The Beginning

Welcome to the the start of the official Chandler Symphony Orchestra (CSO) blog.   In case you are new, CSO is a non-profit symphony where the musicians are all volunteers.  We usually perform in the Chandler Center for the Arts.

My name is Shilo Patchin and I play the double bass.  I enjoy music but I do not have a lot of music training.  I have been playing with the Symphony for 13 years.  When I started, I was too young to drive so my mother took me every week to rehearsals.  She still comes to my concert and may be my concert correspondent.   I performed in the Arizona State University Sinfonietta for three years during my college years. I also took some lessons from  Russ Ash, my first public school teacher to teach me in 5th grade.
Cool fact, he is also the first chair of the bass section in CSO.  That is the the total of my music experience so I will not be throwing music theory out there. If I learn an interesting fact, I will share.

My writing experience consists of a two writing courses at the Mesa Community College and writing in my own blogs for years.  I’m new to writing but very excited for any opportunity like writing for my local symphony.

How did this blog get started?  With a bottle of red jam.

In recent years at the last rehearsal of the season, bottles of red jam sit up front.  Open volunteer positions are listed on papers resting below the jam.  When someone signs up, they get their own jam.  Last year, I wandered up and read all the open positions.  CSO blogger?  I stared at the line, but did not sign up.  I did not feel qualified enough and maybe someone with a journalism or English degree would want the position.  I played the rest of the rehearsal.  I double checked and the line was still empty.  I decided.  I made one of those jams mine.

I then lost it.  I had not tried it so I do not know what flavor it was.

I scanned a few other music blogs.  The Saint Louis blog was my muse for this first entry.  Just like Eddie Silva, I’m curious to see how this project will grow.   There will be stories about the bass section because that is where I play.  I will try to get other musicians to do guest blogs so other funny stories of different sections will be shared.  I’m hoping that the blog will make it to the CSO website. In the future, maybe we will accept submissions from the public about our concerts or how the CSO has affected their lives.  The practical aspects of announcing concert dates and fund raising opportunities will be here, but my main purpose is to share the joy we musicians get out of seeing and playing music .

Feel free to comment.  You can also email me at Shilo.Patchin@gmail.com with your ideas or criticism.   The blogs home is chandlersymphonyorchestra.wordpress.com or you can read it under the Notes section at CSO’s facebook.