Category: News

Dear Alpharetta Orchestra families and friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that I will not be returning to Alpharetta High School next school year. The decision to depart from such an amazing school and community was not easy but was mainly personal in nature. My family is the most important thing to me, and as many of you know, my home is quite a long commute from AHS. Time is priceless and the one thing in life that you can’t ever get back once it’s gone. Teaching at a school closer to home will allow me to make the best use of my time for myself, my family, and my work. 

The last six years at Alpharetta High School have been absolutely incredible. I am extremely grateful for my wonderful, talented, hard-working students. You are essentially my second family and have always made me feel special. I have enjoyed working with you and seeing you excel and grow. I love that I have been able to be there for you when you needed me. You demonstrated such bravery and courage through the worst of the pandemic and have come out on top, fully reunited this year. I couldn’t be more proud of how far you all have come! I will always care greatly for each of you and wish you nothing but the very best as you navigate through your high school career or move on to college, careers, and adulthood.  Keep playing, keep loving music, and take good care of yourselves. I will miss you! 

The orchestra program could not have been nearly as successful without the immense support from the AHS school administration. Dr. Kersey, you are the best — always supportive and encouraging, yet have allowed me the freedom to make the best decisions for the orchestra program and my students.

Our AHS Orchestra Association board parents have also played a vital role in our success whether assisting with fundraisers, supporting student socials, or putting together the most amazing hospitality before and after performances.  You have always gone the extra mile to make the orchestra experience so special for the students and for me.  I have to admit, I have been pretty spoiled by you and want to let you all know how much you are appreciated.  Thank you!

Finally, I am forever indebted to my fellow AHS music teachers (here’s looking at you Mr. Walsh, Mr. Jenkins, Ms. Levesque, and Mr. Kaufman!) and the entire Fine Arts department (special shout-out to our fearless leader, Ms. Magill!).  I have always felt welcomed and at home with the entire AHS faculty and staff. Your support, encouragement, mentorship, and friendship in both personal and professional matters mean the world to me and I will never forget you. 

As we complete the remaining weeks of this school year, I want to embrace the final experiences we will have together at our senior showcase, awards banquet, and graduation ceremony. I will always cherish the memories that have been made at Alpharetta High School and will keep them with me forever.  My heart is filled with gratitude.

Peace and love always,

Dr. Laux

Spring Concert

Our Spring “Pops” Concert is less than two weeks away!  Please join us on Tuesday, May 3 at 7:00 PM for this fun event filled with great music from all orchestras!

Symphony Performance at Spring Band Concert

The AHS Symphony will perform at the AHS Band concert on Thursday, April 28 starting at 7:00 PM.  The symphony will play “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah.”

SPF (Student Participation Fee)

We are still waiting for Student Participation Fee (SPF) payments from dozens of families.  SPF is $120 annually. These funds are critical to our yearly budget and desperately needed in order to provide the best possible experiences for our students.  We accept PayPal payments on our website, Zelle payments through your bank, or checks payable to AHSOA.

PayPal:  https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/pay

Zelle: Send to [email protected] and please include student’s name in the memo.

Checks: payable to AHSOA and can be sent into school and deposited in the lockbox in the orchestra room.

Please let our AHSOA Treasurer, Erin Barrett, know if you have any questions.

Senior Showcase

Our Senior Showcase will be held on Tuesday, May 10 at 7:00 PM in the AHS Auditorium.  This event is a way for our seniors to strut their stuff one last time on the AHS stage.  All orchestra students are REQUIRED to attend this event for a minor grade.

Awards Banquet

The annual AHS Orchestra Awards Banquet will be held on Thursday, May 12, 2022, from 6:00 PM-9:00 PM at the Iron Horse Golf Club, 3430 Highway Nine North, Milton, GA 30004. This is the same location as last year, but has a new name. (Google Maps Link)

We will present awards, honor our graduating seniors, and enjoy a tasty buffet-style meal that includes dinner, drinks, and dessert. Food will be served from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM.

Please dress appropriately. Please no jeans, shorts, etc.

