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1. STUDENT SPEAKERS Prior to each concert I write out a script for the concert. My leadership team of four students do all the talking! I only say a short welcoming statement at the beginning to start the concert and a short closing statement to end the concert. Make sure to say the concert is "student-led" and let the students take over. 2. STUDENT CONERT JOBS My varsity orchestra students always have a job on concert day. They love helping and it eliminates the need for me to do everything. About a week before the concert I let them choose what job they want. -Pizza duty (manage the pizza line, pick up trash, etc.) -Set-up duty (chairs and stands) -Clean-up duty (put away chairs and stands) -Audience set-up (chairs and programs) -Picture duty (students walks around with my iPad during the concert to take pictures) -Tuning (give the kids tuners and have them tune your beginners) 3. STUDENT-LED DRESS REHEARSAL My varsity students are responsible for tuning themselves and the other orchestras. This is a huge stress factor for me so I just decided to let the kids do it. During the dress rehearsal the leader of each orchestra makes a few announcements pertaining to their orchestra (concert order, reminders, etc.) and then I take over to warm up the group. 4. COMBINED PIECE - NO CONDUCTOR There are many advantages to performing a combined piece. A) it involves all of the orch students b)all the parents love seeing everyone play together c) perform at the end to ensure students and parents do not leave during the concert/after their student performs d) parents get to see their student perform again e) it always ends up being a lot of my students' favorite part f) I only snap/count off to begin the piece and then move out of the way since there is no point to conducting when half cannot see you anyway 5. SET-UP EACH ORCHESTRA - NO ONE MOVES ON AND OFF STAGE I set up each groups for four mini stages in the cafeteria. This way the concert moves faster and students are not having to move during the concert.

1. DAILY FUN PICTURE ON PROJECTOR SCREEN Each morning I choose a picture from my Orchestra Pinterest page and put it on the projector screen. When the kids come in they look forward to seeing the new picture. Sometimes it's a music joke, orchestra joke, cool picture of a violin, etc. 2. MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT STUDENTS WEARING ORCHESTRA T-SHIRTS When the kids wear an orchestra t-shirt I always tell them I like their shirt as I come around to tune. They feel proud wearing it. 3. SHOW ENTHUSIASM FOR THE MUSIC After I play the recording of the piece we are rehearsing I always say how much I love it. The kids mirror this response and say what they love about it too. This way they re excited to practice it and learn the piece. I also know what types of pieces my students like too though - know your audience. 4. PURCHASE NEW SUPPLIES/ACCESSORIES I recently purchased some wheels end pins for my bass players so they do not have to worry about lifting their instruments anymore. I made a huge deal about how excited I was about these and they thought it was the coolest thing ever to have wheels. Everyone likes getting new gadgets. 5. SHOW COOL VIDEOS Every Friday I try to show my classes a cool video I find of someone playing, how they make string instruments, how to make rosin, etc. The videos help inspire the students especially when it is of a student their age playing something really cool.

STUDENT LEADERS I have a handful of students each year that are in my intermediate and advanced classes on their principal instrument and choose to learn a second instrument in one of my beginning orchestra classes. I also am very fortunate to have 2 orchestra student aides. These older students already "know they ways of the orchestra" and are able to help beginners adjust to orchestra life. Having a student show and demonstrate for the beginners is a HUGE factor in the success of my beginning orchestra. My aides walk around the room just like I do and assist students. It's just like team teaching or having an assistant. If I do not have an aide, but I have advanced students in my class I can use them to demonstrate like how to play with a metronome, clap and count correctly, etc. Since I have students read announcements every day (see my post on announcements) I have one of these older students read them so that they can answer questions that the younger students have.

I try to keep music theory fun and interesting for my students. I never want them bored in orchestra so when I need to explain something more dense, like music theory, I try to stick to the below tricks. Recently one of my 8th grade students received a Music Theory Certificate of Achievement at her music camp! 1. STUDENT FOUR MEASURE COMPOSITIONS I keep it short to keep their interest and restrict what they can and cannot use. For example, only quarter notes and eighth notes and only use D, E, F#. I always have them work in pairs. They show me their piece, then they practice it together while others finish. I ask for volunteers to perform their composition and they love announcing the title and saying their names as the composer. They get a sticker if they can play their whole composition together and with the metronome. 2. CHANGE A METHOD BOOK LINE I take an easy line or one that we have been working on in class frequently and use it to teach a new theory concept. For example, if the line is in natural minor, we discuss what harmonic minor is, and then play the line in harmonic minor. I alternate between harmonic and natural to drill in the difference and then we will either increase the tempo or change between natural and harmonic half way through, etc. 3. ENTHUSIASTIC REPETITION I show enthusiasm a lot when we "stumble" upon something we have been talking about in our repertoire. I try to make it sound fun and exciting so they will too. For example, if I want them to identify arpeggios, I'll stop rehearsal, get really excited, call a measure, demonstrate the arpeggio on my violin or viola, and ask who knows what that is called. And then I ask what the scale degrees are. I repeat this same overly enthusiastic cycle until they have clearly gotten it. They think it's fun and they remember the concept.

Posted: January 27, 2015

Posted: January 19, 2015