Elementary Strings Newsletter

Chaperones:

Please meet with your bus teacher in the main office of the school around 8:20/8:25.

Bus Teachers:

• Cunniff: Liz Schorr (Music teacher)
• Lowell: Michael Frontz (String teacher)
• Hosmer: Culley Byham (String teacher)

I will followup to this email with a separate message specifically for chaperones!

Students

• Students should wear their black WPS Performing Arts shirts & comfortable bottoms/shoes.
• Students can bring a small snack and a water bottle. We will also have some snacks for sharing to make sure all students get a snack that morning.
• If you checked that you are able to bring a "safe," shareable snack, thank you so much! You can send it in on your child's lesson day any time between now and the day of the field trip. We will distribute donated snacks amongst the buses!
  
• There is a small 14-passenger bus owned by Watertown which will be used for overflow (specifically at Hosmer). Students who take this bus will need to fill out one additional permission slip, all of which have been sent home and should be brought back ASAP.

Schedule Changes

MARCH:

• LOWELL FRIDAY 5TH GRADE will come to lessons Tuesday, March 28th (TOMORROW) instead of Friday, March 31st

APRIL:

• HOSMER WEDNESDAY students will meet on Monday, April 10th, 2023, instead of Wednesday, April 12, 2023
  
• Practice club will meet only on Monday, April 10th

MAY:

• HOSMER WEDNESDAY 5th Graders will meet on Monday, May 22, 2023, instead of Wednesday, May 24, 2023 (4th grade will still meet on that Wednesday)
• CUNNIFF 5TH GRADE students will not meet on Thursday, May 25, 2023

Note Reading Game

• Staff Wars is an interactive app-based game to help students learn how to read the notes on their staff. It is $0.99. Absolutely not required, but a fun learning tool if interested.
• Apple devices
• Android devices

String Spectacular: All String Students in Watertown (April 4)!

Currently seeking adult volunteers to help us support students during this upcoming event. This would include...

• helping with getting students organized at the dress rehearsal
• help students on and off stage (both at the dress rehearsal and at the concert)
• help with dismissing safely from the dress rehearsal
• sitting with students during the concert (they will be seated in the front auditorium rows when not performing)

If you are willing/able to help with any aspect of this event, please respond to this email to let us know. Thank you!

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

• The String Spectacular is our district-wide string concert, featuring all students from grades 4 - 12. It is scheduled for Tuesday, April 4th, 2023, beginning at 7:00 PM. Students should arrive by 6:30. This concert will be about an hour long. All students will perform in the finale piece so should plan to stay for the whole show.
  
  
• This concert is free to attend! No cost for audience members whatsoever.

• We will have a dress rehearsal from 2:45 - 4:00 on the same day (April 4) so that we can practice bringing all 130 of our elementary students together and playing on stage. This dress rehearsal is highly encouraged but we understand that not all of our elementary students are able to get over to the HS at that time. Please have students bring a music stand (if they have one) to the dress rehearsal. Label this stand with the student's name.
  
  
• Spectacular Flyer: here is a PDF you can print to share, or a JPEG you can share if desired
  
  
• Students should wear their WPS Performing Arts T-shirt (new orders will arrive the week before the concert) and black or blue jeans/slacks/skirts and shoe of choice.
  
  
• Similar to our counterpart Band-a-Rama, we anticipate that the Friends of Watertown Music will be present and will be taking donations for the Jack Hahn Scholarship, which is awarded to one senior in each band, chorus, and orchestra. Jack Hahn was an influential musician and teacher in Watertown who passed away in 2015.
  
  
• Linked here is a draft program. 4th and 5th-grade students have been listed alphabetically by last name. I've double-checked, but if you happen to see any errors please let me know so I can adjust for the final version.

Check out these play along tracks to get prepped for our April 4th concert!

Boil 'em Cabbage: Video is below!

• Bow Section A once
• Pizzicato (Pluck) Section B: We may do this many times, but in this video, it is repeated three times. You can practice improvising a solo with this video.
• Bow Section C once
  
  

Twinkle Jam (Click for play along)

• First time: Bow
• Second time: Bow
• Third Time: Pluck (with lobster claw!)
• Fourth Time: Bow

Rockin' Strings (click for play along)

• This is bowed, and remember it is repeated once. The first time you play the first ending, the second time you skip the first ending and play the second :)

If you are still feeling uncomfortable with the bow, you can pluck any or all parts of these songs!

MusicFest is a lively and eclectic evening of music with performances on multiple stages. What makes MusicFest so great is the participation of a variety of performers. We often have professional ensembles and students from local conservatories along with
high school bands, student ensembles, and individual performers. CLICK HERE for the registration link. You may even see some familiar teacher faces performing that night!

BOWS!

• We are working on our bow holds in 4th grade!
• Here is a Quiet Coyote Bow Hold video for students to reference
• Here is a slideshow with very clear photos and directions for how to form a good bow hold
• Once students are prepared to play their instrument with their bow, we will sign their bow license : )

Click the links for concert performance videos:

• Cunniff
• Lowell
• Hosmer

Practice Club: Mr. Frontz

Mr. Frontz leads our morning "practice club," an opportunity to practice your instrument, learn new music, and receive some individual instruction. This is not mandatory, as it is not a replacement for your regular school day lesson; however, it is a great opportunity to get some more time playing your instrument at school. Students must sign up in order to participate in this free practice club.

