Hermanson's Orchestral Wonders

Events this week:

Note: All classes will meet every day, despite the odd schedules for Stars and Strikes. You are expected to have your instrument every day.

Tuesday: 8th Grade Violin Sectional (4:0-5:30)

General Music Make-an-Instrument projects due

Thursday: 8th Grade Viola/Cello/Bass Sectional (4:30-5:30)

• Cultural Arts Night – Fiddle Group Performing at 7pm

Friday: 8th Grade Permission Slips due for Harrison Concert

• Field trip to the Cobb Symphony Orchestra Open Rehearsal (after school; pick up at Murray Arts Center at 8:30)

Look on the calendar for things coming up next week for 7th grade!

We are planning a field trip to see the Cobb Symphony Orchestra (with myself on stage playing cello) rehearse their concert program for their Valentine’s Weekend performance. Come see the professionals doing what the students do in class!

Attached below is the information and permission slips to attend. This field trip is open to all Orchestra students, and we will need several parents to help chaperon.

If any parent is able to leave their car at McClure and travel on the bus to the Murrary Arts Center (corner of Stilesboro and Barrett Pkwy – less than 3 miles from school) that would be wonderful, as we will need chaperones on each bus, and I am sure we will have at least 2 busloads of students participating.

Date: Friday, February 12th from 4:30-8:30. Transportation TO the Murray Arts Center and dinner (pizza) will be provided for all participants. Parents need to plan on picking their student(s) up by 8:30 at the Murray Arts Center - or come at 7:30 to enjoy the rehearsal, as well.

Permission slips are due Friday, February 5th. We are requesting $7 per student, which covers dinner, transportation and admittance into the rehearsal, as well as the pre-rehearsal talk about the music on the program.

CSO Rehearsal permission Slip

CSO Open Rehearsal Info Sheet

If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to seeing everyone in the audience!

The McClure 8th Grade Orchestra has been invited to perform a concert for and with the Harrison High School Orchestra, Durham Middle School 8th Grade Orchestra and Lost Mountain Middle School 8th Grade Orchestra. We will perform one or two of our LGPE (Festival) pieces individually, and then have an opportunity to perform The Pirates of the Caribbean II with all four groups together.

Date: Tuesday, February 23rd (we already have an after-school rehearsal scheduled that day)

Schedule:

4:30-5:15: Stay after school, rehearse the LGPE peices to perform, change into concert attire

5:15-5:30: Travel to Harrison HS (We need at least one additional chaperon if you are interested!)

5:40-6:00: Unpack and tune, mingle with Harrison’s students

6:00-7:00: Rehearse with all groups

7:00-7:25: Dinner provided at Harrison

7:30: Concert in Harrison’s Presidential Gym (same place as Jamboree in 6th grade)

Also – Disney Forms and Payment are due this Friday, February 5th.

As many students have not turned in he Instrument Rubric Descriptions, it is linked below. You may download it and turn in by FRIDAY, January 28th for full credit, or for half credit if after the 28th.

Directions:

For each circle, describe what an appropriate and correct demonstration would look like when you are playing. e.g. – What does a proper left hand look like? There should be 15 circles total (11 for 6th grade).

6th Graders: Do not complete the circles under “Bow Control” as we have not gotten to that point in class yet.

Assessment Review Checklist

Let me know if you have any questions!

Class Updates:

All Grades: If you have not turned in your descriptions of the Playing Rubric, that needs to be done ASAP. Pinnacle does not like missing grades, and it has hurt many an average out there!

- SmartMusic assignments will be added this weekend. If you just can’t wait, there are tons of fun solo pieces to look at, or you could find a song we might play at the Spring concert!

8th Grade:

Added Concert: Tuesday, February 23rd (already scheduled as an after school rehearsal for everyone)

• We will be playing with Harrison High School – both by ourselves and side by side with the wonderful high school students! Concert at 7pm. I will provide dinner and transportation to Harrison. Parents are responsible for transportation home. There will be a permission slip coming home next week for this concert.

General Music: We are concluding our drum and rhythm unit with a percussion ensemble composition. These are due tomorrow when we begin recording your performances. In our next unit we will constructing our own instruments!

7th Grade: You have gotten 2 pieces of music. Rhythms and notes should be completely learned on Avatar by Monday (you can find this on SmartMusic). Midnight Tango’s first half should also be learned by Monday.

6th Grade: We have been learning slurs and 3/4 time this week, as well as training our ear with our tuners. We will have a videotaped test for bowing on #116 tomorrow. Practice in the mirror to make sure you know what your bow is doing.

