Spring Grove Area School District - Elementary Orchestra Handbook Welcome to Orchestra!! We would be delighted to have your child in our program for this school year! Learning to play a stringed instrument and joining the school music program opens up a new world for your child. Students will learn self-discipline, group cooperation, communication skills, high self-esteem, and other 21st century skills. Like all of the arts, music has a profound effect on the academic success of students. Each potential orchestra member will have the opportunity to meet with their music teacher for a small "Instrument Interview". Students will try their selected orchestra instrument and possibly others. After determining the instrument that seems to be the best showcase for their talent, students will be given a form detailing their choice of instrument and needed size. Spring Grove Area School District offers Orchestra lessons to all interested 3 rd and 4 th grade students. Students may choose from the following instruments: Violin, Viola, and Cello. Upon receiving an instrument, they will be instructed once per six-day cycle on their instrument. Your child s first lesson is noted below: Students Name: First Scheduled Lesson Date: First Scheduled Lesson Time: Prior to your first scheduled lesson, I kindly ask that you review the following information about our program. Please complete and return the last page of this packet indicating that this info has been reviewed. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any additional questions you may have. Musically, Mr. William R Robinson (email: robinsow@sgasd.org, phone: 717-225-4731 x5133) **Note** If you have received this information, and your child is not participating in Orchestra this year, please contact me via email or phone (see above) to remove your child from my roster. Thank you.
PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT In partnership with families and communities, it is the mission of the Spring Grove Area School District Music Department to cultivate artistic citizenship through performance, understanding, and appreciation for a lifelong participation in music. DISCLAIMER The information contained in this handbook is intended to be accurate at the time written, and is subject to change. Please contact the director if you need clarification of any of the material presented in this document. STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY By enrolling in the Spring Grove Elementary Orchestra, you are making a commitment to yourself and to the orchestra. This commitment includes accepting responsibility for the following: - Participate as a member of the orchestra for the full school year - Do your best to grow musically as an individual - Maintain a positive attitude and support the goals of the orchestra MR. ROBINSON S BUILDING SCHEDULE 2013-2014 Cycle Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 Spring Grove Spring Grove Paradise Spring Grove Building Elementary Elementary Elementary Intermediate General Orchestra Orchestra General Role Music Lessons Lessons Music ** Note: Lessons will still be held on school days that begin/end early. Always bring your instrument on the respective day of the cycle above! ABSENCE PROCEDURES New Salem Elementary Orchestra Lessons Spring Grove Intermediate General Music Any students with a legitimate reason for missing their lesson will be considered exempt. Students without an instrument or not in attendance will be deemed unexcused. Listed to the right is the action taken for each unexcused absence. Students should still attend lessons even if they do not have their music or instrument. 1 st Absence Warning 2 nd -4 th Absence Home Contact 5 th Cumulative Absence - Loss of Concert Performance Privilege (Students must return instrument if they are borrowing from the school) Orchestra members are also expected to attend all scheduled performances. If it is absolutely necessary to miss a performance, a written note signed by a parent must be presented to the director at least two weeks before the performance. The signed note must include the specific reason for the absence or it will automatically be considered unexcused. In the event of a sudden emergency prior to a performance, a written note meeting the same criteria should be brought to the director following the performance.
