A Standing Ovation. An Experience of a Lifetime.
by Amanda Mattox
When the Cal State San Bernardino orchestra members discovered they would be performing on a world-renowned stage for their first-ever international concert, the excitement, for many, was hard to contain.
“I was so excited to learn I was performing in Korea!” said Kaylah Wright-Soler, a fourth-year trombone player majoring in music education. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with my friends on the other side of the world!”
“When I heard I would be performing in Korea I was instantly ecstatic to not only perform, but to visit and tour a foreign country,” said Tyler Veazey, a senior timpani player majoring in music technology.
For many, such as Ricardo Arriaga, a fifth-year, first-generation student, that enthusiasm was also met with nervousness.
“I’ve never been out of the country, so this was a big deal for me,” said Arriaga, a bassoon player majoring in music education.
A Standing Ovation. An Experience of a Lifetime.
by Amanda Mattox
When the Cal State San Bernardino orchestra members discovered they would be performing on a world-renowned stage for their first-ever international concert, the excitement, for many, was hard to contain.
“I was so excited to learn I was performing in Korea!” said Kaylah Wright-Soler, a fourth-year trombone player majoring in music education. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with my friends on the other side of the world!”
“When I heard I would be performing in Korea I was instantly ecstatic to not only perform, but to visit and tour a foreign country,” said Tyler Veazey, a senior timpani player majoring in music technology.
For many, such as Ricardo Arriaga, a fifth-year, first-generation student, that enthusiasm was also met with nervousness.
“I’ve never been out of the country, so this was a big deal for me,” said Arriaga, a bassoon player majoring in music education.
Lucy Lewis, associate professor of orchestral music education at CSUSB, who conducted the university’s October performance in Seoul, South Korea, estimates about a third of the orchestra students had never flown on a plane before and about half had never been overseas.
“It was really scary to be on the plane,” said Arriaga. “It was my first time and luckily my friend, Sierrah, has never flown either; we sat together in the plane and it made it easier for both of us.”
But before boarding the plane and hitting the stage at the prestigious Seoul Arts Center – an experience sponsored by the Shin Il Cultural/Education Foundation Board of Directors and Dr. Se-Ung Lee, honorary chair of the foundation – the orchestra had to first embark on a long road of preparation.
So what does it take to prepare a 40-member orchestra for a concert in a renowned performing arts center on the other side of the world? A year of planning, seven months of intensive rehearsal and endless dedication.
“Even just one person not coming as prepared as they need to be to rehearsal can affect the entire group,” Lewis said, which is why she had the orchestra rehearse for several months prior to the concert.
“Our preparation was extensive,” Wright-Soler said. “We would rehearse an extra two hours on top of our normal rehearsals during spring 2019, and we also had to rehearse for three hours Tuesday and Thursday during the second session of summer.”
“just seeing all of those seats that were going to be filled with people, I know it really sunk in with them: what an amazing opportunity this was and the weight, the gravity of what they were about to do”
“just seeing all of those seats that were going to be filled with people, I know it really sunk in with them: what an amazing opportunity this was and the weight, the gravity of what they were about to do”
“Once the performance ended I started to get teary eyed because I was overcome with so many emotions,” Arriaga said. “I’m so proud of everyone involved and grateful for the opportunity.”
Crystal Wymer-Lucero, CSUSB’s director of Alumni Relations and audience member, said the CSUSB orchestra performance “was an outstanding musical culmination of a wonderful cultural experience for our students.”
“The evening was exceptionally well-attended,” she said, “and the students received an overwhelming response of appreciation from the local community.”
Hyunkyoung Oh, professor of kinesiology and faculty director of CSUSB’s Center for International Studies and Programs, who served as the liaison between CSUSB and Seoul Cyber University when putting the trip together, described the orchestra as “hauntingly beautiful.”
“These orchestra students performed so beautifully,” she said.
The performance wasn’t the only moving experience for the students; immersing themselves into a new culture was just as rewarding and impactful to many of them.
Felix describes the experience in South Korea as “one of the highlights” of her life, while Wright-Soler describes Korean culture as “beautiful,” specifically recalling the moment they got to dress in hanbok, a formal dress for ceremonial or festive use.
Others remembered the amazing cuisine and the natural stone streets, while some recalled the architectural designs and overall friendly culture.
Many of the students noted that it was satisfying to have all their hard work pay off. For Felix, the end of the performance was a bittersweet moment.
“Learning some of the language and being around so many people of a different culture was enlightening,” said Veazey, who would like to revisit South Korea someday, possibly to work or teach there.
That kind of a cultural international exchange is invaluable – being exposed to global education is something you can’t put a price tag on,” Lewis said.
