WHY JOIN THE HP ORCHESTRA?

 

* Opens Doors to Other Opportunities

 - Join youth orchestras, summer music camps, earn community service hours, perform at local events, make music with family and friends. 

For more opportunities, please visit

https://www.berklee.edu/careers-music

 

*Time Management & Organization Skills

 - Learn how to organize in Orchestra (with practice time, music, and scheduling)

 

*Goal-Setting & Achievement

 - Learn how to set goals during practice to make the most of your time, see improvements through consistent practicing, and be proud of all of your achiements by the end of the year.

 

*Coordination & Motor Skills

 - Playing a string instrument requires simultaneous use of both hands, so you will improve your coordination, flexibility, and motor skills.

 

*Self-Discipline & Responsibility

 - Learning an instrument takes patience and perseverance.  You will learn how to be responsible and you will practice self discipline which you will also need in your other classes, at home and for the rest of your life!

 

*Involves Higher Thinking & Problem Solving Skills

 - When you read music and play an instrument, your brain is doing several things at once:  you are reading symbols, interpreting the symbols into fingerings/bowings/sounds, performing the music, and analyzing your performance all at the same time!  You will learn how to solve problems in your own practice at home and you will be able to teach yourself new music all on your own!

 

*Improves Memorization, Cognition, Concentration & Focus

 - Do you ever hum along to a song you've heard before?  By playing in class every day, some tunes will become familiar to you because of a special skill we have called muscle memory!  This is only one of the ways Orchestra helps improve your memorization and cognition.  Practicing an instrument daily also helps improve your concentration and focus on details in your music!

 

*Builds Performance Skills & Self-Confidence

 - Whether you're playing at a concert or you're giving a presentation in Social Studies, performance is a part of life!  Being in Orchestra gives you TONS of performance opportunities and will help you get rid of stage fright.

 

*Teamwork & Cooperation

 - Being in Orchestra means being on a TEAM- we practice together, we work hard, and we have fun!  You will find many of your lifelong friends in Orchestra because joining Orchestra is like joining one big family!  

 

and SO MUCH MORE!

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW....

Besides learning how to make music, meeting new friends, and starting a hobby that can last you a lifetime, there are some other very important reasons to join Orchestra:

• Research has shown that students who are involved in Orchestra receive higher SAT/ACT scores and average overall higher grades than other students in school.  Take a look at the Texas All-State Student Average SAT Scores and notice the highest scores are in the STRING ORCHESTRA group!! The 2014 FMHS Valedictorian was a violinist and a 4-year Orchestra member! It is a fact that universities select students who are committed to an activity throughout middle school and high school, including students involved in a music program. You can even get college scholarships for music and you don’t even have to major in it! Remember, there are more string instruments in an Orchestra, therefore more money to give away to Orchestra students!

• Skilled musicians have an area of the brain that is up to 25% larger than those who have never played an instrument, and music is one of the few activities proven to use both sides of your brain all at once!  

 

 

 

 

Making music in Orchestra has something for everyone:

• Music is MATH: Reading music requires counting notes and rhythms and can help your math skills. Also, learning music theory includes many mathematical aspects. 

• Music is LANGUAGE: Music is the universal language! Reading music is also like learning another language because each musical symbol has a meaning. Musicians have to interpret the music on the page into sound using their instruments, and many musical terms are also in other languages like Italian!

• Music is SCIENCE: It is exact and specific. A conductor's score is a graph that shows frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody and harmony all at once. While technology continues to change and improve our lives daily, acoustic string instruments have been around for thousands of years and still look/sound/function the same way (without electricity!)

• Music is HISTORY: Music reflects the culture, environment and time period of its creation. Each piece of music has a background and tells a story. You will learn all kinds of music in Orchestra, from American folk songs to Irish fiddle tunes! Music itself is history and can further your appreciation of other cultures.  

• Music is ART: Music is the one unique thing that connects EVERY culture from EVERY time period. After learning the musical basics, you will be able to use your imagination to make up your own music and express yourself in your music!

 

 

 

 

Thank you Shadow Ridge Middle School Orchestra for sharing your ideas!