violin

5 Reasons for 5 strings

/ Katie / Leave a comment

I teach beginning orchestra with a 5 string violin

I am a cellist, but I teach beginning orchestra with a 5 string violin every day. I absolutely love having my instrument daily. Here are 5 reasons why.

  1. Modelling for your students. Kids need an example regularly.
  2. This instrument is mine. No students touch it, I don’t have to borrow a small kid’s instrument and contract their germs. That’s gross
  3. I can accompany my kids. Having an understanding of chords and how they work on an orchestral string instrument is an invaluable skill to have. You don’t always have time to use the method book CD. Accompany them yourself!
  4. We don’t wait in silence! We start our kids in 5th grade. They take the Jr. High bus in the morning, and we bus them from the Jr. High to the Intermediate school. Instead of just waiting for the bus, I always play tunes. Fiddle tunes, movie tunes, excerpts from the high school’s music… you name it!
  5. E A D G C: I have all 5 strings that my students have.

When I play violin, I play a Snow 5 string with a flower in the pegbox and a friendship bracelet around the scroll. I got it from Paige’s Music in Indianapolis (I’d recommend them in a heartbeat) The strings are a little close together and if I were to take private lessons, I would pursue a 4 string violin or viola, especially for shifting on the D, G, and C strings. Again, I am primarily a cellist unless I’m playing folk music, where I love playing cello AND fiddle.

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Christmas in July

/ Katie / 1 Comment

Ordering new music for the school year was like Christmas in July.

I am so so excited to really dive into this music with my students this year. Our library has been lacking in some upper level (grade 3-5) pieces, so this year I was able to help fill that hole in our library. I sat down with a glass of a good tasting liquid and a light snack and camped out on my couch. I spent time listening to so many pieces, reflected upon and reviewed lists from sight reading sessions at the state music education association’s sight reading sessions and the ASTA national conference sight reading sessions, then came up with the pieces below.

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Let’s say, this is one happy camper of an orchestra director, and a bunch of kids are super excited after hearing their fall concert rep. I played recordings of their fall concert music the first week of school, and multiple students came to say how excited they were because the enjoyed listening so much. Each orchestra has a cinematic-ish piece, a classical piece, and a different genre piece

Concert Orchestra (lower level High School): Fingal’s Rock, Pioneer Sky, (3rd. piece possibly Bavarian Rhapsody)

Symphony Orchestra (upper HS, Strings only this trimester): Allegro Moderato-from Saint Saëns Sympony 3, Loonacy, Jazzed Up and High Strung.

Do you have a harpist in your orchestra? I’m working with one, soon to be two. What pieces have you programmed?

Beginners or Bust!

/ Katie / Leave a comment

On July 10th my orchestra team embarked on our annual beginning orchestra summer classes. I want to call it a summer camp, but it’s never been called that here. When I say orchestra camp, I get SUPER confused looks. Summer Orchestra, Beginning Orchestra, Orchestra Camp…it’s all the same if it’s provided by your school.

Now that I have that out, I have to say that our beginners are super awesome this year. I may end up saying that every year, but this year’s beginning class is filled with self sufficient, exploratory learners who listen well, and practice. (My sarcastic/realistic brain is asking me, “how long will that last?”) Most beginners have this desire to learn that is so so great, and the excitement of opening your case for the first time, and getting your bows. It’s like a 5-year-old on Christmas.

Here are some of our tricks

  • We actually take the bows out of their cases on the first day. The students will earn them back as soon as their bow holds are solid.
  • use the “Shaka” hand sign to help measure your cello end pin height. (Thumb to pinky from the base of your end pin towards the tip of the end pin. Other words, two pinky to thumb lengths.)IMG_1976
  • “tattoos” for bow placement in the fingersIMG_1984
  • Smoothie straw bow holds!
    • a smoothie straw has about the same diameter as a bow.
    • they are easy to smush, but if you have a good bow hold, you won’t smush your straw. Watch out for tension
  • Bow-robics
    • “aerobics” routine for your bow hold.
  • Reading music process
    • point and say rhythm (Point to learn how to keep your eyes tracking the music. Rhythm first because you can play every note in tune, but if it isn’t at the right time because of rhythmic issues, it will always be wrong.)
    • point and say notes (I always sing them and the kids follow suit. Ear training…it’s always important)
    • pizz. notes
    • say/ air bow the bow directions (super helpful connection step, especially for new players and dyslexic students)
    • bow piece (if it’s meant to be bowed)
  • Rhythm reading ASAP
    • with a metronome or funky backbeat
    • pulse eighth notes/quavers with your voice. 1, 2, 3, 4 sounds wo-uhn, two-oo, three-ee, fo-ur (please use whichever counting system makes your heart happy, just keep it consistent from start through 12th grade so they have a firm grasp)
    • rests are just as important as pitches. (rests have feelings too you know)
    • rhythm. rhythm. rhythm. (kids don’t always have that…)
  • Zip Zap Zoom for Violins and Violas (This came from my assistant director, and I loved it!)
    • Start on the shoulder Day 1
    • Zip is the “Statue of Liberty stance”
    • Zap is the table top/ upward motion which allows you to bring the instrument down on the right spot on your shoulder.
    • Zoom is the motion bringing your violin/viola down to your shoulder. The word “Zoom” can be slowed down so we aren’t just plopping our instruments on our shoulders. The “mmm” sounds also help us keep our mouths closed when we play. We don’t want tension, but we don’t want our mouths wide open either.
  • Listen
    • give kids listening in class, or as they walk in. Let them hear Classical music, pop covers, fiddle music, free improv! (Expose them to everything)
    • YOU. Listen to them, and play for them too. (In college, they preached Model, Model, Model. Yes, show your kids what to do, but take a step back too! You need to hear their progress or challenges in order to diagnose problems.)
  • Bass Demo first
    • If you are not a bass player, it is easy to forget that their instruments are INSANELY DIFFERENT! I try to demonstrate, or accommodate basses before cellos, in a low strings class so that I don’t forget them. We have 2 basses and 12 cellos. I’m a cellist.
  •  Accompaniment
    • Steady tempi are coming from accompaniment right now. ESPECIALLY when we pizz pieces.