Guest post by Chris (LeDoux) BrainardDear parents & guardians,
This has been a wonderful year for our string players. I'd like to thank you once again for your support - although our portion of the spring concert was under 30 minutes, it represents, collectively, hundreds of hours of lessons and home practice over the course of the year. We couldn't have done it without you! If your child IS planning to continue with his/her string instrument next year, I would strongly encourage you to keep the instrument over the summer - even if you will be away for the entire vacation. Most rental programs put some or all of the rental fees toward a full size instrument, so if you return your instrument now, you will lose the equity you've built up to this point. Lessons will begin the week of Sept. 19th, but we will be visiting all of the elementary schools before then. What to practice? At this point, students should have the skills to play - or figure out - just about every song in the book we've been working on all year. The most important thing is to take out the instrument and just play, even if it's the concert songs from our last concert! Sometimes, I understand that this is not possible; if this is the case, don't worry. We'll spend the first few lessons reviewing the previous year's material. Some students (and their families) elect to take lessons with either a professional teacher or with a (less expensive!) high school tutor to keep their skills up over the summer. Click on the links for more info. All-Town Orchestra: As fifth graders, students who have completed one year of string lessons and are continuing to take lessons either in- or outside of school are strongly encouraged to sign up for All-Town Orchestra. Rehearsals run for an hour on Thursday afternoons, shortly after dismissal at Bridge elementary school. This is a great and really fun introduction to ensemble playing. There is no fee to join. Rehearsals will begin Oct 6. Has your child grown since s/he was measured this fall (hopefully, the answer is yes!)? This video is a good description of how to size a violin or viola; this video helps size a cello player. Johnson String, in Newton, is the closest full-service string shop. They can also help you with sizing. **If your child is NOT planning to play his/her instrument in the fall, please use masking tape to CLEARLY LABEL the outside of the case with both your child's name AND the name of your rental company. If you have pets that may have napped (and shed) inside the case, please take the time to vacuum it out to avoid any service fees. Most rental companies will be making a final service trip to the elementary schools, so be sure to call your rental company to let them know to look for their instruments. They should be able to tell you what day to leave the instrument in the main office. Books, music stands, shoulder rests (violins & violas), and rock stops (cellos) are yours to keep - although if you feel you will not have any future need for your rock stop or shoulder rest, I would be happy to collect them for use in future classes. Have a happy, restful summer and I look forward to seeing you in the '16-'17 school year. --- Chris (LeDoux) Brainard Director, Diamond 7/8 Orchestra Elementary String Specialist Comments are closed.
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