Thank you for attending the meeting on 9/28/2021 for our Washington D.C. Trip! We will be touring D.C. from March 11-14, 2022!
Here is a link to watch the meeting video:
Here are documents that were shown during the meeting:
Please let me know if you have additional questions or concerns… I’m looking forward to a fun and educational tour!!
Due to delays in receiving uniforms and our program book production schedule, we will need to postpone our fall concert.
Unfortunately, our auditorium is heavily booked for the month, so I have decided to relocate our concert to an outdoor location on campus.
Our new theme will be “Symphony Under the Stars!” Bring your cushions, blankets, snacks, and enjoy an evening outdoors while listening to our amazing students!
Our new concert date is now Tuesday, October 19 and we will begin at 6:30 PM. Please mark this date in your calendar now. You won’t want to miss all of the orchestras performing for you.
Please also note our rain date of Wednesday, October 20.
Our Washington D.C. Trip is coming on March 11-14. It’s not too late to hop on and be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. All orchestra members are encouraged to participate!!
We will have an informational meeting for interested students & parents on Tuesday, September 28 at 7:00 PM on Teams.
In the meeting, we will go over the itinerary, pricing, and answer questions you may have.
A link to the Teams meeting is here:
Dresses are in and will be distributed to those who have paid today and tomorrow. Please remember that most dresses will need to be hemmed to length. Please advise your tailor/seamstress to not cut the fabric, but to allow for further lengthening as students grow taller.
Tuxedos are scheduled for delivery late this week or early next week.
If you have not done so, please pay for your uniform online:
Our trip is set for Friday, October 29! More information and the itinerary can be found in last week’s newsletter on 9/20/21.
I can accept program book advertisements for one more week. The hard deadline is this Friday, October 1!
Please see this page for details:
Payments for the Student Participation Fee ($120) and Uniform ($67 dresses, $120 tuxedos) are overdue. Please remit payment online or in a check payable to AHSOA. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to Dr. Laux.
Last Friday we had a very fun movie night with pizza, snacks, desserts, and drinks. Thank you to the AHSOA for providing the pizza and to everyone who attended and brought items to share. It’s great to see the orchestra family!
We are looking for podcast episodes! Have some fun music you’d like to talk about and share? Want to do a promo for our upcoming Fall concert? Do you have another idea?? The stage is yours! Our podcast is on Spotify, Apple, and more!! Talk to Dr. Laux with ideas…
Our second social of the year will be MOVIE NIGHT this Friday, September 24 from 5:30 – 9:00 PM. We will have fun socializing and watching a movie together on the big screen in the orchestra room.
Students should RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5nyND5pdhDa1DyVFYx0ojebzoYHvME9wTjgOpmWsMYiWZAQ/viewform
Students should sign up to bring snacks, etc. using the sign-up genius: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0e49a4a82da5f85-orchestra&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1632134864342000&usg=AFQjCNGycgbwJk1d485qwDf64ak0J1CSXw
Our Fall Concert is just two weeks away! Please don’t forget to mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 5.
One change — our 8th grade orchestras from WBMS and HMS will not be joining us for this concert so we will be moving our start time to our normal concert stat time of 7:00 PM. The 8th graders will be joining us for our Winter concert in December.
Uniforms have been ordered and will be in soon. Dresses may need to be hemmed to the appropriate length. Once we know everything is in place we will be scheduling a photo date to take group and individual orchestra photos.
Uniforms and SPF Payments for this year are now past due. Should you need to discuss payment arrangements, please feel free to contact me.
As stated in the previous newsletter, our Student Participation Fee (SPF) is $120 and is expected from each student.
Uniforms are $67 for dresses and $120 for tuxedos. For boys with fitting tuxedos, they will need a new, matching black tuxedo shirt ($25).
Also payable online are the KSU Trip Lunch and All-State fees. Payments are accepted online at https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/paypal or cash/checks (payable to AHSOA) can be brought into the orchestra room and placed in the dropbox next to Dr. Laux’s office door.
Our program book advertisement fundraiser is overdue, but I’m still able to accept your advertisements! Do you know someone with a business or frequent a local business that may benefit from an ad in our program book? Please consider asking them to support us with an advertisement. I can accept ads for at least one more week. 🙂
Each year we accept donations above and beyond the amount requested for our SPF for patrons who would like to be “Friends of the Orchestra.”
