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.

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.

• March 2 10A to 2P: KMS Orchestra instrument fitting & open house signup

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.

Concert 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.

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.

Sign-up Genius link is here.

Orchestra Handbook (For everyone’s information)

1819 Private Lesson Permission (to have private lessons once weekly during orchestra class)

1819 Handbook SigPage (for all to print, sign, and return to Mr. Hood)

LISD Instrument Contract (only for those using a school instrument)

Who: 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).

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.

KMS Orchestra Spring Concert | Friday, June 1 |  7PM at the Killian cafeteria.  

CONCERT PROGRAM HERE.

All orchestra students should uncase and tune in the orchestra room, and proceed at call time to the cafeteria.  Band students should uncase, tune, and warm up in the band hall.  Ms. Pittman will bring you to the cafeteria at about 7:25.  Please enter quietly and wait in the ramp behind the lost and found.

Beginners’ call: 6:40, tuned and ready to go on stage for full-group warmups.

Philharmonic call: 6:45, tuned and seated at the Philharmonic table in the cafeteria.

Symphonic call: 6:20, tuned and on stage for full-group warm-ups.

Chamber call: 6:45, tuned and warmed up in the cafeteria at the tables marked for Chamber.

Clean-up tasks:

• BEGINNER VIOLINS TASK: stack 5 chairs each.
• BEGINNER VIOLAS TASK: stack all music stands and roll them back to the 1600 hall.
• BEGINNER CELLI/BASS TASK: take all cello chairs to the orchestra room.
• PHILHARMONIC TASK: take extension cords, amps, and mic stand back to orchestra room.
• SYMPHONIC VIOLIN 1 TASK: roll piano, podium, conduction stand back to orchestra room.
• SYMPHONIC VIOLIN 2-3-VIOLA TASK: stack 5 chairs each.
• SYMPHONIC CELLI-BASS TASK: seek and return all rock stops, rosins, lost electronics, music, back to orchestra room.
• CHAMBER BOYS’ TASK: break down and stow acoustic shell.
• CHAMBER GIRLS’ TASK: re-case electric instruments with sound cables and take them back to the orchestra room.