The Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra is beginning its 39th Season in August. In thirty-nine years the organization has seen quite a bit of change. In 1972 GDYO was a single orchestra. There was no Wind Symphony, YPO or Flute Choir. The orchestra was maybe 35 students. Now, there are seven ensembles and 425 students.
None of our current students were born. How different is the world?
In 1971 and 1972 the Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl. In 2011 the Cowboys will host the Super Bowl in the new stadium in Arlington, TX.
In the early 70’s representatives of 23 western oil companies began negotiations with OPEC to stabilize oil prices. The USS Manatee (AO-58) spilled 1,000 gallons of fuel oil on President Nixon's Western White House beach in San Clemente, California. Today we are watching as BP tries to clean up a mess on the Gulf Coast and oil prices move up and down.
In 1971 Apollo 13 lifts off on it’s third succesful mission. In 1972 President Richard Nixon orders the development of the a Space Shuttle program. Since that time NASA has launched hundreds of space missions but currently struggles with keeping the general public in awe.
Americans were still fighting the Vietnam war. Today our soldiers fight in Afghanstan.
U.S. airlines begin mandatory inspection of passengers and baggage, only a small step as to what it would become today.
In 1971 the South Tower of the World Trade Center is topped out at 1,362 feet, making it the second tallest building in the world. Today it longer exists.
Atari kicked off the first generation of video games with the release of their seminal arcade version of Pong, the first game to achieve commercial success. Today eight out ten homes own an Xbox or Wii.
In 1971 and 1972 UNIX Programmer's Manual is published, Intel releases the world's first microprocessor, the Intel 4004 and Ray Tomlinson sends the first ARPAnet e-mail between host computers. Today we can’t imagine life without our computers, Facebook, iphones and texting.
It is fascinating to look at the past. It shows us how far we have come. But many things have not changed. There are still wars, conflicts, art and amazing music.
The GDYO is a part of the past, the present, and the future. It is a part of time. And all of these students who pass through our doors will also be a part of it. This new season will be fresh and fun, just as each season before it has been. A new set of music, faces and talent.
