It's hard to believe almost two weeks ago, 100 or so strangers from across Canada gathered in London, Ontario to play in a symphony orchestra together. It is my first year in the NYOC and I had no idea what to expect. I had a few concerns. Could I practice enough without my arm falling off? Could I learn the repertoire on time? Would I get along with the other members of the orchestra?

I now know that I had no reason to worry. As members of the NYOC, we are treated extremely well. We receive 3 delicious meals day (I swear they are trying to make us fat), we are taught by amazing coaches and taken care of by a fun, yet strict staff. Best of all, thanks to the NYOC's sponsors, this is all provided to us through a scholarship.

Our schedule goes something like this: Wake-up, eat, practice, eat some more, practice, eat some more, practice, and finally, sleep. But this is in no way tedious for us. One of the amazing things about this program is that every single person wants to be here. I rarely hear a conversation that does not involve music to some extent.  The environment here is just right. There is not too much competition. Everyone wants to practice 8 hours a day. Everyone wants to sound good so that the orchestra can sound its best. Not to mention, the people are all very nice. We share so much in common and everyone is easy to get along with.

The good news is that my arm is still attached. But I am tired, and I think most of the members of the orchestra are feeling that to some extent. Playing so much puts a lot of strain on the body no matter how relaxed you are. Lucky for us, there is an athletic therapist available for those who need help and there are many different ways to keep active. My favourite is Ultimate Frisbee. Although not so great for the fingers, it is a lot of fun and it gets you moving around. Every once in a while we get some time off and last Sunday, a small group of us went swimming.

Unfortunately it has been cold or rainy here for the most part, but we're all hoping it will warm up a bit.

The NYOC has been an amazing experience so far and I am very grateful that I am a part of it.