WMS & WHS Orchestra Mar Newsletter
March 2024
WMS & WHS Orchestra February Newsletter
As Fine, Applied, and Performing Arts Educators, it is our mission to inspire and guide every student to be active participants in the Arts through the use of a sequential, academic, and creative curriculum that nurtures the human spirit and promotes cultural relevance.
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It's Music In Our Schools Month!
For nearly 40 years, March has been designated as Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®). Music has a lasting positive impact in our lives. The positive impact on music in the lives of our students lasts a lifetime. Therefore, the education and cultivation of music in our youngest members of society, our students, is paramount.
Every day, in classrooms and rehearsal rooms across our school district, music educators dedicate themselves to reaching all students with life-changing musical experiences. Parents, administrators, and the wider community often only see the wonderful results of music performances; however, we miss the months of practice and rehearsals and more importantly the learning process that takes place to make it all happen.
I encourage members in our community to acknowledge and celebrate music education as an essential part of every student’s educational journey. Join us for all of our musical ventures over the course of the month:
- WHS Musical "Working"
- March 1 - 3 @ Mosesian in Watertown
- Friday & Saturday at 7:00pm
- Sunday at 2pm
- Click for Tickets
- Band-a-Rama
- Tuesday, March 12th
- 7:00 PM at Watertown MIddle School (Gym)
- Featuring the nearly 300 members of our 4 - 12 band program!
- Friends of Watertown Music will be present to collect donations raising funds for our Jack Hahn Scholarship, Instrument purchase, and field trips!
- Music Fest!
- Friday, March 15th
- More information below!
- String Spectacular!
- Wednesday, March 27th
- 7:00 PM @ Watertown Middle School (Gym)
- Featuring the nearly 250 members of our 4 - 12 string orchestra program!
- Friends of Watertown Music will be present to collect donations raising funds for our Jack Hahn Scholarship, Instrument purchase, and field trips!
- Annie, Jr.
- April 5 - 7th (not quite March, but close!)
- Friday and Saturday @ 7PM
- Sunday @ 2PM
- Watertown Middle School Auditorium
String Spectacular, MusicFest, and more!
Upcoming Dates
- District Wide Orchestra Concert, "String Spectacular": Wednesday, March 27th
- Evening concert: 7 - 8 PM @ WMS
- Dress rehearsal for WMS and WHS students from 5:30 to 6:30
- All students play together in this concert featuring all 230 of our Watertown string students! Each grade level performs a couple of pieces, and then we have a few selections that feature all of our students playing together. This concert will take place in the WMS Gymnasium.
- We will be looking for adult/parent volunteers for the following roles (and then some!):
- Photographer
- Video monitor
- Sitting with students when they're not performing
- Helping with check in/check out, organization at dress rehearsal
- Tuning (if you're someone who can help with this)
- 11th Annual MusicFest, hosted by the Friends of Watertown Music!
- Friday, March 15th from 5:30 - 8:30 at Watertown Middle School
- Fundraiser for the Friends of Watertown Music, who are integral in the advocacy and support of our music programs
- Suggested donation of $8/person or $25/family
- Community members and students are welcome to sign up to perform!
- Sign up to perform here (register by March 5)
- Sign up to volunteer here
- 43rd Annual March String Fest!
- Saturday, March 23rd from 12:30 - 5:00 PM
- Marshall Middle School, Billerica, MA
- Four levels of orchestras to participate in from very beginning (like our fourth graders) to advanced (students who have been playing for 3+ years)
- $30 registration fee + $5 tshirt
- Click here for the flyer and more information
- Click here to register
7/8th Grade to Six Flags Music In The Parks - May 17, 2024
Each spring, the Watertown Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Performing Ensembles participate in a music festival in western Massachusetts. This year, the WMS 7th/8th Grade Choir, Band, Jazz Band, and Festival Orchestra will be performing at the for our Music in the Parks adjudication on Friday, May 17, 2024.
The cost of the trip (including transportation and admission to the park) is $140 for students. This can be paid by check or by money order, with payment made out to City of Watertown. If your family can donate any extra funds to help a student in need, please add it to your check and make a note on the bottom of this permission slip.
Payment Schedule:
Deposit of $50 due February 15th, 2024
Second payment of $50 due March 15th, 2024
Final (third) payment of $40 due April 10th, 2023
Permission slips will be passed out in class and can also be found here.
2024 MusicFest! March 15, 2024
MusicFest is a lively and eclectic evening of music with performances on multiple stages, hosted by our very own Friends of Watertown Music! This year's MusicFest will take place on:
Friday, March 15, 2024 from 5:30 - 8:30 at WMS
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.
