The Homer Youth String Orchestra Club (HYSOC) includes students in grades 3 through 12, playing violin, viola, cello, and bass in three separate ensembles which regularly collaborate for various concerts, musical happenings around Homer, and impromptu group play dates.

Since March 6 HYSOC has not held in-person group classes or performances due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. One of the greatest things about music is that it brings people together: musicians rehearsing; audiences experiencing live performances; and the synergistic relationship between the two. HYSOC, along with the Paul Banks Preludes, Little Fireweed Frescoes, and many other local musicians were slated to perform works composed for them by John Bushell at the Mariner Theater on April 22 and 23 as part of a community-wide extravaganza celebrating Earth Day and the 50th anniversary of Kachemak Bay State Park. All cancelled due to the corona virus.

This awesome project is in response to our current situation of self isolation, social distancing, fear of groups, and need to reach out to each other in safe, socially meaningful ways that reunites us as an ensemble but also as a greater community in need of positivity.

STAGE 1: We decided to meet as a group to play music together for the first time since early March on Friday, May 15. We met on a large lawn, wearing masks, in a perfect socially distanced circle. We did what is called a Play-Down in Suzuki parlance, beginning with the most advanced Suzuki string repertoire with only a few students, working our way backwards until everyone is playing Twinkle.

STAGE 2: Each student video records three of the pieces we played together on the lawn, as individuals, at home. Click tracks/play-alongs will be made so each student plays exactly the same tempo throughout.

STAGE 3:Audio and video engineers use student videos along with photos and drone video footage from lawn Play-Down to make HYSOC Video Collage.