HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

We've had a really successful holiday performing season in the Indiana Strings family!  Besides our holiday concerts, the Corelli Chamber Strings performed for the Veterans Day assembly at the JH and are performing holiday music regularly in the foyer of the school!

The IHS Chamber of Strings have played 3 gigs in the community, including performances for the Indiana Arts Council, the Indiana Kiwanis Club, and a Harry Potter charity event at Caffe Amadeus for St. Jude's Children's Hospital.  This week the Chamber of Strings will be performing in the Teddy Bear Fund Drive Annual Show at the Senior High.

All the very best to you, our string families, for a joyous holiday season!

LuLaRoe Fundraiser for Orchestra Festival

A fundraiser to purchase snacks for the visiting District Orchestra students and directors will be held on Monday, December 12 in the JH Orchestra room from 7 - 8:30. Heidi Ray Monteleone, one of our string parents, is the sales representative.  If you are unable to attend, she has created a link that will take shoppers to her online inventory. It will be open to shop from December 13 at 6PM thru December 15 at 6pm. 

Below is the link for online shopping!  Please post on social media...FB, Twitter, whatever!!!!  Thanks so much for your support our program so that we can provide a special experience for our guests!

https://www.roewith.me/s/4qI6FqGwa

Meeting for helping with PMEA District 2, 3, 5 Orchestra will be on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 6:30 - 7:30

Please come out and help us plan!  We are going to have an amazing festival, and we NEED YOUR HELP!!!!

Meeting from 6:30 - 7:30 in the JH Orchestra room.  You may leave in time for the SH Choral concert!!!

Bulletin Boards
Food
Organizing
Paperwork
Fundraising
Publicity

INDIANA ORCHESTRA PARENTS ROCK!!!!

IASD String Things - December

You will see articles in your school newsletter each month from Bev Mastalski, the president of our iStrings booster group.  Here is the latest installment!



We had a wonderful Junior High and Elementary Orchestra concert in November and hope you had a chance to hear our young musicians perform. The music will continue with our Senior High Orchestra Concert on December 5th at 7:30; we invite you to be part of our audience for the evening concert.

If you’d like to help support the orchestra programs, please plan to join us for a fundraising event through LuLaRoe, a clothing line “where fashion meets comfort”. The event will be held on Monday, December 12, from 7:00-8:30 in the Junior High orchestra room. This would be a great opportunity to catch up on holiday shopping as well as financially support the orchestra program (a percentage of the sales will be donated to the orchestra). All are welcome to attend!

The senior high students are already rehearsing for the PMEA District 2, 3, 5 Orchestra Festival to be hosted by IASD at the Junior High School in January. The Festival will be led by guest conductor Mr. Scott Laird, an IASD alumnus who is on the faculty of The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics where he is Fine Arts Coordinator and Instructor of Music. A celebrated and respected conductor, Maestro Laird has selected a repetoire that includes works by Tchaikovsky, Hofeldt, Williams, and Dvorak – it should be an amazing performance by the most talented musicians in 17 counties in northern and western Pennsylvania. Plan to attend the concert on Saturday, January 28, at 11:00 AM at the Junior High Auditorium. Stay tuned to Ms. Laird’s blog (http://iasdorchestras.blogspot.com/) for up-to-date announcements and to see how you can be involved in hosting the 100+ musicians who will join our own Indiana Senior High students at this exciting Festival!

Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the January 27 Cello Fury concert, performing at the IJHS by special arrangement through Ms. Laird and in celebration of the PMEA District 2, 3, 5 Orchestra Festival. A limited number of general balcony level tickets for the one hour concert are still available. You can purchase your ticket in advance by emailing jlaird@iasd.cc ($10 per ticket). It’s a concert you won’t want to miss – original music combining the symphonic sounds of the cello with driving rock beats.

