4th Grade Orchestra Handbook

FORWARD Welcome to the Barrington CUSD 220 Orchestra Program! We're glad you are interested in being part of the orchestra. Orchestra is one of the most rewarding and exciting educational opportunities offered by our schools. Your investment will pay tremendous dividends in your child's life for many years to come.

Beliefs

Everyone is musical

All students can be successful on a string instrument

Learning to play an instrument is a vital part of a well­rounded education

As a public school program, we have a place for every child to be successful regardless

of ability, aptitude, or prior musical experience

A student's success depends far more on the work, practice, and time they put in with

their instrument more than any innate ability or "talent"

We believe that students participating in this instrumental music program will enhance

and enrich their educational experience and give them a foundation for a life filled with a

love for music.

Barrington 220 Orchestra Directors Mrs. Amy Novick ( anovick@barrington220.org ), Barbara Rose, Hough, North Barrington

Mrs. Danielle Pavlos ( dpavlos@barrington220.org ), Lines

Mrs. Melissa Whittley ( mwhittley@barrington220.org ), Grove, Roslyn, Countryside, Sunny Hill

Mr. Michael Duggan ( mduggan@barrington220.org ), BMS‑Station Mr. Michael Nelson ( mnelson@barrington220.org ), BMS‑Prairie Mr. Clark Sheldon ( csheldon@barrington220.org ), BHS

PROGRAM STRUCTURE All fourth grade students who are interested in learning to play a string instrument are invited to participate in the program. Learning to play an instrument is rewarding and fun, but it also requires dedication and patience. Success will come more readily to those students and families making a commitment to learning this new skill. Your investment of time, effort, and encouragement can develop a life­long avocation. We welcome all students into our orchestra program. There is no prior music experience necessary to learn a string instrument in the Barrington 220 orchestra program. We also welcome students who have already started studies on violin, viola, cello, or bass – your director can speak with your family to discuss what ensemble would be the best fit for your child.

FOUR components of the beginning Orchestra Program: 1. Weekly 1/2 hour lessons during the school day 2. Weekly orchestra rehearsals before school 3. Daily home practice 4. Three after­school concerts

1 ­ Lessons Each student has a weekly 30­minute lesson during the school day. Students will come at their lesson time with classmates, and are expected to promptly return to class. Students are excused from academic classes for their lessons. We work carefully with teachers to find the least disruptive time for the lesson, but students will be missing some classroom instruction time for their lesson. Students are responsible for remembering their lesson time and to also make up any missed work in the classroom. Students are required to come to their lessons. Regardless of what is happening in the classroom (with the exception of state testing), because students are enrolled in the orchestra program, they have the obligation to be in orchestra class at their scheduled lesson time. If a classroom teacher wishes to hold the student in class, the student needs to ask their orchestra teacher if they can come during another lesson time if one is available. If a student forgets their instrument, they still need to come to their lesson.

2 ­ Morning Orchestra Rehearsals In addition to weekly lessons, there will be morning orchestra rehearsals to provide the students with the experience of playing with a full ensemble as well as to prepare for concerts. These are an important part of the orchestra curriculum – our ensemble works the best with every person present.

These rehearsals take place at your home school. They start in November and continue through the last concert. They are once a week at 8:00 am. Your student will be supervised beginning at 8:00 am, and will then dismissed before

9:00 am in time to line up for the school day. Your student will need a ride to their school ; carpooling is encouraged. You will be provided with a schedule of the morning orchestra rehearsals for the school

year. Please make every effort to put these dates in your family calendar as soon as possible.

MORNING REHEARSAL ATTENDANCE POLICY (please read carefully): Attendance will be taken at all practices. Please communicate with your teacher if you know your student will be missing a morning

practice. If a student is absent from school that day, it is considered an excused absence. If the student does not attend the morning practice but attends school that day, the absence is

considered an unexcused absence. Students who have an excessive amount of unexcused absences may not be able to

participate in the upcoming concert. This will be discussed on a case by case basis with the student and parent/guardian.