Donations made to the AHSOA are fully tax-deductible as the AHSOA is a registered 501c3 organization. Please consider making an additional donation to the AHSOA. Any gift is accepted and more information can be found here.
We will be holding a meeting regarding our trip to Washington D.C. next Tuesday, September 27 at 7:00 PM. THERE ARE STILL SPOTS AVAILABLE TO TRAVEL WITH US. We will take as many as would like to attend! The trip will be from March 11-14, 2022. If you look at the calendar for that weekend students are off school on Friday, March 11, and Monday, March 14 which will allow students to travel without missing any instructional time.
Our meeting will take place on Teams and you will be able to find the link on our homepage at https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org. The link will be posted soon and I will send out reminders as we get closer.
In the meantime, please see the brochure about our trip with the proposed itinerary, cost, and more. I think it will be a very memorable opportunity for our students!
In addition, below is a document from our travel company, WorldStrides, and their safety protocols.
The Philharmonia, Sinfonia, Symphony, and Chamber Orchestras will be performing at the KSU Orchestra Invitational on October 29, 2021. This event allows us to have a wonderful performance experience on the Morgan Concert Hall stage at KSU and receive valuable feedback from adjudicators. This year we will have the great fortune to work with Dr. Kirt Mosier, award-winning composer and educator. After our performance, Dr. Mosier will work with students on stage for a clinic.
In addition to our performances, students will be able to eat lunch at the incredible KSU Commons dining facility (one of the highlights of the trip if you ask many!) and will enjoy a performance by the KSU Symphony Orchestra. You can read more about the experience here: https://arts.kennesaw.edu/music/concerts-and-events/orchestra-invitational.php
We will be taking charter busses to and from KSU. We are looking for chaperones to ride the busses and help out for the day. Lunch is included! Please let me know if you may be available to help chaperone our trip. We will need about seven parents to help.
Our itinerary for the day is below:
Friday, October 29, 2021
Students will all be eating at the KSU Dining facility and need to pay our discounted lunch rate of $10/student. Normally this lunch is over $13. Payments are accepted online at https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/paypal or cash/checks (payable to AHSOA) can be brought into the orchestra room and placed in the dropbox next to Dr. Laux’s office door.
We have 21 students registered for All-State auditions! I’m excited to see how they will do. First-round auditions will be due in mid-October. Stay tuned for more details! In the meantime, practice your scales and etude.
Congratulations to Lia, Saisri, Shravika, Alazne, and Ito for participating in the North Georgia Honor Orchestra this past weekend at Kennesaw State University. We are proud of you for representing AHS so well!!
The FCS Honor Orchestra is an event where orchestra students in FCS come together to perform a concert under the direction of a guest conductor.
This year the auditions will take place at Centennial HS on Tuesday, November 2. The event will then be held at Chattahoochee HS on Monday, November 15, and Tuesday, November 16. Interested students should pick up the information sheet in the orchestra room with audition materials, etc.
Dear Students and Parents, It’s my pleasure to welcome you to another curriculum night! Please enjoy the video.
Wow, the weeks have been flying by. All of the students agreed that the first week seemed like forever, but as we get into the swing of our schedule and routines, it has begun to go much faster. Here is this week’s orchestra news!
If your child tells you that they don’t have any orchestra homework, please remind them about “NRB” – Notes, Rhythms, and Bowings. Every student is responsible for learning their notes, rhythms, and bowings at home. This way in class we can work on ensemble-specific musical elements like dynamics, balance, blend, phrasing, and more.
Our first Practice Vlog assignment (minor grade) will be coming this week. This requires students to set musical goals within a piece or exercise, explain them, then provide a 5 minutes practice SAMPLE video on FlipGrid. I say sample because obviously, students should be practicing more than just 5 minutes. The video should be actual practice, not a performance or run-through of the music. When students are practicing properly, it really shouldn’t sound polished. Students should isolate problem areas, slow down the tempo, use a metronome, have a tuner handy, and employ practice strategies that we discuss in class.