If you would like to help support the students and orchestras of the Indiana schools, consider participation in iStrings, the booster club of the IASD orchestras. For more information, contact iStrings President (Bev Mastalski, bpmastal@iup.edu) or Director of Orchestras (Julianne Laird, jlaird@iasd.cc). All are welcome!

LuLaRoe Fundraiser, Monday, December 12 from 7 - 8:30 in the JH Orchestra Room!

JH/Elementary Orchestra concert a BIG SUCCESS! SH concert is on Monday, December 5

Congratulations to all Elementary and Junior High Orchestra members on an outstanding concert last Monday!  We will now begin to plan for our May 2 concert.  It seems like a long time from now, but it will be upon us sooner than it seems!

The SH Orchestra will present the December concert on Monday, December 5 in the SH auditorium.  On this concert will be works by Handel, Mozart, and Brahms, and will also include holiday favorites, including a piece by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra!  The concert begins at 7:30 and will conclude before 8:30.  As always, our concerts are free and open to the public, but we will also be collecting donations for snacks and water for our guests for the PMEA District 2, 3, 5 Festival in January.  Additionally, we will be selling $10 tickets to the Cello Fury concert on Friday, January 27 at the JH.

The IHS Chamber of Strings will be performing for three community events this December.  We have gigs scheduled for December 8, December 10, and December 13!  The December event is another Harry Potter night at Caffe Amadeus!  It is open to the public and will be an evening to remember.  Don your Harry Potter robes and see us there playing from 7 - 8:30!

Don't forget...we have a LuLaRoe fundraiser planned for Monday, December 12 from 7 - 8:30 in the JH Orchestra room.  This comfy line of clothing is enjoyed by women of all ages, and even has items for men and boys.  Be sure to support our orchestra program while doing your Christmas shopping!!!  We are excited for this fundraiser, made possible for us by orchestra mom, Heidi Ray Monteleone.

We excited for our great holiday season events and hope that you are, too!

The next PMEA District Orchestra Planning meeting is this Thursday from 6 -7 PM

Please consider attending our next PMEA District 2, 3, 5 Orchestra Planning meeting, scheduled for this Thursday, October 13 from 6 - 7 in the Junior High Orchestra room.  This will be a hands-on meeting, working with forms, music, paperwork, and bulletin boards. We will also continue to make committee assignments for the festival activities.

Please help us get the word out!

Indiana Strings PROUD!!!!

I was putting up cool pictures onto our Senior High strings bulletin board today and stopped suddenly as I saw the name on this photo!

Chloe Trevor's mom was my first piano teacher and my brother's first violin teacher.  She was concertmaster of the IAJHS Orchestra, the IHS Orchestra, and the IUP Orchestra through the mid-1970s.  Today, Chloe's mother, Heidi Peterson Trevor Itashaki  is a member of the 1st violin section of the Dallas Symphony.  She has had an immeasurable influence on the lives of my family and of the Indiana musical community.

You can find Chloe Trevor's amazing performances on YouTube, and subscribe to her channel.

Here is a link to her YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/unicornstars

I highly recommend her Dance Macabre interpretation, which is absolutely brilliant.  Today, she represents Southwest Strings, an outstanding company to choose for all of your stringed instrument needs.

We are INDIANA STRINGS PROUD of Chloe, her mom, Heidi, and all of their accomplishments and inspiration!!!!!

Heidi and Chloe are a reminder to all of us in the IASD Orchestras that we all have SEEDS OF GREATNESS on the inside.  All we need to do is water those seeds through consistent practice, working hard for our teachers, and not giving up on our dreams!!!!!

PS...(from Ms. Laird)....A subscription to Strings magazine would be an outstanding Christmas present for any of our string students.  Keep your eye on this blog, since I'll be posting the rest of my suggested Christmas list for string students soon...

