Today we’d like to introduce you to Cecilia Hamilton.
Hi Cecilia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started music on the flute in 6th grade. A wonderful private flute teacher saw something special in me and decided to offer free lessons. A wonderful stranger gifted me a better flute. I went on to get a B.S. in music education and then the Master degree in performance at UNT. I have conducted groups since age 20 and continue to do so when I think I’m the right person for a job. I’ve conducted various choirs and orchestras, played flute for several organizations, and taught flute for various schools and groups. I presently teach in Coppell and conduct the Coppell Community Orchestra. I would not have done anything noteworthy in life without the village mentality that I wish society would embrace and TEACHERS, with mom being the first of those.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
People move out of town or have changes come up in their personal lives that conflict with concert dates, so we need to constantly recruit new players. For a 5-year-old orchestra, Covid-19 essentially made us start over. Other challenges are roughly an average of 7 rehearsals for each concert and fundraising. Orchestras have many operating expenses! Lastly, we comprised of volunteer players and a volunteer board. Without money as motivation, shared work and shared vision are a constant thing we must cultivate.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the artistic director for Coppell Community Orchestra. I choose music, program concerts and rehearse the group and conduct the concerts. I work closely with the board of directors, mainly the president, Vanessa Mares Younts, to make sure that all the many moving parts of our organization function together in a way that helps our organization as well as the community. Outside of that, I am a freelance flutist and teacher in the DFW area, and I perform, teach, give masterclasses and adjudicate competitions in that area.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
There are enough lessons in my journey to write a book, but the one I seemingly have not learned but should have by now is that I cannot function the same as a man without being regarded as abrasive in some way. From women, still, it seems high standards are not as well accepted, and demanding those feels abrasive to those who wish us to smile and coddle. Men don’t have to do that, ever, in my experience looking up at the conductors over the years. But more on point, I have learned that, truly, a group can only be as strong as its least dedicated member. Getting everyone to do their best is key.
Pricing:
- $5 concert admission to orchestra concerts
- Unlimited donations accepted!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coppellorchestra.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coppellcommunityorchestra/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coppellcommunityorchestra/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoppellCommOrch
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCc_13sbPUIgZjWtJs5YnkVg
- Other: https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=h-YjkwrVnDXpC_hBIcchDcFf-Y2OYX64c6V5w3NpYDo3vFY3FxP_jHd8-kR1qGFXAUhxAyNGqcFi5Z_y
