Under the baton of Guilford resident Susannah Bryan, student instrumentalists from Branford, Guilford, Madison, Clinton, and beyond are experiencing the thrill of performing with Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestras (SYSO).

“There’s a moment, whether it be in a rehearsal or performance, when a musician feels an overwhelming sense that they’re fully engaged in what they’re doing; that they’re part of an experience that is bigger than anything they can do alone,” says Susannah, who is also known to many by her nickname, Suky. “It’s those moments that can make kids fall in love with music.”

On Monday, Sept. 11, auditions for area youth musicians will take place for instrumentalists interested in joining one of SYSO’s two performance groups for the 2017-’18 season. The auditions will help Susannah, who begins her third season as SYSO conductor this month, place instrumentalists in the non-profit program’s advanced orchestra or preparatory orchestra.

“Over the past two years, we’ve been getting more and more students wanting to be involved, so we audition because we want to make sure students are placed where they should be,” says Susannah. “As of last year, we had students coming from as far down I-95 as Milford and from as far east as Waterford. We really reach out to many towns, and we would of course like to do more of that.”

Primarily, though, students filling the orchestras are from “Madison, Guilford, Branford, and Clinton, and I think that’s because of the wonderful musical colleagues we have on the shoreline,” says Susannah, who’s now in her eighth year teaching repertory orchestra at Guilford High School.

“We’ve been getting news out to the shoreline’s fabulous band and orchestra teachers, and they get the word out to their students. It’s a great opportunity to have other musical experiences, and get to meet other student musicians,” she says.

For Susannah, “it’s so exciting to see students who don’t even know each other working together. They all speak the same common language of music, even if they aren’t in the same math class!”

Both SYSO groups have between 40 and 50 players. SYSO’s preparatory orchestra generally involves students from about grade 6 through junior high school. The advanced orchestra is currently made up of all high school players, because the orchestral performances are “a little trickier,” says Susannah.

“The winds and brass in the top orchestra, especially, need to be very refined technically in order to hold their own on parts,” Susannah explains. “For students who play wind and brass, if they’ve never played in a full orchestra before, it’s a totally different experience than playing in band. They have to be one person; not a part. Essentially, they’re playing solo among all the strings.”

A professional violinist, Susannah is enjoying her first conducting credit as leader of SYSO.

SYSO started out as Southern Connecticut Youth Symphony (founded by Reid Garrett). Beginning in 1985, SYSO was conducted, for more than 30 years, by William and Ann Clemmons, now retired. For their part, the Clemmonses fleshed out SYSO’s full orchestra experience for kids on the shoreline. Based in Madison, SYSO still rehearses, every Monday from fall through spring, at Daniel Hand High School (DHHS).

“When Ann and Bill Clemmons announced their retirement three years ago, the SYSO board came to me and asked if I was interested in conducting,” says Susannah. “They were involved for over 30 years, and definitely left big shoes to fill! But I knew it could be a great opportunity to build connections through our communities, with enriching and challenging opportunities for children. I’m very excited to be involved.”

In the past year, Susannah even “upped the level of music” so that by SYSO’s 2017 advanced orchestra’s spring performance.

“[W]e were doing some really great original works for our concert, and the kids loved it,” she says. “I think that it’s growing into something that is a really serious, orchestral experience.”

Susannah also performs with the Fairfield String Quartet and two orchestras, Greater Bridgeport Symphony and Waterbury Symphony Orchestra. That means SYSO members receive the added benefit of what Susannah takes away from working under two talented orchestra conductors.

“It really great being a violinist under those conductors, who are really inspirational,” she says.

During the school year, Susannah also teaches group lessons for Fairfield Public Schools. Additionally, she teaches viola and violin from her private studio.

The daughter of two Guilford Public School music educators, Jack and Lorraine Thompson, Susannah thanks her parents for helping her to appreciate the benefits of bringing music into children’s lives.

“From an early age, they instilled a great love of music in me. They still live in Guilford, still support the arts, and love coming to performances,” she says.

Susannah played French horn and violin throughout middle school and high school. She graduated from Ithaca College with a double degree in violin performance and music education and earned a masters in music degree in violin performance from East Carolina University. These days, she’s mom to three student instrumentalists: a violinist, cellist, and percussionist.

Before moving back to Guilford so her kids could grow up in the same great hometown she enjoyed, Susannah taught with Greenwich public schools for six years. She says while other areas of the state, including Hartford and New Haven, have youth orchestras, the shoreline seems to have an extra appreciation for the art form.

“What makes Connecticut so special is there’s a real support for the arts, especially in these shoreline towns. When there’s support for the arts, then the arts are supported in schools, and you can pull from great programs.”

In addition, says Susannah, there’s really nothing like the SYSO experience, which offers opportunities beyond performing.

“We try to bring in people to guest work with the orchestra throughout the year, and we usually take a day trip. Last year, we went to New York City for the day to see Don Giovanni at the Met, and we heard the overture we were going to be performing in a couple of weeks. It was really inspirational.”

It was an especially inspirational moment for SYSO advanced orchestra members, who gave a stellar performance of Mozart’s original music by during the spring concert.

With moments like that, added to her love of sharing music with students and watching them grow and succeed in their art, it’s not difficult to imagine why Susannah will tell you, “I’m very fortunate to be able to do this! It’s so much fun.”

Susannah is thankful to the SYSO board, which works hard to sustain the non-profit and help it grow.

“The board is so supportive,” she says. “Last year, after my second full year of doing this, I asked myself, ‘What I would need the most?’ This is just a non-profit organization. We have some parent volunteers who are so extremely helpful. The rest of work, I do all on my own, so maybe be a secretary to answer my emails or take on my calls would be great, but I think best thing to bring on would be a real wind and brass specialist, because what I am is a string player. So I asked the board, and last year, we added on a specialist, Eric Gerhardt. He teaches band at Westbrook High School and he’s introducing SYSO to a lot of the towns east of here, as well.”

As SYSO conductor, Susannah wants to introduce the non-profit to as many community members as possible, to help as many student musicians as possible. She highly recommends visiting the SYSO website www.sysoct.org to learn more, schedule an audition (or to contact her regarding the upcoming Sept. 11 audition, taking place at DHHS), find out about upcoming performances, or to make a donation, volunteer, or become a sponsor.

No tickets are needed to enjoy SYSO’s seasonal concerts, performed in winter at the First Congregational Church and Saint Margaret’s Church in Madison and in spring at the Guilford High School auditorium.

“We want it to be accessible to everybody,” she says. “We rely on community support to keep the tuition down, so we’re grateful for every donation.”