CELLO FURY Returns to Indiana for more CELLO ROCK, Friday, January 27 from 6:30 - 7:30

Cello Fury, a cello rock powerhouse featuring three cellists and a drummer, is returning to Indiana for a special concert at Indiana Area Junior High School on Friday evening, January 27, 2017 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.  Cello Fury's original music combines the symphonic sounds of the cello with driving rock beats. Cello Fury's cinematic, progressive rock sound appeals to a diverse audience throughout the United States and abroad with over 100 performances yearly in venues ranging from concert halls to rock clubs. Cellists Simon Cummings, Ben Muñoz and Nicole Myers along with drummer David Throckmorton unleash vitality and rhythmic drive in their music and dare to venture past classical expectations. Cello Fury has performed on radio and television, in rock clubs, concert halls, and music festivals such as SXSW, for audiences as large as 67,000 and has toured throughout 27 states and abroad. As an independent band, Cello Fury has released two albums of original music, “Cello Fury” and “Symphony of Shadows”, with a third to be released in late 2016.

Tickets will be $10 for general balcony seating.  Only 300 tickets will be made available to the public and can be purchased in advance through sending an email to Julianne Laird at jlaird@iasd.cc. 

All IASD string students will be admitted to this concert FREE OF CHARGE and will receive special tickets for priority seating.

This concert is being held in conjunction with the PMEA District 2, 3, 5 Orchestra Festival, under the direction of IHS alumnus, Scott Laird.

District Orchestra Planning Meeting CHANGED to Monday, September 12 at 6:00

It has become necessary to change the meeting time for the District Orchestra planning meeting. It will now be held on Monday, September 12 at 6:00 in the JH Orchestra Room.  

Thank you so much for your support and understanding!  See you there!

J

Scott Laird Returns to Indiana as Guest Conductor for PMEA District 2, 3, 5 Orchestra, January 28, 2017 at 11:00 AM at Indiana Area Junior High School

Scott Laird, IHS alumnus and nationally honored orchestral conductor, will be the guest conductor at the 2017 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 2, 3, 5 Orchestra Festival, to be held from January 26 - 28, 2017 at Indiana Area Junior High School.

Laird is an Instructor of Music and Fine Arts Coordinator at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, where he directs the orchestra and teaches courses in recording technology, classical guitar, piano, and music history.  He earned his B.S. in Music Education and his M. A. in Violin Performance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  He is an active string educator, performer, recording artist, and conductor.  His orchestras have been recognized at the local, regional, state, and national levels for their superior and musically mature performance.  Additionally, he is the intermediate orchestra conductor during the summer sessions of the prestigious Interlochen Fine Arts Camp.

High school students from 17 counties across Western Pennsylvania will be participating in this festival, which features strings, brass, woodwind and percussion instruments.  The students and their music teachers will be staying in the Indiana area through the event.

The festival concert will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 28.  Tickets for the event are $5 and will be available at the door.

In addition to the festival concert, Pittsburgh's own Cello Fury will be returning to Indiana on Friday evening, January 27 to perform a concert from 6:30 - 7:30 PM for the attending students and all string students from the Indiana Area School District.  A limited number of tickets will be made available to the general public for $10 per ticket.  These tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.  Please contact Julianne Laird at jlaird@iasd.cc to purchase tickets for this event.

Donations are also being accepted to assist with costs related to the festival, and any funds remaining will be used to purchase stringed instruments for IASD student use.  Donations may be sent to Indiana Area Junior High School with the words, "Indie Strings" in the memo.   The support of the Indiana community makes it possible to continue presenting quality string performances locally.

Questions about these events may be addressed to Julianne Laird, IASD Director of Orchestras, at jlaird@iasd.cc.  You may also follow us on Twitter @IndieStrings.

IHS Four Score FLASH MOB in the Upper Commons!

The IHS professional string quartet, Four Score, played a flash mob before school in the Upper Commons this morning!  On the flash mob program was

String Quartet No. 12  F Major, Opus 96, “American”........................................................Antonin Dvorak

I.                     Allegro ma non troppo

Jennifer Han, violin

Joanna Li, violin

Brandon Wu, viola

Hamzah Wahi-Anwar, cello

We are SO PROUD of this outstanding ensemble!  Four Score  will be playing tonight at 7:30 at the IHS Solo and Ensemble Recital, and once again before Commencement next Thursday.