The menu

• Warm Rolls & butter
• Mixed Greens Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette & Ranch Dressing
• Southern Green Beans
• Mashed Potatoes
  Macaroni & Cheese
• Herb Roasted Chicken with Chef’s Choice Sauce
• Beef Lasagna
• Choc chip cookies, Brownies, Cake
• Water, sweet tea, unsweet tea, lemonade, sprite & coffee

Banquet Tickets

Tickets are $28 per person and can be ordered online and paid via PayPal.

The other option to pay is via Zelle payment through your bank.  You can direct Zelle Payments to [email protected].

Be sure to include the student’s name and # of tickets you are purchasing in the memo.

The deadline for ordering awards banquet tickets is Tuesday, May 3 or until capacity is reached.

Graduation

Congratulations to our senior class of 2022! All students who are non-seniors and members of Philharmonia, Sinfonia, Symphony and Chamber will join members of the AHS band to play at graduation.  The ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 26 (our last day of school).  We will have rehearsal at about 4:00 PM and the ceremony will begin at around 7:00 PM.  This is a required event for these students and a great way to end the school year while paying a final tribute to our amazing senior class of 2022!

Senior Honor Cords

Seniors who have spent four years in the AHS orchestra program are eligible for a senior honor cord. The cords are just $6 and can be paid for online or with the cash or check brought into school and put in the dropbox. 

Looking for a way to pay for next year’s SPF??

The AHSAA Ameris Ovations program has kicked off for the 2022 season. The Orchestra is part of the Alpharetta High School Athletic Association which participates in the Ovations Not-For-Profit fundraising program. Participation in this program allows families of students the opportunity to earn credits to offset their Booster Club participation fees by working at the Ameris Bank Amphitheater during concerts and events.  You must be 21 or older to volunteer.  All earned money is awarded in January. With the amount you earn this summer, you can be refunded up to the amount you pay for 2022-2023 Student Participation Fees only, all extra is considered a donation to the Orchestra program (thank you!). For more information on the AHSAA Ovation program and register go to: http://ahsverizonvolunteers.weebly.com/ 

Upcoming Dates

• Thursday, April 28 – Symphony performs on Band concert, 7 PM
• Tuesday, May 3 – Spring Pops Concert, 7 PM
• Tuesday, May 10 – Senior Showcase Concert, 7 PM
• Thursday, May 12 – AHSO Awards Banquet, Iron Horse Club, 6 PM | TICKETS
• Friday, May 13 – Last Day for Seniors
• Thursday, May 26 – Graduation ceremony (Orchestra will perform), 7:30 PM

Winter Concert

Our winter concert is here!  Come listen to the AHS Orchestras this Thursday at 6:30 PM for our first concert in the AHS Auditorium since December of 2019!

Joining us will be members of the Webb Bridge and Hopewell Middle School 8th grade Orchestras.  We are excited to welcome our future Raiders to the building.

Students, remember in order to earn your full concert grade you must adhere to these guidelines:

• Arrive to the orchestra room on time. Call time is 6:00 PM for those not eating dinner and 5:00 for those participating in our pre-concert dinner.
• Be dressed in proper orchestra uniform, including black socks and shoes.
• Do your best on stage, remain focused throughout the performance
• Be a respectful audience member when not on stage performing.
  • Cell phones are not allowed in the auditorium. Students with cell phones in their possession in the auditorium will lose a portion of their concert grade.
• Students must stay for the entire concert and must sign out after the concert is complete, the stage is struck, and all equipment is returned to the orchestra room.

Pre-Concert Dinner

Our amazing AHSOA will providing dinner for our students before the concert on Thursday.  We will enjoy an Italian meal of pasta and salad beginning at around 5:00 PM.  Students were asked to RSVP yesterday if they were eating during before the concert.

Final Assignments

We are almost done with the first semester – it’s hard to believe how fast it has gone! Our last home assessment was due last night (Practice Vlog #4 and a listening assignment).  The last few grades are the Winter Concert (Major, 2X multiplier) and a concert self-assessment that we will complete on Friday.  Please let Dr. Laux know if you have questions or concerns about grades/assignments.

