The past few weeks have been busy and we are doing many things in orchestra. Practice sheets will begin after the Labor Day weekend, so please keep an eye out for that. I sent home information to 7th and 8th graders who are interested in auditioning for the UGA Junior Orchestra Festival. Our Fiddle group has been rehearsing on Thursdays after school. Our first fiddle performance is tomorrow! We will be playing at the Love The Lake festival at Cauble Park in Acworth at 10:30. The following is an update of what we have been working on in class:
6th Grade: All students should now have an instrument, shoulder rest for violin/viola, book, and pencil. We have learned the note names of open strings, how to hold the instrument, how to hold the bow, how to move the bow, how to read a music staff, and how to pizzicato (pluck) the strings. Students have had their first test: the bow hold. On Tuesday, they will be tested on #9 in the book.
7th Grade: Sight-reading skills and review! We have been looking at new music as well as reviewing finger positions, note identification and scales. We will be working out of book 2 more regularly starting next week. The book will be part of preparation. We are also getting used to different class dynamics compared to last year; we have joined two classes into one class of 45 members.
8th Grade: The violins have learned the 3rd octave of the G major scale which requires 2 shifting positions. In addition to daily warm-ups, the orchestra has been sightreading and learning new music that is appropriate for the 8th grade level of playing.
