When she was 9, Count Basie's orchestra came through town, and held a contest to find a young female singer to perform with them.

When orchestras hold blind auditions, in which they cannot see the musician, 30 percent to 55 percent more women are hired.

But, aptly, too, he and the orchestra held back nothing in the dazzling pages of either piece.

The 50-member orchestra holds three major concerts a year.

The orchestra performs classical and pops concerts and holds educational programs for young listeners throughout the year.

The orchestra holds residential weekends twice a year, and also tours during the summer, at the end of July.

This tempo continues to slow until it becomes stagnant, and the orchestra holds a chord.

The orchestra doesn't hold auditions; instead its directors rely on union contractors to assemble good musicians.

The orchestra held secret rehearsals and gave concerts on Sunday afternoons in an unused latrine.

The orchestra holds annual auditions and has an entry age of 12, with the cutoff for membership set at 25.