NEEDED MATERIALS All students will need an instrument in good working order, some accessories (such as rosin, shoulder rest, cleaning cloth), the Essential Elements 2000 Book 1 for your instrument, and a sharpened pencil. For home practice, I highly recommend a music stand (collapsible stands are portable and inexpensive). Most parents rent instruments directly from a music store, such as Menchey Music Services of Hanover. Some may borrow from friends and relatives, and a few purchase them outright. If renting is costprohibitive, please contact me to see if a district-owned instrument is available. Please understand that our supplies of school-owned instruments are limited, and these instruments would not be available for use over the summer. Your name may be placed on a waiting list if no instruments are available. GRADING PROCEDURES Orchestra is a curricular course. As such, students will be graded on all activities pertaining to the established curriculum for the course. The most important things any musician can do to succeed are: practice regularly, attend all lessons and performances, turn in all assignments on time and be organized! Grades are compiled through a combination of the individual categories listed below: 1. Lesson Attendance Grades (please bring music/instrument to each lesson!) 2. Performance grades (Concerts/Playing Tests) 3. Written Assignments 4. Practice Record grades 5. Musicianship (positive attitude, overall effort, overall etiquette) Progress reports will be sent home at the conclusion of each trimester to inform parents/guardians of their child s progress. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at any time. PERFORMANCES There will be two public performances during the school year for our Orchestra members. The first concert is an informal playing demonstration one evening in October. Our second performance is at our Spring Concert on April 30th, 2014. This concert will be held at the Rohrbaugh Family Auditorium at Spring Grove High School at 7 pm. We request that students and attendees remain for the entire performance (Band/Orchestra). More detailed information will be distributed as it becomes available. Please mark your calendar to avoid any unnecessary conflicts. PERFORMANCE ATTIRE Students in the Spring Grove Elementary Orchestra are to be appropriately dressed for all performances. Attire for the concert will be semi-formal: all students should wear a white top (dress shirt/polo) and black dress pants/skirt. Thank you for your cooperation.
CONCERT ETIQUETTE As this may be the first performance your child has for an audience, please review the following guidelines prior to our first concert: As An Audience Member: - Place electronic devices in the silent position during the performance. - Refrain from talking while the director is on stage. - Only enter or leave the seating area during moments of applause. - Do not take flash photographs while the group is playing (before and after are fine). - It is appropriate and polite to applaud as the conductor approaches the podium. - Do not applaud for soloists during a full ensemble performance; however, it is appropriate to applaud for soloists during a marching band or jazz band performance. - For an exceptional performance, it is always appreciated when the audience stands in applause following the final selection. This is known as a standing ovation. As A Performer: - No electronic devices are permitted backstage. They should be left with your parent/guardian, and should be turned off/silent. - Behave cautiously; there will be a large amount of students and instruments backstage - Refrain from talking while on stage; your attention should be focused on the director - As a group, you will be prompted to bow; try not to bring unwanted individual attention by waving/yelling/etc. WEBSITE Please visit my staff website at http://www.sgasd.org/domain/172 for more info on our program. More additional information can be found on the website! PRIVATE LESSONS In order to supplement in-school instrumental music lessons, private instruction outside the school day is highly recommended. Not only does the student receive individualized instruction (whereas the school lesson is with a small group) the private lesson is weekly (whereas the school lesson occurs approximately every eight to ten days). Lesson prices are set by the instructor and most range from $12 and upward per half hour. An up to date list is available on the band website or through your director. MUSIC STORES There are several local music stores that can provide needed equipment and other services. There may be other dealers in the area, but the following is a list of stores frequently used by Spring Grove students: Menchey Music Service- Hanover Menchey Music Service- York The Broken Note 80 Wetzel Drive Queensgate Towne Center 70 N. Main St. Hanover, PA 17331 2055 Springwood Road Red Lion, PA 17356 (717) 637-2185 York PA, 17403 (717) 246-0420 www.mencheymusic.com (717) 755-2907
SPRING GROVE MUSIC BOOSTERS Parents play a very important role in the success of the music program. Individuals that assist and support the school s program develop a closer relationship with their children, the music staff, as well as fellow parents. Together we all share in the experiences of a successful music program in the Spring Grove Area School District. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm in the High School Chorus Room. Please note that attendance to these meetings is encouraged, but not required to volunteer at future events. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT/CONTACT INFO Orchestra Enrollment Form return to Mr. Robinson at your 1 st Lesson (Please print below information legibly. Thank you!) Students Name: Instrument: Grade: School Building: Teacher: Primary Contact: Name(s): Relationship: Phone #: (day) (night) Email Address: Secondary Contact: Name(s): Relationship: Phone #: (day) (night) Email Address: May we add your email(s) to our Music Booster Database (for future events)? YES / NO I have read and understand the Spring Grove Orchestra Handbook and am aware of my responsibilities as a member of the musical ensemble. Student Signature Parent Signature