4th and 5th GRADE ORCHESTRA "HAPPENINGS" At Woods Road and Belmont
Reported by Tom Schultheis
The 4th and 5th Grade Orchestras at Belmont and Woods Road have been involved in a number of musical “happenings” this semester.
On February 11th, as part of a grant through Chamber Music America, all 4th and 5th grade students from Belmont and Woods Road were treated to an assembly, hosted by the Daedalus String Quartet, at Belmont Elementary School. On this day, the orchestra students witnessed a fantastic concert by the Quartet, exposing them to different genres of chamber music. Additionally, the Quartet performed all of the musical selections that the students will perform at their Spring Concerts. The assembly concluded with a question and answer period and served as a source of motivation and inspiration for all involved!
On February 13th, Mr. Roger Tilles, a New York State Regent, visited Belmont Elementary School. As part of the welcoming celebration, a few select 5th grade orchestra students performed Hunters’ Chorus, from Der Freischütz, for Mr. Tilles. Those students were Stephanie Casas, Kristina Cunha, Raphael Pido, Dianna Garbe and Rochelle Brown. These students worked very hard, and gave up their recess time to prepare a high quality performance.
On March 17th and 20th, 4th and 5th grade orchestra students from Belmont and Woods Road took a trip to the Tilles Center at C.W. Post University (Woods Road) and Ward Melville High School (Belmont) to see a special children’s performance by the Long Island Philharmonic. At this concert, the students watched and heard the infamous L.I. Philharmonic present music that focused on New York and it’s famous composers. Additionally, the concert exposed the students to various musical genres, such as classical, romantic, modern, jazz, and ragtime.
On March 31st, all 4th and 5th grade orchestra students from Belmont and Woods Road took a trip to North Babylon High School, where they were joined by all other orchestra students, grades 4-12, in the District for the annual District String Festival. Here, each of the orchestras in the District performed “partner” concerts for each other, as well as received coaching from the Daedalus String Quartet. It was a great opportunity for the orchestra students to share what they are working on, and to receive feedback and coaching. As an added bonus, there were raffles for various musical prizes, donated by PASA and local vendors. It was a fun and exciting day for all!
This year, one 5th grade orchestra student from Belmont and one from Woods Road were selected to participate in this year’s All-County SCMEA Division I Festival. This Division is for the most talented 5th and 6th graders in Western Suffolk County. Anthony Klenke (Woods Road) earned 2nd chair, out of 14 basses. Rochelle Brown (Belmont) earned 7th chair out of 25 second violinists. Congratulations to Anthony and Rochelle for their amazing performances at SCMEA, and for representing Woods Road, Belmont, and North Babylon so well!
For the 3rd consecutive year, the 5th grade Orchestra from Woods Road will be participating in the NYSSMA Major Organizations Festival on May 27 at Newfield High School. This is the 1st year for Belmont’s 5th grade Orchestra to participate. This year, the orchestras will participate, combined. The orchestras are working very hard in preparation for their adjudication. Here, the group will be given a rating and recorded/written comments, based on various musical criteria, by two certified judges. Additionally, a plaque will be presented, displaying their rating.