true 2009-11-09T21:00:00-08:00 image/jpeg oex_sagebrush_banner.jpg 62897 2009-09-24T12:05:24-07:00 2009-11-09T21:00:00-08:00 <p>In 1910 a classically trained violinist named Mary Dodge and her husband, Mott, left Portland and moved to the high desert country of Harney County.&nbsp; The Dodges settled in Burns where Mott, a civil engineer, had gotten a job on an irrigation project.</p> <p>Mary Dodge harbored an intense love of music.&nbsp; A graduate of Boston Normal School, she had taught in Boston and New York before moving West.&nbsp;&nbsp; Once in Burns she was determined to share her passion with the local children, and began giving lessons to anyone who showed an interest. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>When the children's talent emerged she decided to build an orchestra.&nbsp; Within five years, the Sagebrush Symphony was touring the towns of Eastern Oregon gaining the admiration of all who heard their performances.</p> <p>When an opportunity arose to perform in Portland and Salem in 1916, the community raised $2,000 to send the children and their chaperones on a trip of a lifetime.&nbsp; For most it was their first trip to a big city - and Portland rolled out the red carpet.</p> <p>During their week-long tour, the children were front-page news. &quot;The journey of the little people is considered one of the finest exhibitions of community spirit ever shown in this state,&quot; wrote an Oregonian reporter.</p> <p>But World War I disrupted plans for future tours.&nbsp; And in 1918 the Dodges returned to Portland where Mary opened her own violin school and taught music at Irvington Grade School.</p> <p>The Sagebrush Symphony eventually disbanded, but several of its members followed Mary to Portland to continue their lessons.&nbsp; With so many students, she formed an advanced orchestra that practiced in her attic.&nbsp; But she was determined that the group would become a permanent young people's symphony. &nbsp;</p> <p>In late 1923 Mary persuaded a visiting professional conductor from Russia to take the baton and lead the orchestra to the next level of excellence.&nbsp; Mary's orchestra would become the genesis of the Portland Junior Symphony - now called the Portland Youth Philharmonic - America's first youth orchestra.</p> <p>Sagebrush Symphony tells the forgotten story of a woman who changed the musical history of Oregon with archival film, photographs and interviews with people whose lives she touched.</p> true 26 3jvwRXZjHdqhOpHjL_4TQ9Fji5tWaTWH <p>A children's orchestra blooms in the high desert.</p> image/jpeg about_nav.jpg 1064 image/jpeg main_sagebrush.jpg 14577 Sagebrush Symphony http://shop.opb.org/product/show/71842 <p>The Portland Youth Philharmonic is America's first youth orchestra.&nbsp; But the story of the PYP begins in Burns where a violinist named Mary Dodge shared her love of music with the local children.&nbsp; As their talent emerged, Dodge formed a children's orchestra called the Sagebrush Symphony that captivated audiences statewide.</p> Sagebrush Symphony 2009-11-10T14:10:28-08:00