MATERIALS for MORNING REHEARSALS: Instrument, bow, case, rosin & cloth Shoulder bar (violin, viola) or rock­stop (cello, bass) Folding music stand Red Book Essential Elements 2000 for Strings, Book 1 (for their specific instrument) Pencil

3 ­ Home Practice Daily home practice is essential to success on a string instrument. No one is successful on a string instrument (or any skill) without consistent practice. Daily practice is much more effective than lengthy, one­time practice sessions. Establishing a routine with your child is very important to establish successful practicing habits. Help your child establish a time and place where they can practice without distraction. At the beginning of the year, students need to be practicing 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week. By the end of the school year, students should be practicing 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

4 ­ Concerts All students will give three concerts a school year. Participation at the concerts is mandatory. If a student does not attend school the day of the concert, they should not attend the evening concert. Please communicate absences or conflicts with your teacher as soon as possible. These dates can be found on your morning practice schedule as well as on our website .

Concerts in December and May will be in their home school building. The concert in February will be at Barrington High School and will feature all 4th grade

orchestra students in the district, as well as all grade levels in the district, including the Barrington High School orchestras.

CONCERT ATTIRE Our students work very hard preparing for their concerts. It is important when performing in public that our orchestras look and sound professional. Concert attire is as follows:

Black orchestra shirt (provided by your orchestra teacher) Black pants or skirts (must be at least knee length; cello players who choose to wear a

skirt should make sure it is a full floor length skirt so there is ease in playing the cello) Black socks, tights, or hose (nylons) Black shoes

The following items are not acceptable:

Tennis shoes or gym shoes Any form of denim or jeans Athletic pants Leggings as pants

If a family has a problem with the following requirements for concert attire please contact your child's director to make necessary arrangements.

MATERIALS When an instrument is rented from the music store, some items are included, and some need to be purchased separately. Please check to make sure that your child will have the following items for the second lesson:

RENT: Instrument, Case & Bow

PURCHASE WITH INSTRUMENT: Rosin: should be included with each instrument rental, but you can keep it Music book: Essential Elements 2000 Book 1 (for the correct instrument) Folding music stand: Hamilton brand is recommended KUN shoulder bar: for violin and viola only Rock stop: for cello and bass only

FAMILY PROVIDES: Pencil: bring to each lesson Cleaning cloth: part of an old dishrag or an old cotton shirt about the size of a

piece of paper ORCHESTRA PROGRAM PROVIDES:

Red orchestra bag Black orchestra shirt (see Concert Attire above)

FEES The fee for one year in orchestra is $54. This fee will be charged through Infinite Campus.

COMMUNICATION Please visit our website, www.barrington220.org/Page/8749 . It will be updated with information throughout the year. We encourage and welcome communication between orchestra directors and families in the orchestra program. Mrs. Amy Novick ( anovick@barrington220.org ), Barbara Rose, Hough, North Barrington

Mrs. Danielle Pavlos ( dpavlos@barrington220.org ), Lines

Mrs. Melissa Whittley ( mwhittley@barrington220.org ), Grove, Roslyn, Countryside, Sunny Hill

Mr. Michael Duggan ( mduggan@barrington220.org ), BMS‑Station Mr. Michael Nelson ( mnelson@barrington220.org ), BMS‑Prairie Mr. Clark Sheldon ( csheldon@barrington220.org ), BHS

INSTRUMENT SELECTION

What instrument should my student play? Students will be able to choose from the violin, viola, cello, or double bass . Students should select an instrument that has a sound that they love! No matter what instrument they choose to play, the right size is available for the student as string instruments come in fraction sizes. Each instrument has the size that is right for your student. Your student will have the opportunity to try the instrument before a final decision will be made in the initial sizing meeting during the sign­up period.