Congratulations to Four Score for representing our school in such an outstanding way!!!!

Elementary World Tour a HUGE success!!!!!

On Wednesday, May 25, the IASD District Elementary Orchestra played our annual World Tour of the IASD elementary schools.  We performed in assemblies at Ben Franklin, Horace Mann, Eisenhower, and East Pike.  It was a long, hot day, but everyone performed beautifully, and I am so proud of our elementary orchestra!

Here are some pictures from the HM concert!

Corelli Chamber Strings featured at May Mart!

Congratulations to our Junior High School Corelli Chamber Strings for a fantastic performance at May Mart last Friday!  

Hoss's SH Orchestra Banquet on Thursday evening at 6:00

Don't forget to come!  We'll be making award presentations and giving gifts to our Senior String players.  This event has been carefully planned by Talia Mastalski and Tian Schiera, and will feature a slide presentation of photos from our orchestra and orchestra players over the years.

There will be a limited menu:  sirloin tips, chicken breast, whitefish filet, or salad bar.  Each family will pay for his/her own students and guests.

See you there!

Next PMEA District Orchestra planning meeting 6:00 PM on Tuesday, May 24 at JH

The next planning meeting for next year's PMEA District Orchestra festival will be held from 6 - 7 PM on Tuesday, May 24 in the JH orchestra room.  Please come out and help us...we'll need ALL HANDS ON DECK for this festival!

Deadline for the fan bus to see the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony is fast approaching!

Don't forget to get your reservation in for the fan bus to see the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra on May 22.  The deadline for reservations and permission slips is Monday, May 2.  You won't want to miss out on this amazing performance of Holst's The Planets, as well as a trumpet concerto and selections by Debussy and Prokofiev.  We are proud of Jennifer Han and Joanna Li as they represent IHS in this prestigious orchestral ensemble!!!

Concerts next week!

It's spring concert time in the Orchestra room!

The IHS Spring Orchestra Concert will be held at 7:30 PM on Monday, May 2 in the SH Auditorium.  Featured will be music by Vivaldi, Warlock, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, and Schubert.  Performances will include a solo motet with chamber ensemble accompaniment featuring senior soprano, Amy Varner.

The IJHS Orchestra, the IJHS Corelli Chamber Strings, and the IASD District String Ensemble will perform a spring concert on Tuesday, May 3 at 7:00 in the JH Auditorium.  This program will feature traditional orchestral music as well as music from around the world.  The audience will hear a movement from Mozart Symphony #15, the second movement of Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony #6,  an overture to a Mozart opera, and an exciting piece of music from the ballet, The Red Poppy.  World music from Jamaica and China will also be performed.

All IASD orchestra concerts are free and open to the public.  We hope that you can join us!

Chamber of Strings plays for IUP FLICK festival

The IHS Chamber of Strings ensemble recently played for IUP's new film adjudicated film festival, entitled FLICK.

The chamber ensemble served as the pit orchestra for the awards presentations, just like at the Oscars!  Excerpts from film scores including Eyes Wide Shut, Schindler's List, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Oklahoma!, and Madagascar 3 were featured.

The film festival was organized by string parent, Dr. Jim Lenze.

IHS Chamber of Strings performs at Holocaust Remembrance inter-faith service

The IHS Chamber of Strings recently performed with the IHS A Cappella Choir for a Holocaust Remembrance Interfaith Service sponsored by IUP.  The Chamber of Strings provided prelude music to the service as well as music for service candlelighting.  The service closed with a combined arrangement of "Let There Be Peace on Earth," in which the congregation was invited to join in singing. 

