Author: Mr. Hood

I teach orchestra at Killian Middle School.

UIL Success

1819 NV UIL Photo4Heartiest congratulations to our Symphonic and Chamber orchestras for a maximally successful romp through UIL concert and sightreading competitions.  Both groups garnered the highest-possible ratings from all six judges. These top marks represent incredible work and focus required by all of our orchestra students.  This wouldn’t be possible without the outstanding support from our orchestra families, Killian community, and Lewisville ISD. Congratulations and thank you!

Judges’ Comments included:

1819 UIL V photo4Symphonic Orchestra:

  • “I am very impressed with your attention to detail and ensemble skills.  I can tell you have been taught to listen to each other.”
  • “This [non-varsity concert] is an excellent performance by a talented group of musicians!  You do not sound like a non-varsity group!”
  • “Your sound rings and fills the room… I can tell that you work on every rise and fall… You worked hard to have a polished performance, and it showed in your phrasing, tuning, attention to style- everything.”
  • “You have terrific fundamentals of musicianship and put them to good use.”

Chamber Orchestra:

  • “Your tone sounds like that of an older orchestra.”
  • “You know how to build a phrase and make a musical line lead to somewhere.  Polished performance, I enjoyed it!”
  • “Beautiful ending to the Loch Lomond.  So musical.”
  • “A well-rehearsed orchestra.”

Orchestra Open House, Instrument Fitting

Come try out all four orchestra string instruments (violin, viola, cello, and bass) for fit, feel, and fun.  Saturday, March 2, from 10 AM to 2 PM, in the Killian orchestra room.

**LINK TO SIGN-UP FOR A 20-MINUTE FITTING APPOINTMENT** 

Meet Mr. Hood, quiz current orchestra students, and meet our high school and other middle school directors.

Three trusted vendors will be on hand to answer questions and offer rentals.

Come to door 18 (next to door 17 and a curvy bike rack) along the north side of the school.

Call or email with questions, any time: hoode@lisd.net, (469) 948-8393.

1819chamber5thGrVisits

 

Why choose orchestra?

In a nutshell, middle orchestra is the only class in middle school that offers students the opportunity to share mind with the great masters.   For example, our chamber orchestra is learning a piece of George Frederic Handel’s Royal Fireworks this semester.   As we learn and perform the piece, we share a part of the master’s musical mind– it’s like time travel to perform music from another age.

1748HandelByHudson-0475

Handel composed this famous music in 1749, and it’s been a hit since its first performance (amid real fireworks, which caught the royal barge on fire in the Thames!).  Handel couldn’t write his celebratory masterpiece for wind symphony in 1749 because that kind of ensemble hadn’t been invented yet– and wouldn’t be for about 200 more years.

Handel did write wonderful choral music, which is generally very difficult and performed by higher-level ensembles than middle school choirs.  Likewise in theater and literature: Shakespeare, Milton, & Donne wait for high schoolers; Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Virgil, Tacitus require translation.

It is solely in orchestra where middle schooler’s first may participate in the music and mind of the great masters.  

Please consider joining Killian’s orchestra next year.  Instrument fitting and orchestra open house is Saturday, March 2, from 10AM to 2PM.  Sign up for a time-slot here.

Holiday Concert!

1819WinterConcertPosterConcert program here

When: Wednesday, December 12, 7PM

Where: Killian Cafeteria

Call times:

  • Beginners 6:40 PM on stage, ready to tune.  Uncase silently in the cafeteria, near the snack line.
  • Symphonic: 6:20 PM on stage, tuned.  Uncase by the lost & found table.
  • Chamber: 6:50 PM in the cafeteria, tuned.  Uncase in the orchestra room.

Cleanup tasks:

  • BEGINNERS 2nd PERIOD: each stack at least 5 chairs off the cafeteria floor.
  • BEGINNERS 6th PERIOD TASK: put all music stands on the stage onto racks and roll them back to the 1600 hall.
  • BEGINNERS 7th PERIOD TASK:  scour the stage & cafeteria for rock stops, rosins, lost iPads, stray music stands, extension cords, electric anything, and return to orchestra room.
  • SYMPHONIC VIOLINS1 TASK: roll podium, electric piano, and clear conductor stand back to orchestra room.
  • SYMPHONIC VIOLINS 2, VIOLAS task:  stack at least 5 chairs in the cafeteria.
  • SYMPHONIC CELLO, BASS Task: take all 9 cello chairs and 3 bass stools back to orchestra room.
  • CHAMBER ORCHESTRA MEN TASK: take down the acoustic shell, and shlep sound system back to orchestra room.
  • CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WOMEN VIOLIN-VIOLA TASK: take sound equipment back to orchestra room.
  • CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WOMEN CELLO TASK: Help take electric bass and other sound equipment back to orchestra room.

Fall Concert & Popcorn Sale: Thursday, Oct 11

1819 Fall Concert Poster

All Killian Orchestra will perform Thursday, October 11, for our fall concert.

Popcorn (kettle, vanilla multi-colored, and white cheddar) for sale $3 for one bag, $5 for two.

Beginners call is 6:35, in concert blacks, on stage, tuned if possible.

Symphonic call is 6:20 on stage, tuned, in concert black.

Chamber call is 6:50, tuned and dressed, at the tables next to the old technology display in the cafeteria.

The concert begins at 7:00.

CONCERT PROGRAM AVAILABLE HERE.

Clean-up tasks tonight are:

  • BEGINNERS 2nd PERIOD: stack at least 5 chairs off the cafeteria floor.
  • BEGINNERS 6th PERIOD TASK: put all music stands on the stage onto racks and roll them back to the 1600 hall.
  • BEGINNERS 7th PERIOD TASK:  scour the stage & cafeteria for rock stops, rosins, lost iPads, stray music stands, extension cords, electric anything, and return to orchestra room.
  • SYMPHONIC VIOLINS1 TASK: roll podium, electric piano, and clear conductor stand back to orchestra room.
  • SYMPHONIC VIOLINS 2,3, VIOLA task: help stack chairs in the cafeteria.
  • SYMPHONIC CELLO, BASS Task: take all 9 cello chairs and bass stools back to orchestra room.
  • CHAMBER ORCHESTRA MEN TASK: take down the acoustic shell.
  • CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WOMEN VIOLIN-VIOLA TASK: stack at least 5 chairs off the cafeteria floor.
  • CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WOMEN CELLO TASK: Help take electric instruments back to band hall.

Newcomers’ Howdy Breakfast

1819 Newcomers Breakfast InviteWho: students and parents who are new to any Killian Orchestra

What: light breakfast, meet & greet director, boosters, student officers, private lesson teachers, and other interested parties.

When: Saturday, August 11, 9AM, in the orchestra room at Killian (enter at door #18 on the north side of the building)

Why: Let’s meet, greet, and get comfortable in the space where we challenge our new students from the first day of school to build high level rehearsal and musical skills.  Orchestra has many social, educational, calendar, paperwork, and monetary facets.  Let’s learn all about them.  My priority is to get to know all of your and answer every question you can think of.

Can I help? Yes.  Please bring a treat listed in this link (not active quite yet).

Chamber call: TRAINING CAMP

NFL: Los Angeles Rams-OTA

Get back into rehearsal shape!  We burn away the summer fat of lazy posture, blurry intonation, and emerge lean, mean, and ready to rock.  

Section and seating assignments for the first week of school will be given at this rehearsal.  Bring your instrument (violin & violists) and your charged iPad.

Monday, August 13, 10AM, orchestra room.