How should I get an instrument? Students must secure their own instruments for participation in the elementary orchestra by renting an instrument. The music stores listed below have student rentals available, and often have an "option to buy" at the end of the rental period. Your teacher will inform you of the size you need to rent ­ please follow your teacher’s recommendation and not the store’s recommendation for size. You may rent from any reputable musical instrument dealer, and some are listed below. The orchestra teachers have no preference as to where you procure an instrument. However, an instrument must be the proper size and in good playing condition to enable your student to be successful. These stores will deliver to your student’'s school for your convenience. CLASSIC VIOLINS 119 W Maple Ave Mundelein, IL 60060 847­970­3797 www.classicviolins.com

QUINLAN & FABISH 59 W. Seegers Road Arlington Heights, IL 60005 847­253­5592 www.qandf.com

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE AN INSTRUMENT! Purchasing a string instrument can be a wonderful experience but also can be a daunting task. We encourage you to contact us to help with this process if you are interested in purchasing when your child is ready to play a full size. Please refrain from purchasing an instrument from a big­box retail store or from a storefront that does not specialize in string instruments (e.g. a guitar store). Please do not purchase an instrument from the Internet!

Other instrument information If your child comes to their lesson with their instrument that is the wrong size, poor quality, or is in need of repair, we will be sure to let you know. Your student cannot be successful on an instrument that is the wrong size, poor quality, or is in need of repair. The success of each student in the Barrington 220 orchestra program is important, so please do not be offended if your orchestra teacher talks to you about your child's instrument.

INSTRUMENT CARE It is the responsibility of each orchestra member to take care of their instrument.

Keep your instrument clean Wash your hands before you play. After playing, wipe off the rosin dust and fingerprints with a soft, clean cloth.

Handle with care Your instrument is made of breakable wooden parts. If anything goes wrong with your instrument, bring it to your teacher so they can repair it

or contact the music store. Please don’t attempt to fix it on your own. Do not let your instrument get too hot or too cold. For example, never leave it in a car or

by the heat or air conditioning vent. Do not leave your instrument at school overnight. Violin/viola: When you put your instrument in your case, latch the latches before lifting

the case. Keep your instrument in it's case when is it not being played at home. Only students should play their instrument – no other family or friends should play the

instrument.

Tuning Instruments are tuned at their lessons by the teacher. If it will be a long time until the student will see the teacher again, please take the instrument to a reputable music store; they can tune it, too. Students will eventually be taught how to tune their own instrument, but before then please do not allow your student to tune their instrument as strings can break if done incorrectly.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What if my student already plays the violin, viola, cello, or bass? They can play with their 4th grade classmates or they can play with the 5th grade orchestra. This decision will be made by the orchestra director as well as your family. Do they need to know how to read music before they join the orchestra program? No prior experience or knowledge is necessary. We start without reading music notation, and by the middle of the first year we introduce note reading. What is the cost to be in the Barrington 220 orchestra program? There is a one time fee of $54 which will be charged through Infinite Campus. You will also provide an instrument and materials (see Instrument Selection and Materials sections) What should I do if my child loses interest? It is natural for a student's interest to change over the course of studying a new instrument. Parents should expect this, as most students cannot sustain the level of interest they have when they begin an instrument. At times of low motivation, support from home in addition to support from the orchestra director will help the student continue to progress, as often adults have the big picture and can see the long term benefits of studying an instrument. As a student continues to progress on an instrument, student's motivation typically increases because they can see the progress they have made. Where can I find the schedule of concerts and rehearsals? Schedules can be found on our website (www.barrington220.org/Page/8749) and will also be distributed at the beginning of the year. Can my student play grandma's violin (or other legacy instrument)? We understand the sentimental value of a family interest, however, your orchestra teacher can help you determine if the instrument is right for your child. Some factors that will be considered are the size of the instrument as well as the quality of the instrument. When and how can my child withdraw from the orchestra program? We encourage the students to complete a whole academic year in the orchestra program. The appropriate and suggested time to withdraw from the program would be at the end of the academic year . A parent needs to initiate a conversation with the director to discuss this process and to request the drop form. Students are still considered in the orchestra program and will continue to receive progress reports until the drop form has been fully completed by parent, teacher, and student.