What practical supplies can I buy for my child that will help he/she progress?If you are like me, you might be a last-minute shopper for gifts. Or, you are the savvy shopper that scouts for deals online and stalks the local stores. In either case, this is a list of ideas for you that pertain to your child's involvement in orchestra. (links are in red)
Tuners Students who keep an instrument at home and use a different one at school could benefit from a tuner that clips on to the instrument. There are many brands out there, but I find the ones that work best are the ones that clip onto either the scroll (violin/viola) or the tail piece (cello and bass). New Strings Believe it or not, strings do have an expiration date. There isn't an exact formula, but usually within one-three years or less, strings have gone false (plucks one pitch, while bows another, or has trouble tuning in fifths) or worn to the core (usually starts to unravel or develops nicks in the surface). All of the rental stores in town carry these items, or there are numerous places to order them online (here, here, and here). I recommend for violin or viola, the Red Label, Dominant, Pirastro, or D'Addario, but there are many price points. I also recommend purchasing them as a set (all four strings together). Bow Re-hair or New Bow Click the link above for an in-depth explanation about when to re-hair, but basically, bow hair wears out. Frequent breaking or shedding is usually an indicator. Or, maybe an upgrade is in order. Rosin This is a great time to check in and make sure your child has rosin for the bow. There are SO MANY out there, but there are plenty of cheaper options that will do the trick. If the recipient is a high school student, I recommend some of the more refined options like this and this. If you are looking for something that works and is FUN, then check this out. Music We are blessed to have a store in town that sells a wide variety of music, J.W. Pepper. I hope this post gives you some ideas. :) You can always contact me as well if you have questions. 0 Comments My apologies for the tight turn-a-round, but if you are/were looking to order more LHS Music Apparel for yourself or your family, we have more options available to you. The good or bad news, depending on how you look at it: it is all online this year. The link to the ordering web page is below:
www.bsnteamsports.com Access Code (for login): sabers7W82 Here is the lowdown for March - and there's quite a bit so hang on to your device!
Conferences I will be available for conferencing on Monday, March 13th in the Marketplace. If you can't make it and you want to visit with me, you can either give me a call or email me and I would be happy to visit with you. Instruments This is a good time of year to check over your student's instrument and ask your student what is needed. Yellowed or dirty bow hair/lack of bow hair are indicators that the bow needs rehairing. Frayed strings need replacing, and some students might benefit from an instrument "tune-up" which is to take the instrument in and check the peg fittings, bridge placement, etc. The Next Concert is a Delicious One! March 16th, 7:30 PM is our Yummy Chamber Ensembles Recital, which is going to take place in the Legacy Marketplace this year (crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes). This is a dessert and coffee potluck. I will provide the coffee, you provide a dessert, and all sit, eat and drink, and enjoy each other's company while being serenaded by students. Concert dress will be black (no uniforms required). North Dakota All-State Festival I will be gone March 23-24th to take students to All-State here in Bismarck at the Event Center, and to manage the conference that goes alongside. WDA Solo and Ensemble Contest - Jamestown, March 30th The students and I will be traveling up to Jamestown to perform for constructive feedback and placement for state. We have been rehearsing the music for over a month, so I am excited to see what takes place. Giving Bach We are putting together another Giving Bach project this semester. Retirement facilities, the malls, etc are good places for students to arrange a performance. I am excited to see what will come from this opportunity. Tour - New York City 2018 The first tour deposit has been paid, and our next payment scheduled is due May 1st. There is still time for those that did not put forth a deposit to jump in for May. Payment amount is $577, which brings me to... Fundraising We are currently in Country Meats Jerky full swing, and we will stay that way until April 19th (Happy Tax Day!). Now, I'm looking to try a bake sale (where those who contribute baked goods for sale can divide the proceeds) but I am looking for some assistance and direction on where and when to hold it. Those of you who have held bake sales in the past and could provide some knowledge and assistance, please contact me and we can put it all together. We have begun our second fundraiser of the year, the Country Meats Fundraiser. We will continue this fundraiser through April, to allow ample time to sell and raise money for the following: International Music Camp. Here is the letter that goes along with it. You can pre-order as well, and here's the form for that.
First off, allow me to express how very proud I am to work with such great students. Our concert yesterday evening was a success, and I've received positive feedback from many teachers and students who were able to attend. Students, you did a fabulous job - thank you for your hard work!