The service featured several Holocaust survivors, including Moshe Taube, one of the most famous Jewish cantors in America.  Participants in the service came from the Muslin Student Organization, Beth Israel Synagogue, and the Inter-faith Committee.

We thank Mr. Salser and the A Cappella Choir for joining us in this important community endeavor.  

Reminders for End-of-Year Activities

The deadline is approaching for payment and permission slips for the May 22 PYSO Heinz Hall field trip.  I MUST have all payments and permission slips in by May 2 in order to make all of the travel arrangements.  Please email Ms. Laird at jlaird@iasd.cc if you need a permission slip.  We will be leaving the SH at 4:30 PM on Sunday, May 22 and returning around 11:15 PM.

Concerts are FAST approaching!  The SH spring orchestra concert is on Monday, May 2 (SH Auditorium) and the JH/Elem. spring concert is on Tuesday, May 3 (JH Auditorium).  Info has been sent home about these concerts.  ALL string ensemble students are required to participate!

This Saturday at 4:30 PM, our IHS Chamber of Strings ensemble will be participating in the IUP FLICK film festival awards program.  It will be held at the Ohio Room of the HUB and will conclude by 6:30.

And, finally, our SH Senior Awards Banquet will be held at Hoss's on Thursday, May 19.  Information will be sent home soon to all SH Orchestra families.

Spring is here!!!!

Holocaust Remembrance Interfaith Service

The IHS Chamber of Strings, in cooperation with the IHS A Cappella Choir has been invited to perform this evening for the IUP Holocaust Remembrance Interfaith Service at the Beth Israel Synagogue.  The service begins at 5:30, although the Chamber of Strings will be performing the prelude music, beginning at 5:10 PM.
This promises to be a wonderful service, and features Holocaust survivors, as well as representatives of many faiths.  A combined arrangement of "Let There Be Peace On Earth" will be sung by the A Cappella Choir with the Chamber of Strings and Mr. Salser accompanying.  Part of the way through the arrangement, the congregation will be invited to join in singing.

We encourage you to attend and support not only our IHS performing ensembles, but also this community event which promotes remembrance and world peace.

Indie Strings sponsoring fan bus to see the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra May 22

April 6, 2016

Dear IASD Strings Family:

We are taking a fan bus to see IHS String Students, Jennifer Han and Joanna Li in the Sunday, May 22 Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra concert.  The concert begins at 7:30 PM and it will be a late night for a school night.  The field trip is open to any Junior High or Senior High students and their families who would like to attend.  It is also open to elementary students, but a parent must accompany each elementary student who attends. The concert is FREE and open to the public.  You will only pay for your place on the bus.  The cost for the bus trip is only $15 per person!

A fan bus is a great way to see a concert without the hassles of driving into downtown Pittsburgh. We will leave from the SENIOR High School at 4:00 PM.  Please eat supper at home or bring a snack for the bus.  We are not stopping along the way.  The concert will begin at 7:30, and afterward we'll stay a few minutes to congratulate our symphony stars!  After the concert, we will travel straight home and expect arrival at the Senior High School parking lot at approximately 11:15 PM.

Checks should be made out to: Indiana Area Junior High School, with the words "Indie Strings" in the memo, and sent to Ms. Laird at Indiana Area Junior High School.

If we do not have enough paid participants by May 2, the trip will be cancelled.  We will accept reservations until we have 48 people (one school bus, two per seat).  

Thank you so very much for your continued support of our school string program!

Sincerely,

Ms. Julianne Laird

Please return this signed permission slip to Ms. Laird by May 2.  Students will not be permitted to participate without a signed permission slip.

___________________________________ is permitted to travel (or planning to travel) on the fan bus to Pittsburgh (Heinz Hall) on Sunday, May 22, 2016.  I will transport my child (or be at) the Senior High School at 3:45 PM to board the bus and will have transportation home arranged at 11:15 PM.

___________________________________                          ________________________________

parent or guardian                                                                  email

___________________________________

Emergency phone number (required!)

