Parents' Corner

This month in strings class

All grades are now back in shape, and finishing their first song of the new year.

Mark you calendar: the GSA spring concert has been scheduled for Friday, May 9. As usual, it will take place at the First Unitarian Universalist Church.

A revamped Strings Corner

Beyond the obvious change in look, my main goal has been to simplify the site. The process of adding new songs used to require the creation of many different files and was extremely time-consuming; what made sense when the site posted only a handful of songs for four grades has now become difficult to manage (since playing the same songs every year, or using standard arrangements without tailoring them for GSA students is not something I want to consider). So the real goal of the new design was to streamline this process, to allow for the addition of more varied content.

Private lessons

Once again, I would like to remind you that even though private lessons are not a requirement in strings class, they are definitely a must for students who want to take their playing to the next level. Feel free to contact me if you need tips about finding a private teacher.

Middle school practicing

Just a reminder about the practicing requirements in grades 6 to 8. The students have to practice three times a week, for a combined total of at least 30 min, and that is a bare minimum. They have to turn in a practice sheet weekly. Unlike most orchestra teachers, I am not asking for their parents' signature on the practice sheet, because I want them to be responsible and trustworthy. At the same time, I figured it would not hurt to remind you that they are indeed supposed to practice.

Tuning

For those of you whose daughter has been struggling with an instrument out of tune when they wanted to practice, I have included a few tuning tips in the Tuning Page. I hope they help. You can also contact me if you need some assistance tuning: I have often been able to help parents tune an instrument over the phone!