WPS Elementary Orchestra Newsletter
April 2024
WPS Elementary Orchestra April 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.
This website has everything you might need for help with tuning, finding a private lesson teacher or youth orchestra program, and more! There are some demonstration videos linked there, as well as YouTube playlists with fun play along songs for our elementary students.
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Congratulations!
Great job to all of our students who participated in the String Spectacular in March. It was so fun to see and hear everyone playing together and I thought each group did so well. I appreciate the time and help from all parents, caregivers, teachers, and students who stayed after school or came to the dress rehearsal to help with check in, tuning, general crowd control, etc. It would be impossible to do this without you!
Click the button below for photos from the event.
Video coming soon!
Updates & Schedule Changes
Please be aware of the upcoming schedule changes due to MCAS testing:
There are a few schedule changes with MCAS testing starting up over the next few months. Please note the changes below.
Hosmer
- Week of April 8: Tuesday instruments will join Wednesday's classes on Wednesday, April 10th
- Week of May 6th: Instrument lessons will be on Thursday, May 9th (same time)
- Week of May 13th: 5th Grade Tuesday instruments will join Wednesday's classes on Wednesday, May 15th (4th grade will meet normally)
Cunniff
- Week of April 1: No Lessons that week (April 4th)
- Week of May 6th: Lesson day moved to Tuesday, May 7th
- Week of May 13th: 5th Grade will not have lessons this week (May 16) (4th grade will)
Lowell: not impacted
Rising 6th Graders: Orchestra in Middle School!
Upcoming Dates & Performances!
- All City Concert: Thursday, May 2nd
- All City Chorus, Band, and Orchestra
- Only students who attend the after school rehearsals for ACB with Mr. Thew, ACC with Ms. Schorr, and ACO with Ms. Byham
- Dress rehearsal information coming soon!
- Concert 7:00 PM @ WMS
- End of Year Performances (School-based)
- Cunniff dress rehearsal (only for students): Thursday, May 30th 9:30 - 10 AM
- Hosmer dress rehearsal (potential, for students to watch): Tuesday, June 4th 9 - 10 AM
- Hosmer performance: Wednesday, June 5th 9 - 10 AM
- Cunniff performance: Thursday, June 6th 9 - 10 AM
- Lowell performance: Friday, June 7 8:30 - 9:30 AM
4th Grade Objectives and Lessons
4th Grade
Fourth grade has started off April working on note reading! Pages 12 & 17 in their book are designed to help them get used to reading the notes on the staff so that they are comfortable playing new songs with notes. 4th grade will continue to work on bow stroke, bow hold, and will soon start learning a new finger pattern.
Things to look out for with bow hold:
- Curved pinky (on top of the bow for violin/viola, dropped over for cello)
- Bent thumb pushing against the "bump" on the back of the frog
- Space in the palm (should be able to see through the palm like a telescope)
- Violin/Viola: index, middle, and ring finger are all dropped over the stick/frog to at least the first, if not second, knuckle on those fingers. For cello, all of the fingers are dropped over the bow to the first or second knuckle.
- Violin/Viola: Fingers are leaning toward the tip of the bow (Pronating toward the tip)
- Bow hold in steps violin/viola
- Bow hold video cello
5th Grade Objectives & Lessons
5th Grade
Fifth-grade is going to be working on recognizing key signatures (specifically D and G major), using slurs in their bow strokes, and getting even better at reading notes on the staff. We'll also join the fourth grade students in learning a new "minor" finger pattern. They should be practicing pages 26 and 31 in their Watertown Strings Book 1, as well as their slur practice page.
Watertown Strings Book 1
All students (including our fifth graders) will be receiving a copy of Watertown Strings Book 1. This book has been compiled specifically for our students with what we anticipate they will learn and be able to do by the end of their first year in string lessons.
Fifth grade students have done much of what is in this book, but there are some helpful materials that it may be helpful for them to have. Book 2 will be coming for them soon!
I will always 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!
Lesson Days (Click to add to calendar)
- Lowell, Monday: Corcoran, Spatz, Burton
- Hosmer, Tuesday: Mattson, Doherty, Bellis, Twomey
- Hosmer, Wednesday: Spillane, Stone, Psychoghios, Gill, Cassaza
- Cunniff, Thursday: all Cunniff classrooms
- Lowell, Friday: Antonellis, Sudbay, Brodeur
Spring Concerts
- Hosmer Spring: Wednesday, June 5th (9:00 - 10:00 AM)
Cunniff Spring: Thursday, June 6th (9 - 10AM)
Lowell Spring: Friday, June 7th (8:30 - 9:30AM)
Music & Arts Rentals: Size Up/Swap
If you rent your instrument from the company Music & Arts, fill out this form to size your instrument up or swap it!
Play Along Videos
Do You Still Need An Instrument?
If you have not had a chance to rent an instrument, please check click HERE for local vendors and directions on how to rent. There are a number of vendors in our area from whom you can rent to own your child's instrument!
If you need assistance with rental, please let me know by emailing me: macullen.byham@watertown.k12.ma.us
Lesson Content and Practice Ideas
Materials, Resources, and Local Performances
Materials for String Classes
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 (1/2" - 1" is great!)
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
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.
- Firebird Pops (all pops, all the time!): Keep an eye out for upcoming events
- Boston Civic Symphony: Sun, May 12, 2024 @ 3PM/Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
- Kendall Square Orchestra: Sat. June 8th @ 7:30 PM/Kresge Theatre Cambridge, MA
- Brookline Symphony: Sat. May 18th @ 8PM/All Saints Parish, Brookline, MA
- Longwood Symphony: Sat, May 11 @ 8PM/Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
- Rivers Symphony Orchestra: Sat. May 11 @ 7PM/Rivers School, Kraft Dining Hall, Weston
- Lexington Symphony: Sat. May 11, Sun May 12 @ 7:30PM & 3 PM/Cary Hall, Lexington, MA
- Waltham Philharmonic: Sun, May 19 @ 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
Class Schedule
Our lessons are grouped by classroom teacher:
- Mondays (Lowell W): Corcoran, Spatz, Burton
- Tuesdays (Hosmer): Spillane, Doherty, Bellis, Twomey
- Wednesdays (Hosmer): Mattson, Stone, Psychoghios, Gill, Cassaza
- Thursdays (Cunniff) all Cunniff classrooms
- Fridays (Lowell W): Antonellis, Sudbay, Brodeur
Our lessons take place in the first part of the school day, between 8:30 and 10 AM.
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.
Mr. Louis Stringer
We are being joined by our new strings teacher, Mr. Louis Stringer! Mr. Stringer is a bass player who will be an immense help to our lower string students. He will be starting with us on Monday, October 30th.
Louis is an internationally touring bassist and composer. Although based in the United States, Louis has crafted an internationally diverse portfolio with artists from Africa, the USA, Europe, South America and Japan. Performance highlights include: Panama Jazz Festival (2023), The Berklee Global Jazz Summit (2022) and EFG London Jazz Festival (2021).
As an educator Louis has led music masterclasses at Oxford University (UK) and the Fundación Danilo Pérez (Panama). He has spent the last 5 years teaching upright bass and bass guitar lessons as well as composition, music theory and harmony. He has also spent time as part of music focused community outreach programs such as the LEAP ensemble and On the Edge Fusion Orchestra, both based in Birmingham, UK.
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