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________________________________

date

District Orchestra planning meeting for tonight is CANCELLED

Thanks so much for your support.  Plans are progressing nicely, but there isn't enough to report to merit a meeting.  Please email me if you would like more information!

New instruments for the Elementary Orchestra!

The lovely new instruments are here and in use!  Here are some of our new elementary players with their senior high helpers in Elementary District Orchestra!!!

IHS Chamber of Strings performances

Our IHS Chamber of Strings ensemble is preparing for two unique opportunities in April.

The first is the Holocaust Remembrance Interfaith Service, which will be held at 5:30 PM at Beth Israel Synagogue on Thursday, April 14.  This event is open to the public, and will also feature the IHS Acapella Choir.

The IHS Chamber of Strings will also be performing for the IUP "Flicks" event on Saturday evening, April 23.  This will be an awards ceremony...like the Oscars!...for students who have submitted films to a contest sponsored by the IUP Communications Department!

We are excited to have an opportunity to be the instrumental ensemble for both of these IUP-sponsored events!

District Orchestra Parent Planning Meeting Scheduled for Thursday, April 7

Please make plans to attend the next PMEA District Orchestra parent planning meeting. We will be meeting in the JH Orchestra room from 6 - 7 PM on Thursday, April 7.  If you are unable to attend, notes from the meeting will be posted on the planning blog:  pmeadistrict235orchestra2017planning.blogspot.com.

See you there!

Music Major 101

If you have a senior high school student who is considering being a music major in college, please encourage him/her to attend this informational meeting on Monday, March 21 from 3:30 - 4:30 PM in the Vocal Music Room at the SH.  We have been publicizing this at school, but it would be good for parents to know about this event, as well.  It is important for students to prepare for college auditions, and to know what to expect as a music major, including piano proficiencies, music theory and ear training tests, and academic requirements.

Mr. Salser, Mr. Olear and Ms. Laird will be presenting information, as well as answering questions about music careers, music majors, and the music major lifestyle.

We've also encouraged the students to bring a snack to share for this informal informational meeting.

IUP String Day

IUP's String Day will be held on March 19. This is a great opportunity for our Senior High students to see what it would be like to be a college string major, or just to get some great coaching and play some new music!

The schedule has been changed slightly from the original paperwork that was sent home.  Here are the changes that you can make to your family's calendar:

8:50 AM  Registration

12:00 Pizza Lunch (provided)

5:00 IUP String Alumni Festival Concert

Scott Laird is the featured guest conductor, as well as IUP's Dr. Stanley Chepaitis.  

Participants are to wear black bottoms and a colorful top for the festival concert.  The day will feature rehearsals, a string pedagogy session for aspiring string teachers, a jazz workshop, and a chance to try out some handmade instruments by violin makers Robert Gordon and John Thorell.

I have PDFs of the music, so I can provide that to any of our IHS students who are participating.

Please let me know if your child is participating so that I get the edited application and the music to you!

Elementary Orchestra cancelled for Wednesday, March 2

Please help me get the word out!

Our beautiful new instruments!

The four 1/4-sized basses and two 13" violas that our community helped us purchase are here!  We took delivery yesterday from Mr. Gerry Branca of Branca's Fiddle Sticks in West Lebanon.  Mr. Branca is our local string repairman and a great friend to our program.  During the days, he is the string repairman for Johnstonbaugh's Music in Gibsonia.  When he is back in Indiana County, he is repairing instruments for our Indiana community.  Mr. Branca facilitated the purchase of these new instruments and set them up for our student use.

The basses and violas are here...

...and we're taking delivery tomorrow!!!!

Pictures to follow!!!

Success at Western Regional State Orchestra!

Congratulations to our outstanding string students who represented us this past weekend at Western Regional State Orchestra in State College!  Jennifer Han, Joanna Li, Brandon Wu, Gloria Lo, Scylla Humbert, Hamzah Wahi, and Jason Herrington performed an outstanding concert Saturday morning under the baton of Maestro Gerardo Edelstein of Penn State University.