Holiday Gift Exchange

Our orchestra holiday gift exchange is this Tuesday, December 14 before school (at around 7:45 AM)!  We have exchanged names and mixed classes for the first time this year to help promote our larger orchestra community. Don’t forget to go out this weekend to buy for your secret person!  Remember, gifts should be a maximum of $10.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone exchange gifts and spread some holiday cheer!

Symphony at the AHS Band Concert

Each year the wind, brass, and percussion player in the full symphony give up their time to perform for the orchestra concert, so this year the symphony string players will be returning the favor by performing Christmas Festival at the band concert on Monday, December 13 at 7:00 PM in the AHS Auditorium.  Come out and support our hard-working band students next week!

Holiday Gifts

Parents, are you looking for that great holiday gift for your special string player? Here is a list of some things that can help students play better and sound better.

• New Strings
• Metronome/Tuner
• Sheet music books
• Rosin
• New/Upgraded Bow
• Upgraded Instrument

Please support our local string vendors who have in turn supported the AHS Orchestra Program through ads in our annual program book.

• Beau Vinci Violins
• Ron Sachs Violins
• Atlanta Violins

All-State Orchestra

Congratulations to the following orchestra for successfully completing round 2 of the GMEA All-State Orchestra auditions!

These students will complete their third and final round audition in January.  Good luck, Raiders and thank you for continuing to represent AHS in such a positive way!

SPF – Student Participation Fee

It is expected that each orchestra student pay their fair share toward the orchestra program.  Like any other activity that has activities outside of the school day and provides services and opportunities for students, we must charge a fee in order to make everything happen.  

This year the fee is $120 per student.  If you have not paid your SPF, please do so as soon as possible.  You may pay online at https://www.alpharettaorchestra/pay or via check made payable to AHSOA.

Compared with other orchestra programs across the county, state, and country, our fees are nominal.  Some examples of things that SPF funds are the KSU Orchestra Invitational, LGPE Entry Fees, our pre-concert dinners, orchestra socials, the orchestra t-shirts, orchestra room supplies and accessories, sheet music, and more.  To date, less than half of students have paid this fee.  Our annual budget is constructed with the anticipation that we will receive these funds from every student and we may be unable to continue to provide the goods, services, and experiences to students for the remainder of this year if we do not receive the remaining funds.

Please let me know if you have any questions and do feel free to reach out if you have extenuating circumstances or would like to divide the SPF into smaller payment increments. We are happy to work with you on this.

Thank you for your help and understanding.

Washington D.C. Trip

There are still openings for our trip to Washington D.C. on March 11-14, 2022!  We would love to have you travel with us! We will explore D.C., experience an orchestra clinic with a nationally-known clinician, and perform a public concert.  These experiences don’t come around often and I know many of the students have not traveled since before the pandemic. An orchestra trip like this can be the highlight of a student’s high school experience!

Our Itinerary and trip details: https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Alpharetta-HS-Washington-DC-March-11-14-2022-LOW-1.pdf

How to register: https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/How-To-Register.pdf

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!!

AHSO on Social Media

Don’t forget to check out the AHSO on social media!

• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/alpharettaorchestra/
• Twitter – https://twitter.com/alpharettaorch
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/alpharettaorchestra
• YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/AlpharettaHSOrchestras

The AHSO Podcast

• Anchor – https://anchor.fm/alpharettahsorchestra
• Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/75Y0ZaS25wve5G6cyxG35L
• Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alpharetta-high-school-orchestra-podcast/id1548191355
• Google – https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80NmViYmE2OC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

Upcoming Events

• Winter Concert – Thursday, December 9
• LGPE Preview Concert – Thursday, February 2 (AHS Auditorium)
• LGPE – February 14-17 (Hosted at Roswell HS)
• Washington D.C. Trip – March 11-14
• Spring Concert – Tuesday, May 3
• Senior Showcase – Tuesday, May 10
• Awards Banquet – Thursday, May 12 (Information coming in January)

Symphony Under the Stars is here!

Come see the orchestras perform this Tuesday, October 19 at 6:30 PM.  I think you will joy our selections, as we have a wide variety of different music.  There will be themes from master composers J.S. Bach, Jean-Joseph Mouret, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Jean Sibelius, and more.