WHS New York City Trip - Spring 2025
The WHS performing arts ensembles travel to NYC every other year to participate in the Heritage Music Festival, where we perform music for judges who give us feedback and offer a quick clinic with the students. We stay from Friday - Sunday, taking in the sights, seeing a Broadway show, and going on a dinner/dance cruise around the Statue of Liberty with other schools that participate in the festival that weekend.
We are currently looking at a weekend in late March 2025 and can confirm the date once it's booked.
Students currently in grades 8 - 11 will be eligible to attend next year, so long as they are enrolled in the ensemble. I'm hoping to put together fundraising activities starting as early as late spring; feel free to reach out with any ideas or connections in terms of fundraising for an event such as this. The trip will likely be between $850 - 900 without any fundraising, but we can't be totally sure about that until we know how many buses we need/how many students plan to attend.
Saturday, March 23rd from 12:30 - 5:00 at Marshall Middle School, Billerica. $30 Registration ($35 at the door).
The workshop is for string players who want to get together and make friends and enjoy music. This is an outside activity for students and not sponsored by Watertown (payment, questions, etc should be directed to the folks listed below).
There are four Orchestra Levels:
Orchestra I
For advanced players who read well
and have lots of ensemble experience
Orchestra II
For intermediate players who have experience
but are not fast readers
Orchestra III
For second year players who
have some reading skills and experience
Orchestra IV
For students who are
just starting to play and have
minimal reading skills and ensemble experience
LUNCH PREPAY OPTION - $5.00
Lunch includes 2 slices of pizza, bottled water and a healthy dessert.
There will be no charge for parents and teachers who would like to spend the afternoon watching and enjoying the activities. Come and have a good time!
Questions?
Robin Mallory
Carolyn Cardella
Anna Anderson
WMS Grading
The performance music classes have switched over to a standards-based grading system so students will be graded on their progress toward a mastery objective. The categories are Outstanding, Satisfactory, and Unsatisfactory.
Mastery Objectives we're working toward:
6th grade...
...using consistent bow speed and weight to produce a quality tone
...recognizing notes on the G, D, and A string
...sight-reading rhythms using quarter, eighth, half, and whole notes
...slurring notes with consistent bow speed
...performing dynamics as written in the music, using the bow to articulate a crescendo or decrescendo
...performing four part ensemble music
...arriving to class with all materials, consistently (instrument, music)
...fully participating in class by playing their instrument and following instruction
7/8th grade...
...recognizing notes on all four strings on their instrument
...articulations using the bow such as staccato, legato, accent
...phrasing their music using dynamic changes
...performing music at a grade level 2 - 2.5, which includes songs in B-flat and G major and their corresponding relative minor keys
...shifting into 3rd position with appropriate hand motion
...arriving to class with all materials, consistently (instrument, music)
...fully participating in class by playing their instrument and following instruction
Binders Needed
In the past, students have been given binders to keep their music organized. Many of our students have lost these binders. I ask that students obtain a 1/2" - 1.5" binder specifically for their orchestra materials so that they have an easier time keeping things organized and flat (there are lots of crinkled, folded music sheets being pulled out of cases, making it really hard to read the music). Please let me know if you need assistance in obtaining a binder for your orchestra student.
Phones In Class
Students will be asked to put their phone in the phone tree after tuning. If the phone is not put in the tree, and the student uses it inappropriately during class, they will get one warning to put it into the tree. If there is an argument about whether or not the phone should go in the tree, it will be sent to the main office for pick up after school.
Other Things To Know
Students should have the following materials for class...
- Instrument
- Pencil
- Binder
- Music (all music has been uploaded into Google Classroom as well)
WMS Orchestras: Click the link to copy to your calendar
- 6th Grade Orchestra meets on WIN A days
- Week of March 4 - Monday/Wednesday/Friday
- Week of March 11 - Tuesday/Thursday
- Week of March 18 - Monday/Wednesday/Friday
- Week of March 25 - Tuesday/Thursday
- 7/8th Grade Orchestra meets on WIN B days
- Week of March 4 - Tuesday/Thursday
- Week of March 11 - Monday/Wednesday/Friday
- Week of March 18 -Tuesday/Thursday
- Week of March 25 - Monday/Wednesday/Friday
WHS Orchestra
- Meets every day except day 7
- Day 7s in March: Monday, March 4; Wednesday, March 13; Friday, March 22
Practice Club: Click to copy to your calendar
Open practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:15 - 3:00. This club is free to be a part of. Players can attend as often as they like.
