New opportunity for girls in music!

News from the Orchestra Room

Our local American Association of University Women (AAUW) is offering a great new opportunity for middle school girls.  GetSTEAM is a project that encourages young women to try new challenges in Science, Technology, the Arts, and Math.  Included are learning experiences in cross-cultural communication and composing with technology!

Here is a link to their flyer!  You will have to copy and paste it into your browser, as this website won't permit me to link it.

https://indiana-pa.aauw.net/files/2018/08/GETSTEAM-FLYER.pdf

A great opportunity for our string students!

I recently received this email from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, as a part of the PSO's educational outreach program.  Even though it reads "Allegheny County,"  they may consider including Indiana County, and certainly intended to send this email to me.  I have already shared it with our string students through the Google classroom.  Please let me know if you are considering this opportunity for your family! 

Dear educators:

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to announce the launch of a new pilot program for the 18-19 season, “Coach and Play.” This program is a direct response to feedback provided to the Learning & Community Engagement team over the summer about how to shape programming to better meet the needs and interests of local music educators and their students.

Coach & Play pairs PSO musicians with middle and high school student musicians at schools across Allegheny County to provide customized training such as masterclasses, sectionals, play-ins, audition preparation, and chamber group coaching. Each participating school will work directly with PSO staff to develop three in-school sessions for their students and PSO “Coach.” By focusing on providing student musicians in grades 6-12 with individualized coaching and opportunities for mentorship, the program aims to support and advance the next generation of musicians in our region.

Applications to participate in the Coach & Play pilot program are now available atpittsburghsymphony.org/coach with an application deadline of October 5.

Once all applications are in, our team will work to match schools with specific PSO musicians based on the goals and interests teachers share in their application. Dates and times for all Coach & Play sessions will then be coordinated to accommodate the schedules of both the participating school and PSO musicians. Our Learning & Community Engagement team will support all of the program’s logistical details, facilitate conversations to customize the program to student needs, and conduct ongoing evaluation as the pilot program unfolds.

We hope you will consider joining us for this exciting new opportunity. Please feel free to spread the word to any colleagues who you think might also be interested in participating!

With best wishes for a productive and successful new school year –
The PSO Learning & Community Engagement Department

PS:  If you are interested in finding out more about our other programs for high school students – the EQT Student Side-By-Side program and the Kraft Heinz Hear & Now program – please visit our website at pittsburghsymphony.org/community.

Welcome back to the IASD Orchestras Blog!

Welcome back to all of our wonderful orchestra students and parents!  I'm thrilled to be back in Indiana after an AMAZING year studying music at West Virginia University!

Please remember to check out our website, which is in the attached document.  The calendar will be changed soon to include all of the arts activities of the SH, as well as all of the orchestra activities throughout the district.  We are working hard to improve the ease of communicating with our families, so this cross-reference should be helpful!

Attached are the documents that students will receive this week with regard to concert and event dates and links to information.  I would be very interested to hear from parents so that I know which of these are the most helpful.

For those of you who are interested, my sabbatical year was a life-changing, exhilarating experience.  I worked from sun-up to sun-down every day from August, 2017 to August, 2018.  My coursework is complete and I wrote my comprehensive exams over the summer.  I am still a full-time student at WVU as well as a full-time teacher here in Indiana. I will be singing full recitals this fall (December 9) and in the spring (April 13) at WVU.  I will also be working on my final project/paper/lecture recital, which will be a formal recital on the works and collections of folk icon Jean Ritchie.  That paper and recital will be presented in the fall of 2019.  I will graduate with a Doctor of Musical Arts in December of 2019. 

It is an honor and a privilege to teach your children, and I'm looking forward to an outstanding academic year!

Link to beginning of school year contact info and dates:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WvH_vBi4KJmccQJEVwpdfzmrzQO4jY_93wNd8Mi8Ipc/edit