Again, the concert will start at 6:30 PM.  We will hopefully conclude by around 8:30 PM at the very latest.  

Students must stay for the entire concert to receive their full concert grade.   Part of the experience is supporting each of the orchestras and fellow orchestra family members.

At the end of the concert, all students are responsible for putting away their instruments and also helping bring back music stands, chairs, stools, director’s podium, audio equipment, etc. before they leave. 

Pre-Concert Dinner

Our incredible AHSOA hospitality chair, Ms. Yoo, and our AHSOA board will be serving dinner to all interested students starting at 5:00 PM before the concert. 

MENU: 

• Vegetable Fried rice
• Chicken with veggies
• Veggie dumplings
• Veggie noodles

Students MUST RSVP  by Monday at 2:30 PM for our dinner using this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCW-n0RfxNl7-oE7NBA1k_7B2vK34-3Gn_Ww_9fC3rFK_DvA/viewform

Grading for concerts:

1. Be on time.  6:00 PM report time.  (5:00 PM if you are eating dinner)

2. Come dressed (or changed into) in concert uniform.

• Gentlemen:  BLACK Dress shoes and BLACK calf-height socks.  (No leg should be showing when you are sitting down).
• Ladies: Black shoes and socks/tights/hose.  Your shoes should not be showing when you sit down, nor should any leg).
• All students: Please bring a hoodie if you think you will be cold as the sun goes down.

3. Do your very best on stage!

• When performing, students should have their eyes on the conductor at all times so they understand when to sit/stand/play.
• Focus on the task at hand, not on the audience, friends, etc.
• Phones should be off and NOT with you/on your music stand.  Please leave phones in your locker or stowed in your violin case.

4.  Be a good audience member. 

• Phones should be off and stowed. You should not be using them during the concert.  Period.
•  Full attention should be given to the performers.  Students should not be talking or moving around when other groups are performing.

5. Sign-out at the end of the concert

• All students are REQUIRED to stay for the entire concert. This is part of the learning experience. Please do not ask to leave early, unless previously discussed.
• All students are required to sign-out at the end of the concert to receive their full grade.
• Sign-out sheets will be released once all equipment has been brought back to the orchestra room. Clean-up takes 10 minutes if EVERYONE helps. 🙂

Additional notes:  

• Students are not allowed to roam the non-fine arts hallways or other parts of campus.
• Students should be respectful of our equipment and facilities at all times.
• Students who need to be excused from a portion of the concert (for any reason) should notify Dr. Laux in advance.

A few notes for Parents:  

1. We will be recording the concert using our wide-angle camera and good microphones.  Please refrain from making videos of the concert as it can be very distracting for our performers and other patrons. 

2.  Please bring a blanket, hoodies, cushions, etc. to stay warm and comfy during the concert.  It may get chilly as the sun goes down. Most audience members sit on the stairs leading down to the patio.

3.  Unlike indoor concerts, you may bring snacks/drinks to the concert, but please be sure to deposit all trash in the receptacles.

4.  There will be limited room for some (bring your own) folding chairs in front of the orchestra or at the top of the stairs.

Reminders for next week’s KSU Trip

(This is for all orchestras except Concert)

1. Permission forms (signed by parent/teachers) are due to Dr. Laux this week.
2. $10 lunch fee is due now.  Bring in cash/check to the dropbox or pay online with PayPal at https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/paypal
3. We will be missing ALL DAY of classes on Friday, 10/29.  Please plan accordingly. We will be back for the Homecoming football game.

KSU Itinerary: 

Friday, October 29, 2021

• 8:10 AM – Leave AHS for Kennesaw State University 
• 9:30 AM – Philharmonia warm-up
• 10:15 AM – Philharmonia performance 
• 11:00 AM – Sinfonia warm-up
• 11:45 PM – Sinfonia performance
• 12:15 PM – Lunch at KSU dining facility, “The Commons” & Campus Tour
• 1:45 PM – Symphony warm-up
• 2:15 PM – Symphony performance 
• 2:45 PM – KSU Symphony Orchestra’s Performance
• 3:30 PM – Leave KSU for AHS
• 4:30 PM – Arrive back at AHS