This website has lots of helpful videos, such as links to various metronomes and tuning apps, and videos showing you how to tune your instrument. I recommend checking it out!
I will add links to specific events and lessons to the newsletters; however, in order to add these to your personal calendar, you must subscribe to the FAPA calendar (linked above). You can hide the FAPA calendar so your personal cal is not clogged by superfluous events, while only adding the orchestra events to your cal when the links are shared in the newsletters. Let me know if you have any questions about this!
Concert Dates and Other Events
String Spectacular - Wednesday, March 27, 2024 (required)
- Click to add to calendar
- Dress rehearsal 5:30 PM
- Concert 7:00 - 8:00 PM
- Click to add to calendar
- All day
- Open to all students in 7/8 Performing Arts Ensembles (+Jazz band members)
WMS & WHS Combined Spring Orchestra Concert (required) - Wednesday, May 22, 2024
- Click to add to calendar
- Dress rehearsal 5:30 PM
- Concert 7 - 8 PM
Graduation (8 - 11th grade): Usually first Friday in June?
- Arrive 5:30
- Graduation 6 - 7pm
Tuning At Home
I encourage students to practice tuning at home if they feel comfortable. They should only use the fine tuners when getting started, and when they get comfortable with that, they can move on to using the pegs. We try to discuss this in class, as well, but tuning can be an intricate process so it's always good to practice it at home, too.
There are many tuning apps or devices to help students tune. I recommend the following:
Smart Metronome and Tuner (Ms. Byham's favorite!)
INStuner
iOS only
Boston Symphony High School Card
Materials & Resources
MATERIALS FOR STRING LESSONS:
Most music shops will carry these items, or you can order online.
Here's an Amazon list with the items listed
You can also check out Shar Music for these items
- Instrument
- Cellos: Button stop or strap (button/rock stop is more versatile)
- Violin/Viola: Shoulder rest (3/4 - 4/4 violin or 15 - 16" viola only)
- Music stand (for home practice)
- Extra rosin
- Extra strings (Prelude is a great quality brand at a reasonable cost)
- Pencil
- Binder (we have ordered binders to hand out)
Check out our new website!
- Class schedules
- Lesson make-up days
- Videos and photos from concerts
- Sign up for the program
- Rental information
- Lessons, camps, and more
- Information for band and orchestra students
Mostly loaded with elementary information right now, but will be adding more resources for 6 - 12 students soon!
Shoulder Rests
As our upper string (viola/violin) players start to move up into the full-size instruments, they should be looking into getting a shoulder rest. These are items that hook onto the lower bout of the instrument to help players support the instrument in their shoulder vs. with their arm and hand, allowing for more flexible motion in the wrist and fingers. You can get them for any size instrument, but they typically make adjustable sizes for 3/4 - 4/4 violins and 15 - 16" violas. All upper-string players should be using a shoulder rest by the time they get to the full-size violin (4/4) or 15" viola to help with posture and avoid back/neck pain.
I recommend Everest (pictured) or Kun (both under or very close to $30), but there are many options. Let me know if you have any questions!
Local Symphony Performances & Private Lessons
Local Symphony Performances
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 field.
- Firebird Pops (all pops, all the time!): Keep an eye out for upcoming events
- Boston Civic Symphony: Sun, Mar 3, 2024 @ 3PM/Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
- Kendall Square Orchestra: Fri. March 8 @ 7:30 PM/Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, MA
- Brookline Symphony: March 9 & 10 w/ Metropolitan Chorale/All Saints Parish, Brookline, MA
- Longwood Symphony: Sat, Mar 9 @ 8PM/Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
- Rivers Symphony Orchestra: Sat. March 9 @ 7PM/Regis College Arts Center, Weston
- Lexington Symphony: Sat. March 16 @ 7:30PM/Cary Hall, Lexington, MA
- Waltham Philharmonic: Sun, Mar 17 @ 3PM/Waltham Gov't Center, Waltham, MA
Private Lessons/Outside Opportunities
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).
Other Stuff
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.
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
Helpful Links and Resources
- 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
Meet the Teacher!
Ms. Culley Byham
Culley Byham (rhymes with Sulley) is our string and orchestra teacher from grades 4 - 12 in Watertown. 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 eleventh year of teaching music.
In addition to teaching, Ms. Byham has continued playing viola in community orchestras. She is currently a member of the Brookline Symphony here in the Boston area. She also enjoys taking long bike rides, walking her dog, hiking, 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.
About the Watertown Strings and Orchestra Program
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.
Check us out on Instagram: @watertownorchestras