Everyone performed brilliantly in the grueling audition process, and we now have 4 students going on to represent us in All-State Orchestra next month!  It has been many, many years since we had 4 string students represent our school district at states!!!!  Moving on to states are:

Violin 1
Brandon Wu, 4th Chair
Jennifer Han, 8th Chair
Joanna Li, 9th Chair
and

Violin 2
Gloria Lo, 2nd Chair

Gloria finds out that she's 2nd Chair, 2nd Violin!

With our PYSO friends!

Rehearsing with Dr. Edelstein

Joanna and Kerry

Jennifer

Brandon

Gloria

The PMEA Orchestra bunch!

Scylla

Rehearsal

Successful Fundraiser!!!! THANK YOU TO ALL!!!!!

Our fundraising efforts to purchase instruments for the elementary schools have been TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL!!!!

We have raised over $6000 in ONE MONTH!!!!

As of this date, 4 quarter-sized basses and bows have been ordered for our two intermediate elementary schools, and we were able to order two brand new 13 inch violas for each school, as well.

These instruments (and their new players!) will debut at the elementary orchestra concert on May 3!

THANK YOU to EVERYONE who helped to make this fundraiser a success!  We have given many students through the years an opportunity to learn to play an instrument and make beautiful music!!!!!

Important Dates for the REST of the school year!

Here are the important string dates for the rest of the school year!  Please mark your family calendar!

SH     March 3, 4, 5   SH Musical - Seussical
JH     March 12, 13    JH Musical - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
SH     March 19         IUP String Day for SH string students and IUP Alumni (performance opportunity!)
SH     March 21         Music Major 101 - a chance for students in grades 9 - 12 to learn what they should                                     be doing now to prepare to become a college music major
SH     March 30 - April 2   PMEA All-State Conference and Festivals
SH     April 14 -         IHS Chamber of Strings performs with IHS Acapella Choir at Holocaust                                                       Remembrance Interfaith Service.  Event begins at 5:30 at Beth Israel Synagogue
SH     April 23           IHS Chamber of Strings performs at IUP Film Festival, 6 - 8 PM
SH     May 2              SH Orchestra Concert at 7:30 PM
JH/Elem  May 3         Elem/JH Concert at 7:00 PM at JH Auditorium
SH     May 19            SH Orchestra Banquet at Hoss's, 6:00 PM
JH     May 20             Corelli Chamber Strings perform at May Mart, 1:00 PM
Elem/JH/SH  May22  Planned Field Trip to hear the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall
SH    May 26             Possible date for Solo and Ensemble Recital
SH    June 2               IHS Commencement Orchestra performs at KCAC for Commencement!

SH Students Heading to Regional Orchestra

Please extend your best wishes to our SH students who will be participating in Western Regional State Orchestra this weekend in State College, PA.  Jennifer Han, Joanna Li, Brandon Wu, Gloria Lo, Scylla Humbert, Hamzah Wahi, and Jason Herrington will be auditioning tomorrow afternoon for a chance to go to All-State Orchestra in March.

Here is a website with the details!

wro2016.weebly.com.

I'll update the blog with the results of the auditions and pictures from the Festival!

First PMEA District Orchestra Planning meeting is tonight

Please consider coming to our first planning meeting for next year's PMEA District Orchestra festival.  The meeting will begin at 6:00 and end at 7:00 sharp.  Use the front doors of the school to come to the JH Orchestra room.

See you there!

Chipotle fundraiser tonight from 4-8!

Don't forget to dine at Chipotle tonight between 4 and 8 PM.  Just tell the cashier that you are there for Indiana Strings!  50% of the profits will go straight to our bass fund!!!!

