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Haine Elementary School

Orchestra Handbook

2015 - 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to the Seneca Valley Elementary Orchestra Program! I hope that you will find orchestra to be an exciting and rewarding experience. This orchestra handbook will explain the goals of the orchestra program, what is expected of students and parents, and loads of general information that will help you throughout the school year. Please take a few minutes and read through the handbook with your child. KEEP THIS HANDBOOK FOR THE REST OF THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR!

It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to teach your son or daughter in the Seneca Valley Orchestra Program. Students in the Seneca Valley School District are fortunate to be offered a quality musical experience on all levels. The elementary, middle, and high school music programs have consistently demonstrated a positive educational experience for those students who choose to participate.

Contrary to popular belief, playing an instrument is cost-effective and does not distract students from their other academic work. Recent scientific studies show that learning a musical instrument enhances a students’ academic work in areas such as reading and math, in addition to the well-known benefits to a child’s coordination, memory skills, self-confidence, and responsibility. Through music, students learn self-discipline at the highest level. Their social skills, communication skills, self-concepts, cooperative talents, and creative minds will all be nurtured through their study of music. What better way to prepare students to succeed in life than by asking them to set high goals, work hard, and achieve those goals? Most importantly, music is an art form. Although we start by playing songs such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” students are soon able to create and express themselves through music. Working together as a team to achieve excellence and communicate to an audience is an enjoyable experience that musicians of all ages look forward to each day.

Students and parents should be aware that participation in the Seneca Valley Orchestra Program is a privilege. Students must show respect toward each other, pay attention during instruction, respect school equipment, put forth their best effort, be responsible, and follow the general rules of the classroom.
The following pages should inform you about the different aspects of the program. This program not only offers a special musical experience, but also a wonderful “life skills” experience. Responsibility, commitment, self-discipline, and an ability to work with others are just some of the skills the students will learn that they can use in many other aspects of life.

I am sincerely interested in providing your child with a quality educational experience. Please feel free to consult me at any time with any concerns you may have. I can be reached in school at 724-776-1325 ext. 4069, or via email at:

Sincerely,

MissMarlina DeFelice
String Orchestra Director, Haine and Rowan Elementary and Haine Middle School

Your Orchestra Director

Miss DeFelice is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, with an emphasis in String Pedagogy. She is also currently working towards her Masters Degree in Music Education and Orchestral Conducting at Duquesne University. Miss DeFelice is primarily a violist and has been playing the viola since the 3rd grade. She has performed in such venues as Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, The Kimmel Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. In April of 2011, Miss DeFelice was honored as the 2011 Outstanding New String Teacher of the Year for thePennsylvania/Delaware chapter of the American String Teachers Association. Miss DeFelice still enjoys performing in chamber groups around Pittsburgh, as well as performing with the Washington Symphony Orchestra, and the Butler County Symphony Orchestra. She is also trained as a Suzuki teacher and maintains a private violin and viola studio in her home. Miss DeFelice taught 4th through 12th grade strings in the Peters Township School District for the past 5 years, and is excited to be here at Seneca Valley this year!

Course Goals/Objectives

Musicianship through performance is the overarching goal for this course. Students will work to do the following:

*perform a large and varied Repertoire of Literature

*demonstrate proper posture and playing position consistently

*demonstrate finger patterns based on key signatures

*perform in major and minor keys

*identify and perform a variety of rhythms and meters

*demonstrate understanding of balance & blend

*listen to and appreciate a variety of literature

*develop musical vocabulary

*demonstrate knowledge of clefs specific to their instrument

*perform and analyze a large variety of dynamics, tempi, phrasing, and musical expression

*show understanding of and perform a variety of bowing styles

*self – evaluate

*evaluate musical works and performances

*demonstrate proper concert etiquette as a performer and listener

*develop sight-reading skills

*demonstrate the ability to clap and sing parts

*make connections to other content areas as often as possible

*build character by emphasizing personal responsibility and commitment

*develop musicianship skills

*develop an appreciation of music through the performance of a variety of music

*develop skills needed to work as a team

*build confidence through public performances

GENERAL INFORMTION ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA PROGRAM

Orchestra Website

Lesson schedules, practice charts, helpful links and extra documents are available on Miss DeFelice’s website. It can be accessed through Haine Middle School. Click on “Teacher Websites” Tab and then click on “DeFelice, M.” Please refer to this website throughout the year. A great deal of time and effort has gone into the website to make sure that it is very helpful to students and parents.

Lessons/Group Rehearsals

  • 4th grade lessons will take place on Day 4
  • Starting in January, 4th grade orchestra members will begin to rehearse together as a group during “Care Time,” on Day 3 in addition to their weekly small group lessons
  • Lesson Schedules are always posted on Miss DeFelice’s website!

