the funds for travel scholarship purposes.
Chaperones/Drivers Needed
A group of DSAO Chamber students will be performing at Park Hill Elementary (5050 E 19th Ave, Denver, CO 80220) on Thursday, Oct 20 between 9:40 and 10:30. We are looking for 2-3 parents who can drive the nine students and their instruments to/from DSA to avoid the cost of renting a school bus for the excursion. If you are interested in helping out, contact enion_pelta@dpsk12.net.
Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — String Orchestra Concert
Monday, Oct. 10 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — String Orchestra Concert
Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3pm, DSA Concert Hall — Chamber Concert
Friday, Dec. 9 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — Full Orchestra Concert
Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — Full Orchestra Concert
Friday, Dec. 16 at time and venue TBA — Midwest Clinic Preview Concert
Saturday, Mar. 11 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — String Orchestra Concert
Monday, Mar. 13 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — String Orchestra Concert
Thursday, Apr. 20 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — Full Orchestra Concert
Friday, Apr. 21 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — Full Orchestra Concert
Saturday, Apr. 29 at 3pm, DSA Concert Hall — Chamber Concert
Friday, May 12 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — String Orchestra Concert
Saturday, May 13 at 7pm, DSA Concert Hall — String Orchestra Concert
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers Needed Looking for a way to get involved? We have lots of volunteer opportunities, but with our first concert only weeks away (Oct. 8th), here are our most immediate needs:
Orchestra Closet — We have several boxes of concert attire donated by current and former DSAO families. If you would like to be the point person for connecting families in need of finding attire OR donating their student’s outgrown clothing, please contact carla_mead@dpsk12.net.
Concessions — During concerts, we run concessions selling snacks and beverages donated by our orchestra families. The concessions coordinator oversees the operation, making sure we have enough snacks and drinks to sell, setting up the tables in the hallway, and keeping track of the cash generated. We send out a sign-up asking (1) for volunteers to help run the tables and (2) for food & drink donations.
Ushers — We generally have 2-3 ushers per concert checking tickets, passing out programs, and assisting anyone who needs help finding or getting to their seat. Our seasoned ushers have students who are seniors, so please consider shadowing the team this year with an eye to taking over the role in the 2023-24 school year. We will need: Lead Usher-in-Training, Volunteer Ushers. Contact janehkreed@yahoo.com to learn more.
Elaine Walshe (mother of Maura Walshe, 11th grade violin) has been organizing the Orchestra Closet and is ready to share what we currently have available. Here is a link to the current inventory (NOTE that there are tabs at the bottom of this spreadsheet for Boys, Men's, Women's). Elaine will be available in the Orchestra Room from 11:30AM to 1PM on Monday (9/26) and Thursday (9/29) to help students shop/try any items they might need. If you have any donations, please have your student bring them to the school these days as well.
King Soopers/City Market Community Rewards Program
If you have a King Soopers/City Market loyalty discount card, you can raise money for the Orchestra department every time you shop. Simply:
Go to http://www.kingsoopers.com or http://www.citymarket.com and login to your account. Note: If you have a loyalty card, but don’t have an online account, you will need to create one by going to the website, entering your card number and providing basic information and a valid email address.
Click Community Rewards.
Search for “Denver School of the Arts – Orchestra” either by name or input the code WQ755 and click Enroll.
The next time you shop, be sure to swipe your loyalty card (or enter the phone number registered to your card) at checkout so that DSAO can start earning money. Ask friends/family members to select DSAO as their King Soopers/City Market community rewards recipient too!
Note: If you do NOT have a King Soopers/City Market loyalty card, be sure to pick one up at your store’s customer service desk.