See you there!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4Yf7dohxhU_bXl0eDJWd2dWdElST1FTY2VqZU1RSjM1MFVF/view?usp=sharing

Reminder to SH orchestra families...concert tomorrow at the SH at 7:30

Tuesday, February 9, the SH Orchestra will be reprising the music from the Indiana Orchestras Rock! concert, including Jennifer Han's amazing virtuosic performance of the first movement of Vivaldi's Winter.  

I must confess to you that I did not have this one on the beginning of the year schedule, since we weren't originally going to play this one.  It is traditionally an orchestra/choral concert, which is what it will be for tomorrow night.  The orchestra will play first (at 7:30) followed by folk songs performed by the choral department, conducted by Mr. Salser.

Please forgive me for not giving you more formal notice.  I started reminding the students about 2 weeks ago, so I really hope this isn't the first time you've heard of this concert!

Thank you very much for your understanding, and I'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening.

PIX from Indiana Orchestras Rock!

Here's the link to all of the pix on Dropbox!  Please email me at jlaird@iasd.cc to confirm that you were able to view them!!!!

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Indiana%20Rocking%20Strings

Indiana Orchestras Rock! was a BIG SUCCESS!!!!!

Congratulations to ALL STUDENTS and PARENTS and COMMUNITY members who made Indiana Orchestras Rock!  a HUGE SUCCESS!!!!

The music was AMAZING, the AUDIENCE was HOT, and we were able to raise $3500 toward our fund to purchase 4 string basses for our intermediate elementary schools!  We are only $1000 away from our goal, so please spread the word!

Checks can be made to Indiana Area Junior High School with "Indie Strings" in the memo.

Special thanks to our community musicians who helped us play All About That Bass!   It was AWESOME!!!

Rachel Schiera, bassoon
Dr. Carl Rahkonen, bass
Josh Hudson, bass
Morgan Herrington, cello
and the rest of our string bass squad:
Zoey Everett, SH
Herb Watson, JH
and Laughlin Pagnucci, JH

WELL DONE, bass clef instruments!!!!!

We have about 200 pictures to share...all candids of your children!  The pictures were taken by IUP student, Sarah Everett!

It may take me a couple of days to figure out how to share these with all of our blog readers, but I'll think of something.  You will want to have these awesome pix of your children playing their instruments in their cool rock costumes!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!!!

See you at the Chipotle fundraiser on February 15!  More to follow on that!

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Indiana%20Rocking%20Strings

Schedule update!

This is a busy week for the Indiana Orchestras!  All rehearsals are focused on this Friday's concert:

Indiana Orchestras Rock!
It's All About that BASS!!!!

The concert will begin at 7:00 in the JH Auditorium.

Call times are as follows:

• Elementary Orchestra - report to the orchestra room (123) at 6:30.
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• JH Orchestra - Report to the stage at 5:55 OR SOONER for rehearsal with the basses at 6:00.
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• JH Symphonic Orchestra woodwinds, brass, and percussion - report to the band room at 5:45.  You will be seated in the auditorium until the JH Orchestra begins their part of the concert.
• 
  
• SH Orchestra - Report to the band room for tuning at 6:45.
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• ALL BASSES in JH and SH Orchestras are to report in front of the stage at 5:55 or sooner for the 6:00 rehearsal with JH Orchestra and community bassists!!!!

We have a lot of community members joining us on bass, but we could always use more.  If you know someone who would like to join us, please encourage him/her to come on out for the 6:00 rehearsal!

SH Orchestra will be performing the same rock selections in concert with the choral department of the Senior High School on Tuesday, February 9.  Please mark your calendars for this additional event.

Please watch the blog for a February meeting to begin planning for the PMEA District 2, 3, 5 Orchestra Festival, to be held at the JH from January 26 - 28, 2017.  It will take a year of planning for this event.  We have some hoops to jump through (i.e. clearances for ALL parent volunteers) that will take some time. However, we expect this event to be an exemplary festival that will serve as a model for other festivals!

Thanks to all for your continued support and encouragement of our orchestra program in the IASD!

More pictures from District Orchestra!