Concert Dates

  • The 4th Grade Spring Orchestra Concert date was printed incorrectly on the district calendar. The exact date for the 4th Grade Spring Orchestra Concert is still to be determined, but will likely take place between May 2nd and May 16th of 2016. This date will be announced as soon as it is known!
  • Report time for every concert is between 6:00pm and 6:10 pm, so that students can get tuned and warm-up before the concert.
  • We will also perform an assembly for the school on the day after the concert.
  • Please put these dates on your calendar now to avoid any scheduling conflicts! All students are expected to participate in the entire concert. These performances are mandatory, graded, and are an intricate part of the curriculum. An alternate assignment will be given to any student who misses a concert for EMERGENCIES ONLY.

Private Lessons

Private lessons are recommended for all students on all ability levels. These lessons are taught by private teachers who specialize in a specific instrument or family of instruments. Most of these lessons take place at the teacher’s home or studio. A few teachers may travel to your home. Lessons run from a half hour to an hour and vary in price. A list of these teachers is available from Miss DeFelice. Private lessons are highly recommended whenever possible.

Concert Dress

Evening Concerts: Our uniform for evening performance is very simple: “black on the bottom (dress skirt or dress pants) and solid white on the top.” No one is permitted to wear jeans of any type, tennis shoes, flip flops, Ugg boots, or work-out wear.

In-School Concert: Students will wear tennis shoes, jeans, and a Haine or SV t-shirt for our in-school concerts.

Grading
Students earn a letter grade each lesson based on class preparation, and the performance of their music in class. The grades from each lesson are averaged, and a total grade is recorded at the end of the 9 week grading period. Your child’s grades are directly related to how much time and effort they put into their instrument at home.

A skipped lesson (forgot to come, came at wrong time, missing instrument) will result in a reduced letter grade for that lesson. Students will not be penalized for missing a lesson when they are absent from school.

If your child forgets their instrument on the day of lessons and/or orchestra rehearsals, they are still required to be in attendance at the scheduled time. (If your child forgot their homework, they would still go to class.) Your child can still learn new skills by being in attendance!

Playing Tests

All 4th grade students are required to perform scale and excerpt playing tests for Miss DeFelice. Scale tests will be from students’ scale packets. Excerpt playing tests will be from students’ lesson music and orchestra music. Students will have multiple chances to improve performance on these scale tests and playing tests.

Grading in Orchestra is based on the following four criteria:

  1. Participation/On task demonstration of skill: in class assignments/homework, and at concert
  2. Performance: in class, on playing tests, spot checks, and at concerts
  3. Practice: based on practice log and goal setting
  4. Progress: class performance, log, teacher observation, self-analysis
  • Students will be expected to attend every class prepared and ready to rehearse
  • Students will be expected to demonstrate instrument skills playing alone and with others
  • Students will be expected to participate in all school performances
  • Students will be expected to submit practice journalsnoting goals and growth

In regards to musical Progress and Achievement, students will be graded on the following categories:

  • Executive Skills & Knowledge
  • Body Format
  • Left Hand Skills & Knowledge
  • Right Hand Skills & Knowledge
  • Musicianship Skills & Knowledge
  • Tonal Aural Skills & Ear Training
  • Rhythmic Aural Skills & Ear Training
  • Creative Musicianship
  • Music Literacy
  • Ensemble Skills
  • Artistic Skills & Knowledge
  • Expressive Elements
  • Historical & Cultural Elements
  • Evaluation of Music & Music Performance

Lesson and Orchestra Rehearsal Attendance

There will be approximately 30 lessons provided to your child throughout the school year. The majority of string students will miss 0 – 3 lessons/orchestra classes for the ENTIRE year. Students who miss many lessons throughout the school year typically do not make very good progress, because they miss the new material on a regular basis. Parents, please ask your child how their orchestra lessons are going.

Students are only permitted to miss a lesson for two reasons: A CLASSROOM TEST or NWEA. In this event, the student must give Miss DeFelice advanced notice that they will be missing their lesson. Every attempt will be made to make that lesson up.

STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO MISS ORCHESTRA REHEARSAL FOR THE MAKE-UP OF SCHOOL WORK OR TESTS. THIS IS TO BE DONE AT ANOTHER TIME DURING THE DAY THAT DOES NOT CONFLICT WITH ORCHESTRA REHEARSALS.