Hosmer students should enter through the doors leading into the cafeteria from outside. The door faces Mt. Auburn street. Students at Lowell W and Cunniff can enter through the main doors of the building.

• Hosmer: Monday or Wednesday 7:45 - 8:15 AM in the caf (only the day of your lesson)
• Lowell: Tuesdays 7:45 - 8:15 AM in the music room (you can join even if your regular lesson is on Fridays)
• Cunniff: Thursdays 7:45 - 8:15 AM music practice room

All City Orchestra: Ms. Byham

All City Orchestra is an after-school group that meets on Tuesdays from 4:25 - 5:30. We meet in the Watertown Middle School auditorium. All students who are in 4th and 5th grade are welcome to join! There is no cost to be a part of this group. Sign up by clicking the button below!

Being near the city we have lots of amazing orchestras performing all of the time! These groups are made up of community members; all musicians, but not all musicians in a professional sense. It's always amazing to see the Boston Symphony, but our local groups showcase how we can continue being musicians as a hobby throughout our lives, while still working in our chosen fields.

• Waltham Philharmonic: Sun. March 26/3 PM @ Waltham Government Center
• Lexington Symphony: Sat. April 15/7:30 PM @ Cary Hall, Lexington
• Boston Civic Symphony: Sun. April 30/3 PM @ Northeastern
• Rivers Symphony: Sat. May 20/7 PM @ Kraft Dining Hall, Rivers School (Pops!)
• Brookline Symphony: Sat. May 20/8 PM @ All Saints Parish, Brookline
• Lowell Philharmonic: Sat. May 20/2 PM @ Fushion Church, Lowell (Pops!)
• Longwood Symphony: Sat. May 20/8 PM @ Kresge Auditorium, MIT
• Firebird Pops (all pops, all the time!): Keep an eye out for upcoming events

If your child is really enjoying playing their instrument and wants some additional play and instruction time outside of the school day, we recommend looking to private or small group lessons.

Here is a link to private teachers in the area

You can also check out Attacca School of Music in Belmont (at the Trapelo/Bartlett intersection near CVS) or Powers Music School in Belmont (on Concord Street near Belmont Center).

Practice Page

Mr. Frontz put together a really helpful practice page for our students, especially our beginners. This page is basically how we start our class each lesson. We've given a copy to each student, but in case they lose it or want to look on their computer, here are the PDFs:

• Practice Page Folder

Friends of Watertown Music

The Friends of Watertown Music is a parent organization that has been a major supporter of the fine arts program in Watertown for over ten years. FoWM is beginning to plan for our first MusicFest since 2019 and invites all parents who would like to help in any way. Email HelloWatertownMusic@gmail.com or call Chris Lowry at 617-923-0502 to learn more.

Practicing

We recommend students play their instrument 3+ times a week for at least 10 - 15 minutes each time to build muscle memory and reinforce habits taught in lessons. You can see what we worked on in lessons and what students should be practicing by clicking the button below.

• Tuning your instrument at home: follow this YouTube tutorial
• Here is a tutorial on how to hold the bow
  
• Here is a list of private teachers in the area
  
• Rhythm Packet #1
• Rhythm Packet #2
• Sight Singing Packet #1
• Sight Singing Packet #2
• Ms. Byham's favorite metronome app for iPhone
• Ms. Byham's favorite metronome app for Android

Our lessons are grouped by classroom teacher. The schedule is as follows:

• Mondays (Hosmer) are Spillane/Thiemann, Doherty, Bellis, and Twomey's classes
• Tuesdays (Lowell West) are Corcoran, Spatz, and Burton's classes
• Wednesdays (Hosmer) are Mattson, Stone, O'Leary, Psychoghios/Hogan, and Gill's classes
• Thursdays (Cunniff) are all classrooms
• Fridays (Lowell) are Antonellis, Sudbay, and Brodeur's classes

Our lessons take place in the first part of the school day, between 8:30 and 10 AM.

I'm Mr. Frontz, and I'm happy to be co-teaching elementary school strings in Watertown this year. In the last two years, I've graduated with my Masters degree in Music Education and my Bachelor's degree in Cello Performance from Boston University. I am a cellist as well as a general strings specialist, and I worked with Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras for several years as a Cello Coach. I'm excited to teach students how to play their instruments, and hope to teach them to play songs they love as well as develop their technique.

Culley Byham is one of our two string and orchestra teachers in the district. She grew up in Pennsylvania and began playing the viola in the third grade. She played in school and youth orchestras through elementary, middle, and high school before attending Penn State to study Music Education. Ms. Byham taught middle school music and orchestra in South Carolina for five years before moving to Watertown, where she is now in her tenth year of teaching music.

In addition to teaching, Ms. Byham has continued playing viola in community orchestras. She is currently a member of the Rivers Symphony and the Brookline Symphony here in the Boston area. She also enjoys taking long bike rides, walking her dog, and practicing photography.

Her absolute favorite thing about teaching string and orchestra classes is watching her students go from having no idea about the instrument, to being able to play with ease and confidence. She loves that she gets to work with the students for so long, seeing them grow and learn over the course of many years, making friends, and building community along the way.

Our string program in Watertown is open to all students in grades 4 - 12. Though we begin our program in the fourth grade, students can join in at any level - it's never too late! It is not necessary for students to know anything about music or playing an instrument in order to sign up, we'll teach them everything they need to know.

Website: https://tinyurl.com/watertownorchestra
Phone: 617.564.1713
Facebook: facebook.com/WatertownFineArts