Next Week:

Due to Conference Week and the Georgia Music Educator’s Association’s conference, I will see classes on the following days next week:

• First Hours – Monday and Wednesday
• Second Hours – Tuesday ONLY

You may keep instruments at home all other days. All instruments should be home by Wednesday night. Behavior cards will be marked for any instruments left after Wednesday.

Welcome the 2010! I hope the ice and snow did not keep you from enjoying the weekend – and practicing!

These next few weeks will be very interesting concerning how much students will get to play at school:

The end of this week (Wed-Fri) I will be out of town. However, students should still bring their instruments to school, as our substitute is certified in music and will be working with all students as we start the push towards Festival (LGPE) and Jamboree.

Next week is normal except for MLK, Jr holiday on Monday.

Conference week students will be coming to connections – and therefore Orchestra – in an A/B schedule

• Monday/Wednesday – First Hour Only
• Tuesday – Second Hour Only
• Thursday-Friday – I will be attending the State Music Educator’s Conference, so no instruments will be needed.

Be sure these dates are on your calendar!

• Tuesday, February 23 – 8th Grade Concert @ Harrison HS
• Tuesday, March 2 – Pre-Festival Clinic (7th & 8th Grades only) 4:30-6:30
• Thursday, March 11 – 8th Grade LGPE @ Lovinggood, 4:15-8:00
• Thursday, March 18 – 7th Grade LGPE @ Lovinggood, 4:15-8:00

If you need anything, please give me an e-mail!

The students have all left for the winter break, and several have forgotten their instruments. This means you cannot play for your family or keep up the skills we have learned recently over the long break.

If your name appears below, you may come get your instrument Monday, December 21st before 2:00pm.

8th Grade:

• M. Davis
• A. Kishor

7th Grade:

• A. Yampierre
• N. Turnbough
• J. Sciortino
• H. Fessette

6th Grade:

• J. Harper
• K. Hardin
• M. Cherioli
• I. Cline
• J. Abbott
• S. Moore
• S. Mar
• V. Tucci
• M. Silva

Have a wonderful holiday! I hope everyone rests up, enjoys time with loved ones and gets to have some fun. See you in 2010!

That’s it – we’ve completed another calendar year!

All grades have been completely updated. If your records differ from Pinnacle, please let me know and bring me any papers that show a different grade.

All students should have brought their instruments home today for the holidays. There are several violins and violas still in the locker room, so if one belongs to you, please be sure to pick it up tomorrow! The school does not turn on it’s air over the holidays, and no instruments should be left here – you should be playing for family!

If you need anything over the break, I will be checking e-mail periodically – just let me know!

Have a wonderful holiday season, and I hope everyone gets to spend lots of time with family and friends over the break! See you in 2010!

Congratulations to everyone on a wonderful concert Thursday night!

It seems that we have finally outgrown the theater! Please be on the lookout for information about a different way we will be running the spring concert in May to better accommodate such a large group of students and audience members. I believe one of the best things about performing our concerts is that the younger groups get to hear their older and more advanced peers, both as inspiration and encouragement for their future. I am so glad that our very large beginners could hear the seventh and eighth graders perform such fun music.

A very special thank you to Ms. Lewis, mother of one of our sixth grade students. She put together a wonderful reception for our students and audience with less than two days for preparations! Thank yous also go out to all the parents and students who helped contribute food and supplies to feed all of our guests. I really enjoy that time to see everyone after such a job well done.

6th Grade: Your snake is now on the Practice Snake Page! If you cannot print it out at home, I will have one waiting for you on Monday.

All Grades! – Concert is THIS THURSDAY! You all have things that need attention, so please be working on them. If you would like to hear your songs, please visit www.jwpepper.com or www.lucksmusic.com and search the song title to find a mp3 to listen to of your song. If one site doesn’t have it, the other will.

After School Rehearsals:

Monday: 8th Grade

Tuesday: 7th Grade

Wednesday: 6th Grade (Thank you parents! We have several who have volunteered to help supervise this rehearsal!)

Concert is Thursday. Dress is Black and White for 6th and 7th, all black for 8th grade.

We are still in need of a reception coordinator for this concert. I have had many parents offer to bring food and supplies, but without a coordinator, the reception will not be able to happen. If you can fill this role, please e-mail me at McClureOrchestra(at)gmail.com.

Also, many of you know that the Cobb Symphony’s Holiday Concert is tomorrow, December 5th. I hope every who comes will find me and say hello – and don’t forget any concert attended outside of school can be used as extra credit! If you want details for tomorrow, please visit www.CobbSymphony.org.

Have a wonderful weekend!