Practicing

Consistent home practice is essential to making progress on any instrument. The best way to ensure success on any instrument is to pick up the instrument at least 3-4 days a week. I typically recommend 20-25 minutes a day for this age group, increasing as the skills and assignments become more complex. If you are having difficulty finding this time, we recommend that you encourage your child to practice during the commercials of their favorite TV show. By muting the TV during the commercials, you can easily practice for 5 minutes and then take a brief break when the show comes back on. During a half-hour program, it would not be difficult to get 15 minutes of practice in. It is important that your child makes practicing a part of their before or after school routine so that it becomes a good habit. It is also helpful to make a practice plan for each week, mapping out when you will practice throughout the week. When you have a plan, you are more likely to stick to it. I would like your help in encouraging your violinist, violist, cellist, or bassist to practice his/her instrument! I am the coach and your child is the player. The week following the lesson it is up to the violin, viola, cello, or bass student to reinforce the information we have presented at their lesson. Coaching without practice will not bring the result we desire.

A daily practice routine of quality practice is essential to developing a young musician’s skill. Establishing the same practice time each day and parental encouragement can instill into our young musicians a consistent work habit that can benefit them in many other aspects of life.

Where should I practice?

It is best to practice in a quiet area of your home. A firm chair and music stand are needed for proper practice. Students should not be sitting on a soft chair, bed, couch, or the floor when they practice. Doing so will result in the formation of bad habits, which are hard to erase down the road. It is okay for violin, viola, and bass players to stand up while practicing as long as their music is still on a music stand.

Music and Folders

Each orchestra member will receive a music folder and one copy of each piece. Please keep the music in your folder, but do not store the folder in your instrumentcase (doing so can damage your instrument). It is your responsibility to keep trackof all the music and have it at each rehearsal. You will also receive music/lesson books that youmust return at the end of the school year in good shape. If you lose these books or do not return them at the end of the year, you will be charged the replacement cost.

Instrument Storage In School
Students should bring their instruments to the instrument storage room or the orchestra room at the beginning of the day on their lesson or rehearsal day, so that it does not take up room in their regular classroom. Students should NOT leave instruments at school overnight, on long weekends or long holidays as the heating and cooling systems are turned off, which can cause damage to stringed instruments.
The brand name, make/model, and serial number of your students privately owned instrument should be recorded at home in a safe place. In case of loss or theft this information could help in the return of the instrument.

All instruments should have a nametag on the case. When an instrument case is CLEARLY MARKED with a student’s name, homeroom, school, and home phone number, mix-ups rarely happen.

Instrument Care and Maintenance

String instruments are like cars, they need tune-ups and adjustments every so often or when problems arise. If the instrument is not in good playing condition it could frustrate your child and hold back their ability. String instruments should go to the repair shop at least once a year to be adjusted. A representative from the local music storesvisits the school weekly. Instruments in need of repair may be sent through the school at the parent’s expense.

It is very important that parents and students NEVER try to fix a string instrument! Due to weather and travel (and sometimes carelessness!), strings, bridges, and pegs will sometimes fall off. Miss DeFelice or your child’s private teacher can do simple repairs – resetting bridges, replacing strings, loosening pegs. Other repairs need to be sent to the shop.

Tuning

With very careful treatment, most instruments will stay in tune between lessons and rehearsals. Only experienced students/parents should attempt to tune an instrument. If the instrument becomes badly out of tune, have your child leave it in the orchestra classroom with a note attached that says it needs to be tuned, and I will tune it. It can be very frustrating to practice on an out of tune instrument, so please don’t hesitate to bring it to me between lessons.

Exchanges

As your child grows, a new instrument size will be needed. I will advise you of this change by sending a note home. You will need to contact your rental company about the new size so that it can be delivered to the school and exchanged for the old one.

Instrumental Supplies and Lesson Books
I recommend that you purchase what you need from a local music store; however you will not need to travel to a music store to purchase these items. Simply call one of the music stores that serves our district and have the item(s) dropped off at school. Payment can be arranged directly with the music store either by credit card, through the mail, or by sending the money to school in an envelope with all pertinent information written right on the envelope.

Equipment/Materials Needed for Course:

  • Violin – Pencil, instrument and bow, method books/music, extra strings, cleaning cloth, rosin, shoulder rest (music stand for home practice)
  • Viola – Pencil, instrument and bow, method books/music, extra strings, cleaning cloth, rosin, shoulder rest (music stand for home practice)
  • Cello – Pencil, instrument and bow, method books/music, extra strings, cleaning cloth, rosin, endpin anchor or rock stop(music stand for home practice
  • Bass – Pencil, instrument and bow, method books/music, extra strings, cleaning cloth, rosin, endpin anchor or rock stop (music stand for home practice)

*Optional yet highly suggested items - Metronome and tuner or combination (There are even apps for these now through Droid, iPhones, iPods, and iPads! – check website for more details)