Students and Parents — please help us design this year’s orchestra t-shirt! Each year the orchestra prints t-shirts for every student to help boost orchestra spirit. (This is paid via student participation fees). It’s always great to have a student design the shirt, so please submit your designs to Dr. Laux!
We generally use a graphic on the front upper left chest and a full back design. You should include the school year of 2021-2022. Click here for more information.
Our program book fundraiser began this week! If you haven’t seen our program book, please ask your child to show you the book sample (2019-2020) they received this week along with the order form. As I mentioned last week the program book is a professionally printed booklet that highlights our orchestra program and doubles as a memorable keepsake for the year. Program Book also serves as an important fundraising source for the AHS Orchestra through the sale of advertisements.
You can view a digital copy of the program book here.
Do you have a business that you would like to promote? Do you frequent a local business that would benefit from advertising to our audiences? Our program book is for you!
Former advertisers include:
You can sell to family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, your boss, relatives, or simply approach business owners when you frequent their establishment.
Parents of Seniors: Would you like to feature your special string player in the program book? Then consider purchasing a personal ad!
Our advertisement order form is available in hard copy or online. All orders are due by Friday, September 10. We are asking each student/parent to sell a minimum of one business card-sized ad.
Special thanks to Beau Vinci Violins for supporting us by purchasing the premium back cover of the program book. 🙂
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, the SPF is important in helping continue the AHS Orchestra experience. This year the SPF is $120 per student. The fee can be paid on our website (along with uniform, all-state, etc.) at https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/paypal
If you would rather pay via check, you may send in your payment with your child and have them put it in the orchestra drop box next to Dr. Laux’s office door. Checks should be made payable to AHSOA. We would like SPF paid by September 10 if at all possible.
Should you have questions or concerns about SPF, please do not hesitate to contact me. I’m happy to help.
All girls should have been fitted for an orchestra dress this week unless they have one that already fits. Boys will be fitted this week during class by our vendor, Tuxedo Warehouse. Boys who already have a tuxedo will need a new BLACK tuxedo shirt and will be measured for one during class. I’m still waiting on the price of the shirt and will have that available as an option on the website payment page soon.
Please pay for your uniform on our website at https://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/paypal. Should you wish to write a check, again, all checks should be made payable to AHSOA and brought to school to be put in the dropbox next to my office door.
Please don’t forget to complete the Instrument Use Agreement and pay the School Instrument Rental Fee payment on OSP.
Mark your calendars for the AHS Virtual Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 9. I will have a video prepared that discusses our curriculum, day-to-day class, and our activities.
We will soon be having another informational parent meeting about our orchestra trip to Washington D.C. from March 11-14, 2022. It’s not too late to get in on this amazing experience! Details to follow…
Hello everyone,
We are working hard to prepare our LGPE performance selections for our upcoming performances. As you may have heard, we’ve had a little drama with LGPE because a few weeks back the dimmer rack that controls all of the auditorium lights went out. A board that controls all of the lights was fried, most likely by a power surge. The motherboard on the fried electrical panel was running on a floppy disk… running Windows 98.. and because of the age, the manufacturer no longer makes those parts. It was unknown if the parts were available and if it could be fixed or replaced in a timely manner. We came up with a plan B to move LGPE to another location. After securing the location and reworking the performance schedule, we were informed that the lights were able to be fixed. We have a VERY talented repairman working for FCS who was able to secure a working motherboard, and find an [old!] computer that could run and install the software and reprogram everything. I’m happy to announce, as of yesterday, that the repair is complete and the lights are once again working properly! The show must go on!! 🙂
Students have had the opportunity to have a few guests visit our classes this semester:
On Tuesday, January 14, we welcomed Elizabeth Fayette, violinist with the Vega Quartet, in residence at Emory University. She performed some Bach and gave a presentation on strings. She discussed how they were manufactured, the different types, and lots of other great information.
On Wednesday, January 15, we welcomed Tyler Hartley, local professional harpist, and harp teacher. She talked about the harp, its history, and various performance practices. She also performed and let students try it out. If your child is interested in possibly pursuing the harp, please let Dr. Laux know.
Yesterday, we had Dr. Emily Wetzel run violin sectionals to help provide some extra detailed work for the second violin sections. We will continue to bring in more guests as time and funding permits.
