..:: Subjects » Electives » Music » Orchestra
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Welcome to SBMS Orchestra!
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Orchestra Kids love to have FUN ! The orchestra is a great place to be at SBMS! Students enjoy daily lessons and they have frequent opportunities for performance at concerts, recitals, and contests. Our music selections vary from jazz, theater, movie themes, dance, and classical. We play a wide variety of music styles: Swingin' Strings,Jazz in D, Pink Panther,Mama Mia, Pirates of the Carribean, Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, Waltz, Can-Can, Concertos, Cotton Eye'd Joe, Titanic Theme, Solos, Duets, Trios, Quartets; anything you can think of, we can play with our string instruments. We celebrate our successes and camaraderie with skating parties, movie trips, house parties, pizza, swimming, picnics and field activities. On May 9th, the orchestra takes a big trip to the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Galveston to close out the year with a big splash! The history of the SBMS Orchestra includes lots of fun making music. For many years the orchestra has continued winning Sweepstakes at UIL Contests, Outstanding and First Division Medals at Solo & Ensemble Contests, as well as numerous successes by individual students auditioning into the Texas Region Orchestras, being members in local youth orchestras, and winning local performance competitions. Students can choose to play in the school orchestra, enter contests, and perform for friends and family as they are comfortable. After middle school, students can continue their wonderful orchestral experience at Memorial High School or at Spring Woods High School. There, they can travel as an orchestra to places like Chicago, New York, and Corpus Christi to play in Festivals and see the sights. Last year they went on a cruise! Our orchestra is full of excellent musicians and our students are also athletes, artists, mathematicians, scientists, historians, readers, writers and inventors. Some are shy and some are just out there! Music is for everyone and there is a place for everyone in the SBMS Orchestra. ORCHESTRA STUDENTS ROCK! JOIN US : ORCHESTRA ROCKS! Philosophy: The orchestra program at SBMS demonstrates a positive, can-do attitude for learning to play all string instruments. It is the orchestra's goal to inspire and assist in creating music lovers who support and pursue music to various ends throughout their entire life. All students can learn to play a violin, viola, cello, or string bass and I teach by using a positive attitude and I have seen that anyone who wants to learn can do so successfully. Music should be fun! Skills: Students learn the study and refinement of technical skills which lay the foundation for student success. Lessons also focus on developing an expressive playing quality that all great musicians possess. Well-prepared class lessons take students step-by-step through the process of becoming excellent musicians. Mrs. Shaw and her fellow orchestra directors in Texas have fond memories of growing up in school orchestras and they want to create the same great experiences for all of their students to remember. Be sure to check this years' event calendar on line, in our handbook and in our orchestra's display window in the front hall of SBMS. Our string department is wonderful, Try It! Volunteers are a great part of the orchestra's success! Parents help with many things and are a vital part of our program's success. Please let me know if you are willing to help. Remember, all parents and helpers must be cleared through the SBISD security check before being able to volunteer to do anything. Please sign up to help.You are really needed and the help you give is invaluable. THANK YOU! Join The Orchestra Wherever You Are! Sincerely Yours, Ms. Shaw, SBMS Orchestra Director |
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Parent Weblinks
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Student Weblinks
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Grading Policy: Tests 50%, Daily 35%, Homework 15% Tests: Students are given ample time to prepare for playing tests which may be recorded or play live for the class. Written tests can be given as well to assess the student's understanding of reading music notation. And, many times test grades are given for good rehearals performed in class in preparation for concerts. Actual Concerts and Dress Rehearsals are test grades. Daily grades include having their supplies for class daily, paying attention during the class rehearsal with good focus and effort to do their best, and small playing tests or written tests. Homework is an extension of practice in class. Practice is done in class and at home in order to continue improvement in performance and to do well on playing tests. Tests occur close to performance times and last minute practice will not "make the cut" so to speak. A small amount of practice daily is an easy way to learn and it is fun to play your instrument. We are so proud of our students! Practice charts DUE EVERY FRIDAY! Twenty to thirty minutes of good daily practice is easy to do and makes our group rehearsals fun! Correct practice begins with techniques being worked on for improvement. Students should have a quiet and undisturbed practice area. They should practice with good posture and hand positions, a correct bow hold and bow pull, work to learn specific bow styles, play correct notes according to the key signatures, work for improved intonation, learn to play notes in different positions (shifting), play with a full bow tone at any dynamic level, be able to change dynamic levels, correctly count the beats and rhythms using your metronome for every practice session. Students should write down their personal technique goals and work to acheive success on each one. A Reminder About The Homework Policy: Practice Charts are required to stay inside the orchestra binder at all times, no exceptions. The chart must have the total minutes for time practiced each week. Add those minutes! |
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Orchestra Events
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Announcements
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| We Love Success! - Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Be Sure To Complete instrument rental payments due to your orchestra. This applies to people using school insturments. All funds are payable to SBMS Orchestra. Most Recent News: Region Orchestra 2009: Our Symphony Orchestra members who represent SBMS in the 2009 - 2010 Texas Region 27 Orchestra are Tiffany Wu and David Adkins. These two violin students auditioned against 130 other violinists and were selected to be at the best level. In the first violin section Tiffany Wu placed 4th chair and David Adkins placed 10th chair. They worked very carefully to prepare their performance and keep their A - level grades.We are so proud of them and wish them the very best! Private Teachers Listed Here: Call One of Them and set up some private lessons. Edward Lawrence - cello teacher John Randolph - viola teacher George Robinson - cello teacher Houston Music Academy at 713-465-4068 for violin,viola,cello,bass (1249 Blalock,SuiteM) Rewind Last April of 2008, The Philharmonic Orchestra was awarded superior ratings from six judges at the Texas Region 27 UIL Orchestra Concert & Sight-Reading Contest on April. We are proud of our Non-Varsity Orchestra who represented our school in a performance with great maturity and beautiful phrasing.These same orchestra members grew to be in this years' Symphony that won the same trophy on April 17, 2009! The 2008 Symphony Orchestra was awarded 3 superior ratings in Sight-Reading last year. They performed on stage a very musical selection and were awarded a 1 - 2 - 2 from the three concert judges. Most of these students graduated to the high school orchestras that all won Superior Ratings at their high school level UIL Contests this year! We are proud of our students' performances and growth. Keep up the good work!
