US Honors Orchestra
Honors Orchestra from 9:55AM to 10:50AM (MWF, Year long. ½ Credit)
This is a full orchestra program consisting of strings, winds and percussion. This group will
perform two evening concerts per year at school and once in every other year at a
regional level music festival. This group meets three periods weekly, students
are encouraged to take a private instrumental lesson and home practice.
Prerequisite: Audition with Orchestra Director
(All members in this class must pass the audition except those students who are
the regional/district all state orchestra/band winners).
It is required each of the student needs their own instrument.
Course Guidelines
Goals
Students in Honor’s Orchestra will learn the orchestra masterpieces from world famous composers
throughout music history. The students will also learn variety music styles and
individual's
playing skills in the full orchestra setting.
Skills
- Develop students listening skills during the class including major minor scales, intervals, harmony
progressing, and pitch recognizing.
- Reinforce the playing skills using the solo or soli part to challenge students and give the
individual instructions for the music phrase, dynamics, tempo and counting on different rhythms.
- Improve the students’ awareness and playing abilities of the tone quality and pitch adjustment in
the full orchestra with a widely variety music and their styles.
- Expand on student knowledge of playing the music in symphony group and how is the relationship
between their individual parts, sections and whole orchestra.
- Learn the communication with the conductor during the playing including phrasing, dynamic, counting
and the tempo change.
- Develop students sight-reading skills at the beginning of each new song and some arranged music.
Exam it by calling individual student during the class or in the playing test.
Activities
- Two evening concerts will play in campus.
- One regional music festival or competition every other year.
- Perform for Commencement in May.
Assessment
- Graded playing test including the site-reading each trimester.
- It is the requirement that all the members in this class have to maintain
their playing test grade equal or higher than the class average. If the
student's playing skill grade bellow the class average he/she and their parents
will be noticed to practice more to catch the average.
If the playing skill test grade is three consecutive times 10 points bellow
the average the student must drop this class.
- Graded daily playing skill exams for each individual during the class period
and the rehearsals.
- Students are encouraged to try out for the solo performance during the
concert and the all state orchestra.
Click here to get the Honors Orchestra Agreement Form