The orchestra room is in need of paper towels and facial tissues. We always have things to clean and spills to clean up. Also, with cold season coming around, the tissues are disappearing quickly. If you are able to donate some, it would be greatly appreciated!!
Our Pre-LGPE concert is next Thursday, February 6 at 6:30 PM in the auditorium. I have decided to move up the start time of this concert so that students will be able to go home earlier.
This concert is an opportunity for each of the orchestras to perform their LGPE music in front of an audience.
Parents – please keep in mind that this performance is not a final product, but a formative activity that will help us find problem areas within our music and confirm some of the aspects of our performance that we are doing well.
The concert will be recorded and recordings will be shared with other directors for their constructive feedback. In addition, the students will listen to their recordings and take notes so they can improve before our actual LGPE performances on February 19 and 20.
Our LGPE performance will take place on either Wednesday or Thursday, February 19 or February 20. These performances are open to the public, so if you are available, we would LOVE to have you as audience members.
The times listed are the actual performance times, however there is a 30-minute warm-up prior to performance and a 30-minute session after the performance for our sight-reading and clinic.
In order to build a better sense of family, the orchestra has developed a music mentors program. This is where upperclassmen or more advanced students can help mentor/tutor younger or less advanced students. It’s a great way for students to work together and build community all while improving musicianship and leadership skills. Students should sign up to be a mentor or mentee at:
So far this semester, students should have completed three Practice Vlogs (one per week). These are formative assignments that help students practice using strategies and a plan. Along with the document, students are to submit a 5-minute practice sample that is to be done Vlog style (talking to the camera to explain what they are doing)
The first summative playing test of the semester was assigned yesterday and is due on Sunday, Feb 2. This is a recorded playing test that will be graded with the performance rubric.
Students will also receive grades for monthly participation and citizenship, and the Pre-LGPE concert, concert self-assessment, and LGPE performances.
Please let Dr. Laux know if you have any questions or concerns.
Congratulations to our orchestras on a spectacular Winter Concert this week! I am so proud of each of the groups and am excited to see their continued progress!
Special thanks to our amazing AHSOA parents who organized the concert cafe and our very delicious pre-concert dinner. You all make the occasion extra special!!
If you have photos of the orchestra, please share them with me via Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
This week is exam week and everyone will take a 100 question multiple-choice test. A hard copy of the study guide was released last Wednesday and it was also put on Google Classroom along with a Quilt that will help students study. We will complete a final exam review on Monday in class where students can ask questions.
The additional IB exam, for IB music students, will be about 30 questions covering music history, music theory, etc.
Every orchestra student will receive the 2019-2020 Orchestra T-shirt with an instrument-personalized design. 🙂
We are currently taking orchestra hoodie orders for $25 each. The absolute final time to submit your order and payment (checks to AHSOA) is this Monday morning BEFORE school. Please come see Dr. Laux! Again, if you haven’t already submitted your payment and would like a hoodie, you must come in before school with your payment, as the order will be placed first thing on Monday.
Students will need to select their size (S-XXL) and their design (Treble Clef, Alto Clef, or Bass Clef).
Our orchestra holiday gift exchange is this Tuesday, December 17! 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!
It is with great sadness that I must announce that we have been forced to cancel our trip to Orlando this year. Our response was far less than anticipated and we did not make our minimum required ticket count. If you paid a deposit, you will receive a refund check from AHSOA. Again, I am very sorry to have to announce this and we will come up with an alternative plan for this year and will continue to seek out travel plans for the future. Thank you for your understanding.
Don’t forget that All-State Auditions will be held on January 11, 2019! Times have been posted in the orchestra room. Also, please remember that we are at a new location this year!
Martha Ellen Stilwell School of the Arts
2580 Mt Zion Pkwy,
Jonesboro, GA 30236
Our Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE) will be held February 19-21 at AHS. Since we are hosting we will be able to perform on our own stage and do not have to travel. We will also need student assistance with stage set up, serving as group guides, audio recording, and more. Our AHSOA board will be figuring out concessions so that we can also raise some much-needed funds. More details to follow, but please save the dates!
