Winter Concert Wrap Up
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.
Semester 1 Exam
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.
Semester Exam Schedule (half days)
- Wednesday, December 18 – Period 1 & 2
- Thursday, December 19 – Period 3 & 4
- Friday, December 20 – Period 5 (&6)
The additional IB exam, for IB music students, will be about 30 questions covering music history, music theory, etc.
Orchestra T-Shirts
Every orchestra student will receive the 2019-2020 Orchestra T-shirt with an instrument-personalized design. 🙂
Orchestra Hoodies
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).
Holiday Gift Exchange
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!
Orlando Trip Update
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.
All-State Auditions, Final Round
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
LGPE – Save the dates!!
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!
Clinicians & Demos
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.
Upcoming Calendar Events
- January 8 – Harp Demos, Tyler Hartley
- January 11 – All-State Auditions, Final Round
- January 14 – Elizabeth Fayette presentations
- February 19-21 – LGPE at AHS
- March 5-7 – All-State Orchestra, Athens, GA
- April 29 – Spring Concert, 7 PM
- May 8 – Orchestra Banquet (details coming soon!)
- May 12 – Senior Showcase Concert, 7 PM
- May 20, 21, 22 – Graduation (exact date is TBA)