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| | A Few Answers for your Questions ~ - Wednesday, April 22, 20091. Metronome / tuner is needed by all orchestra students. You may purchase one from any music company. A suggested model or anything like it is the S-Series, Metro Tuner-SS204. The company Korg also makes these. You can get these from Lisle Violin Shop, H&H Music, Amati Violin Shop, and The Guitar Center, & Southwest Strings. On line you can "Google" search Metronome/Tuners. You should keep your cost to $35 or less. More expensive models can be purchased of course. Also, these should stay at home after purchase. 2. Formal Concert Uniforms: Advanced Students (periods 1,3 6) should wear all black, black socks or hose (no light hose), and black shoes. Boys slacks with belt loops should be accompanied with a black belt. All Shirts must be tucked in unless they are square cut. Light knit, long-sleeved tops are acceptable. Girls may NOT wear short skirts or dresses. Girls must wear black shoes with their black hose. They may wear long black skirts or dress pants. Beginner Orchestra Students:Girls and boys must wear a white, long-sleeved top. Boys must wear a white, long-sleeved dress shirt with a long tie. They must wear black slacks and black socks & shoes. Shirts must be tucked in and a black belt worn as well. Girls must wear a white, long-sleeved dress blouse or light knit top. The tops must be tucked in at the waist unless they are a square cut and the top is not but two inches below the waist line when the student is playing the instrument. (At no time is any skin to show.) From the waist down, girls must wear all black, either long black slacks or a long black skirt. Split skirts are worn many times by cellists and bassists. Girls must wear black hose and black shoes. NO EXCEPTIONS! We must look professional on stage. 3. How to Practice is one of our major goals to conquer! Students should practice 30 minutes daily at minimum. They should have a practice place that is uninterrupted. They should work on specific things: Instrument and bow hold; Bowing techniques and styles; Intonation improvement related to key signature identification; vibrato exercises and shifting exercises; scales & etudes; specific things from concert music (notes, rhythms, bowing and fingering for string changes, bow control; reading notation; practicing counting while playing music with the use of a metronome; dynamics; styles; anything that specifically is identified to be trouble and needs improvement. Then, plan what you will do in your practice to improve the chosen problems. Focus on your practice carefully. Evaluate your practice while you work and then after you finish. Decide what you still need to work on for the next day.
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Assignments
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BEGINNERS: Be able to name the notes on your staff according to the key signature of your music. Look at your time signature and figure out the counting for the rhythms you will play. Finger and count note rhythms: Pizzicato and count the note rhythms: Arco and count the note rhythms. Plan your bow patterns; Know what bow style you are playing; Work on bow technique control. Always make sure that you are playing with the correct instrument hold and bow hold. Check yourself for proper alignment of the bow to the strings and to the bridge. Listen carefully to every note you play, to every tone you make and decide if it sounds the best it can sound. Work on techniques like developing vibrato: work every day! Are your fingers in tune, perfectly in tune and what does your left hand shape look like? Are you playing on the correct part of your finger to stop the note on the string and what does your thumb and wrist look like. Check yourself very carefully and do not assume that you are playing everything correctly. Proper Technique demonstrated is the only way you can play the instrument well. There are no short-cuts! Major Scales that beginners should be able to name, write, and play are the following: C-Major: CDEFGABC G-Major: GABCDEF#G D-Major: DEF#GABC#D Create different rhythms, different bowings to practice these scales to. Also, practice simple long tones and various bow styles and tempos. SYMPHONY, PHILHARMONIC, CHAMBER ORCHESTRAS: Major Scales: C, G, D, A, F, B-flat, E-flat Etudes: Daily Warm Ups, Philharmonic Scales with different rhythms and bowing, bow styles Private Lesson Music PRACTICE EVERY DAY THAT YOU EAT! WAYS TO PRACTICE MUST INCLUDE A PLAN: 1. Good Instrument and Bow positions Demonstrated. 2. Good left hand positions and finger placement to the fingerboard. 3. Practice Scales and Arpeggios 4.Practice Etudes 5. Practice counting the rhythms and use a metronome to keep a steady beat. 6.Practice solo or ensemble music you like to play - we gave you some before for the summer. 7. Practice shifting up and down the fingerboard. 8. Practice VIBRATO every day ! We need a little wiggle in our music! 9. Call some friends over and have a playing party: play music, eat cookies, play some more. 10. Plan a little concert for family, friends, neighbors, anyone you think would like to hear you play! 11. Get a little tuner to help you tune your instrument. Ask a high school orchestra student to help you tune your strings. Lisle Violin Shop can do this as well if you get into a pickle. 12. Take care of yourself and be kind to others! Much Love, Mrs. Shaw, Your Orchestra Director |
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