In January we will host Ms. Tyler Hartley, a professional harpist, who will give a harp demonstration in class and will see if any of our players may be interested in learning the harp! Second, we will have clinics during 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period by Elizabeth Fayette, violinist with the Vega Quartet, the Quartet-in-Residence at Emory University. This clinic is sponsored by D’Addario Strings. Last, we will be hiring sectional coaches to work with each of the orchestra sections before LGPE.
Congratulations to the following students on passing the first round of GMEA All-State Orchestra auditions! We are proud of you! Thank you for representing AHS in such a positive manner.
All of the students below will now be preparing for their 2nd and final round of auditions scheduled for January 11 at Martha Ellen Stilwell School of the Arts in Jonesboro, GA.
| Joy B. | Bass | Exempt |
| Erin C. | Violin | Passed |
| Samay D. | Violin | Passed |
| Eisen G. | Bass | Passed |
| Jenny H. | Violin | Exempt |
| Henry H. | Bass | Passed |
| Austin H. | Viola | Passed |
| Matthew L. | Cello | Passed |
| Samuel L. | Bass | Passed |
| Eileen L. | Violin | Exempt |
| Vivia L. | Violin | Passed |
| Violet N. | Violin | Passed |
| Audrey N. | Bass | Passed |
| Ava P. | Viola | Passed |
| Seoyeon P. | Violin | Passed |
| Rohan P. | Violin | Passed |
| Zachary P. | Harp | Exempt |
| Sarang P. | Violin | Exempt |
| Eric S. | Violin | Passed |
| Charlsie W. | Cello | Passed |
| Kaci Z. | Viola | Exempt |
| JD Y. | Cello | Passed |
| Joseph Y. | Viola | Passed |
| William Z. | Violin | Passed |
Orchestra Beginning Of Year (OBOY) Assignment 2019
Part 1: Sign up for text messages on Remind. If you were previously subscribed to Remind, you will need to resubscribe.
Part 2: Read the AHSO Orchestra handbook and return the AHSO Handbook Acknowledgement Form (hard copy received in class)
Part 3: Submit your contact information to Dr. Laux
Part 4: Update information on the Infinite Campus Portal (if necessary)
Part 5: Bookmark the Orchestra website (add an icon to your phone’s home screen)
Part 6: Follow us on our social media accounts (FaceBook Page/Facebook Members Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube)
Part 7: Pay your orchestra lab fee donation ($30)
Part 8: Pay for your Student Participation Fee Donation (SPF – $90) and Uniform (if needed).
Part 9: When all the above parts are done, please complete the handbook check for understanding and certification page (20 point quiz)
Dear Students and Parents,
Greetings! I hope you have had a wonderful summer and a chance to relax, and rejuvenate. I am very excited for the upcoming school year and hope you are too. We are going to have a great time making music and learning together!
The first thing on our agenda is the our “Bach To School” Mini-Camp. This event will take place over two evenings, Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August 8 from 6 PM to 9 PM in the AHS Orchestra Room and Auditorium.
The event will be filled with fun, some music making, and getting everything ready for the start of the school year. The orchestra leadership team will be putting together the activities, and I know it will be a great time. We will be serving food for snacks and/or dinner!!
In order for us to know who will/will not be attending and to help provide an accurate food count, EVERYONE should RSVP using the link below. Please RSVP by Monday, August 5.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVVG1CdN2nMCZM4F94hP_LsK_EyEeiikqSwZWN9a3cNMhOQg/viewform
Please let us know if you will be able to attend both days, just one of the days, or neither days. While the mini-camp is not required, it is highly encouraged and will be a great way to have some fun, get to know your fellow orchestra colleagues, and possibly break the spider webs off of your instrument. You all practiced diligently all summer, right??
I’m looking forward to seeing you on August 7!!
Sincerely,
Dr. Laux
Upcoming Events — please mark your calendars now!
August 7/8 – Bach to School Mini-Camp, 6-9 PM
August 12 – First day of school!
August 19 – Program book and friends of the orchestra fundraiser begins
August 22 – Potluck Dinner, 6:30 PM
September 24 – Fall Concert with 8th graders (6:30 PM Start time)
The rest of the year’s dates can be found online: http://www.alpharettaorchestra.org/calendar/