According to Oh, “through international travel, students will be exposed to new cultures, ideas and learning experiences, which is a life-enhancing experience.”
Since performing in Seoul, Lewis says she has noticed a positive difference within her orchestra, as she sees them taking more responsibility for themselves as musicians. The culture of the orchestra has always been good, she notes, but now there is a whole new level of excitement, engagement and hard work that wasn’t quite the same as before.
“I think when they gave that performance, it was a huge life lesson for them in the importance of consistency and hard work, taking responsibility for yourselves as musicians, and always giving your best when you’re presenting an artistic performance,” she said. “And learning the importance of long-term gratification versus short-term gratification – really understanding that sometimes we don’t get the immediate result; sometimes it is a long haul, but it’s still very much worth it.”
Many of the students noted that it was satisfying to have all their hard work pay off. For Felix, the end of the performance was a bittersweet moment.
“I was kind of sad once the performance was over,” she said. “The performance took months to prepare for and it was over in an hour. But at the end of the day, I was proud of not only myself, but also all of my colleagues and all of the hard work we did.”
“I felt it was one of our best runs, and that was due to all the time and energy we put in to the music for months and months,” Wright-Soler said. “It was a wonderful feeling performing with my friends.”
The Seoul performance also symbolized just how far the CSUSB music program has come. It wasn’t until 2013 when the university gave the CSUSB music department permission to create a full-time, tenure-track orchestral position, and Lewis was subsequently hired in 2014.
When Lewis began working for CSUSB, the orchestra was a simple 15- to 20-member string chamber orchestra. Today, just five years after Lewis was hired, it is now a 50- to 60-member full symphony orchestra. And the performance in Seoul, South Korea was the orchestra’s first international concert.
“That’s a huge trajectory and amount of growth,” Lewis said. “For the orchestral program, it was a monumental achievement.”
Lisa DeMarco Ryden, administrative support coordinator for the university’s music department and CSUSB alumna, has been part of the orchestra from the beginning.
“I had tears in my eyes through much of the concert thinking about how far the group has come,” said Ryden, who played the oboe during the performance.
“When I was a student, it was mostly a string-only group … playing high school level repertoire at best. The level of our group is not even comparable now.”
With all the amazing growth and experiences that the CSUSB orchestra had on their first international performance, it was that long standing ovation that really resonated with many of them – a moment that proved that hard work and dedication is all worth it in the end – a moment that many say was the highlight of their trip.
“To me the greatest moments are in the struggle, whether practicing timpani or finding my way around Seoul or converting dollars to Korean won, and eventually coming out the other side successful,” Veazey said. “If I had to pick a favorite moment though, it would be the applause we received from our audience that was well worth the struggle.”
"My favorite moment was the standing ovation at the end of the concert,” Arriaga agreed. “The audience clapped for a few minutes; I’ve never had an audience applaud for so long after a concert.”
For Lewis, her favorite moment was not only the standing ovation, but seeing her students’ faces when they received that overwhelming applause.
“I was so proud of them. I know how hard I pushed them. I know how hard they worked,” she said. “The amazing response from the audience was a highlight. I love my students and I am just so extraordinarily proud of them.”
“It took a lot of hours playing with my section to make sure we all lined up with each other. As principal, I had to make sure that we as a percussion section stayed engaged with the music around us in terms of dynamics and energy levels,” said Nathaniel Wallace, a junior majoring in music, who noted the amount of effort it took to ensure that every song was “special and detailed.”
“I know I pushed them hard,” Lewis confirmed.
After months of demanding rehearsals, all parties arrived safely to Seoul – including a cello that needed its own plane seat – and the anticipation for the impending performance lingered in the group.
“Sitting on the stage and looking out – even when we were rehearsing in an empty hall – just seeing all of those seats that were going to be filled with people, I know it really sunk in with them: what an amazing opportunity this was and the weight, the gravity of what they were about to do,” Lewis recalled.
The CSUSB orchestra performed ten selections on Oct. 2 inside the Seoul Arts Center’s 600-seat IBK Chamber Hall, with four of the performances featuring distinguished vocalists Min-Hyoung Kim and Dong-Won Kim, faculty from Seoul Cyber University.
This unique international opportunity was borne through an endowment and a grant created by the Korea Foundation to enhance the knowledge, understanding and awareness of Korean culture, which has also established and strengthened the relationship between CSUSB and institutions in South Korea.
According to Lewis, since CSUSB and Seoul Cyber University are currently developing exchange programs together, she did her best to “create a program that represented a blending of our respective cultures.” She included both Hispanic and Korean music in the program, as well as classical music, “which is the art form that we share as classically trained musicians.”
