To celebrate the Youth Camerata Orchestra's 10th anniversary, Mr. Carrescia wrote Music In Our Souls. Published in 1999, the book is an insight into Oscar's life, including stories from his childhood, how he fell in love with music, his career as an orchestra member, and the Camerata's ten years of performances.

Throughout the book, the readers will join Oscar as he grows into a powerful musician and meets with well-known performers such as Sherry Kloss, Oscar Lysy, and Myriam Santucci. Oscar also talks about his experiences in Argentina as well as those in Las Vegas and all around the world. An important part of the book includes Oscar's experiences with his students of all levels of technique. Below are several passages from his book where he relates a few details about his teaching.

" The teaching of violin came from way back when I assisted my teachers for many years. Then, one day, I began to assume the responsibility of taking my own students. I teach with a great deal of devotion and much love. Watching the improvement of a talented students always fascinates me. I compare this with many other important things in life. "

" ...Perfect intonation. I am a fanatic about intonation. I cannot convey this anymore effectively than the famous violinist, Joseph Szigeti, in a quote that I always repeat to my students, 'Beauty of tone, perfection of technique, sense of style, the faculty of transmitting the essence of poetry, the passion of a musical composition, all these gifts will be of no avail if the cardinal virtue of perfect intonation is missing. So let me repeat: there is no substitute for perfect intonation!' "

" I have had the opportunity to conduct many concerts with many different soloists, young people, not-so-young people and artists of every caliber. When it comes time to discuss the tempos with the performers, especially a fast tempo, most of the time the young artists insist that they want it very fast. On many occasions, they want it faster than the performances by the great artists who made the piece famous. Often, it is difficult for me to convince the young artists that the allegro should not be played as fast as they would like. I repeat to them a phrase that my teacher, Teodoro Fuchs, repeated often. 'An artist arrives at his or her maturity when he or she is able to execute the allegros not too allegro and the adagios not too adagio.' This tells us that it is important to achieve a balance in our playing. "

" Each year we prepare an annual Christmas concert. I like doing something different for these concerts other than what is generally offered as the standard fare of the season: the traditional Christmas carols. I adopted the tradition of playing a piece by Corelli entitled appropriately: Made for the Night of Christmas (Fatto Per La Note Di Natale), his Concerto Op. 6 No. 8. The result is very interesting because each year I have new students playing the concertato parts, two violins and cello.

Many years ago when I was concert master of the Orquesta Juvenil de Radio Nacional, I had the opportunity of playing that same concerto with our conductor, Teodoro Fuchs.

I must point out that despite the years that have passed since that performance, the details of how he interpreted the piece remain ever vivid in my memory. The vividness allows me to make each presentation of the beautiful masterpiece of Corelli's much like the version I learned from Maestro Fuchs. "

It is stories like these that make Oscar's book both funny and entertaining. He also stresses the importance that music plays in leading the youth toward the correct path and staying away from the dangerous aspects of society. The Camerata Orchestra is exactly such a group. Since its creation, many students have joined and many others have graduated with rememberable experiences.

Works in Progress

Mr. Carrescia is currently working on an extension to Music In Our Souls to celebrate the Youth Camerata Orchestra's 25th anniversary. He will tell about what fifteen years of teaching and performances have added to his and each member's life.

Oscar Carrescia and Myriam Santucci.

Read more about their meeting and other prominent performers in the book.

Oscar narrates about his experiences with various students.

Read more about their stories in the book.