Cookie Dough. What's the next fundraiser? Ughh. We can all agree that while it turned a good profit, the ending/delivery of cookie dough was unfortunate (and turned my hair a little more grey). Apparently the shipping and distribution center in Bismarck has been tardy with deliveries. I made sure to voice my extreme disappointment with how our delivery was handled (a late delivery which had me standing outside for a half hour in 30-below winchill moving cookie dough around?). That said, for those who participated and produced a profit, your student accounts have been updated with the new totals. I will send those out soon via email. We are going to do beef sticks as our next fundraiser. That one is hard to mess up. :) I'm aiming for January/February for that one. Tour Deposit Many of my students are new to the NYC tour (meaning they haven't already submitted a deposit) and those students will need to submit their $100 deposit by January 15th, 2017 if they intend to go (check made to Group Travel Planners). Tour dates are May 28th-June 2nd, 2018. UND honors participants, your packets have been mailed to me. I will ask my sub to check my mailbox so he/she can hand them out to you while I'm gone. Your packet contains information about the event. This year we will be a part of the final performance that includes band and choir. Our current plans are to stay at the AmericInn in Grand Forks, and cost is $90 for two nights. I don't know who to make the check to yet. All-State Orchestra Auditions January 7th is our day for auditions. Students who plan to audition - PRACTICE! If you need assistance when we get back from break, I can take some time to work with you. The music this year is rather challenging. And lastly... Thank you. Thank you for making my first semester in my new teaching position such a joy. I am thankful that I get to work with such wonderful students and families. I hope you have a restful and relaxing break with your family and friends and loved ones. Please be thinking good thoughts for my 4-year-old Elsa, since she's getting her tonsils and adenoids removed tomorrow (Wednesday). I'm hoping and praying she heals fast and everything goes well. It has been quite the year for sick kids in our household. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to you all! We have a lot of irons in the fire! Students have received music for both our December and February concerts, as well as a project for Giving Bach, which takes the place of the concert reviews students had to complete in previous years. We will have the results of this great project on display for our February concert.
Students who wish to Letter in orchestra class will need to attend an at-level-or-above orchestra concert, or concert featuring orchestra instruments, once a semester. I have a drawer in my office with empty folders for students to store their materials if they wish to use. One more reminder: students are in charge of gathering and storing these requirements. If there are questions, please ask. Orchestra students participated in the Saber "Sweets 'n Treats" event, handing out Halloween candy to the littles, and it was a lot of fun! I hope the tradition continues next year! All-State auditions will take place on Saturday, January 7th, at BSC Shafer Hall. Students, if you would like help with your audition materials, please visit with me. I am more than willing to make time to work with you. Cookie dough orders will be delivered Friday, December 9th, so please plan to come by after school and pick up your orders, students. Our next fundraiser will take place starting second semester. I plan to do Butterbraids and Beef Sticks before the school year is out. Hey, Legacy Orchestra Families! I will be holding a meeting about our upcoming 2018 tour next week October 6th, in the Legacy Orchestra Room. We'll start at 7:00 PM. I will have Door 7 open so you can come through the south entrance. If you cannot attend, I will post any updates or common questions to the Tour webpage. I will also have a summary of your son or daughter's activities account available.
Fundraising Kick-off on Wednesday, October 5th Tom from Great American Fundraising will be at Legacy to start us on our cookie dough fundraiser. Students receive 40% of profit and more if they can sell magazine renewals, which are part of this fundraiser. Patron Tickets I have given students a LHS patron ticket letter, the sales of which benefit both the student and our music programs. Students who sell these tickets get a $20 kickback into their activities account. I have an outdated letter posted on my webpage, but the prices and everything else are the same. I will be honoring any ticket sales in our concert programs. Student Activity Fees I am still collecting student activity fees for our concert attire. Please help me by turning those in - thanks! Conferences I will be available for conferences on Monday, Oct. 3rd, from 4:00-7:45 PM. We are well underway to a great start to the school year! Thank you, students and parents, for making me feel welcome at Legacy. As of now, our first concert will be October 17th, 7:30 PM at Legacy, and we have some great pieces to perform.
Orchestra Tour As of now, all information on tour can be found under the Fundraising tab at the top of the website. We have a great tour planned for New York City in 2018! I will be scheduling an LHS Orchestra family meeting to discuss fundraising options and answer questions about tour. This will take place in late September, and I will let you know the date by the end of next week. Legacy Music Boosters The Legacy Music Boosters is an organization that supports all of the music departments at Legacy High School. If you would like to be involved in supporting our orchestra department and music at Legacy High School, please contact Summerly, president of Legacy Music Boosters. Instruments, Uniforms, and Fees All students have tried on uniforms and almost all were able to take them home (I have a couple of orders to make). Please have all fees paid by September 30th. This can be accomplished by bringing check or money to me (make checks to LHS), or by utilizing My Payments Plus. If you have any questions or concerns about fees, please contact me. High School Orchestra Festival - September 30th-October 1st Every year, the orchestra students have an opportunity to take part in the a state-wide orchestra festival, where we hone our sight-reading skills and musicality. This year's event will take place in Jamestown. Any high school orchestra student who wishes to attend can sign up with me. Because it is an overnight stay, students in the past have paid around $36 to alleviate the cost of the hotel. All-State Orchestra Materials The All-State Committee is in the process of finalizing the audition requirements for students, which is why I don't have anything to hand out. As soon as I have these materials, I will distribute them to students. I would suggest that those who are interested in auditioning seek supplemental time with a private lessons teacher, or schedule some Saber time with me to go over the materials. Auditions will take place between January 5th-8th, and are usually held in the music/performance hall at BSC. Students and families, welcome back to a new school year! As you may have gathered, I am your new orchestra teacher, Mrs. Tafelmeyer. I am excited to teach and work with you this fall. We have some great things planned for the coming school year!
Here are some "Back to School" things you will need to know:
Here's to a great start to a great year! |
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November 2017
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