End of year Abingdon Strings Concert is at Wakefield High School on Monday, June 6, 2016 at 6 pm. Black pants and white shirts, please.
Arrival Time is 5:30 pm.
Please bring your instrument and your sheet music. Please wear Black Pants and a white shirt.
We will finish at 7:15 pm.
4th Grade will play: Blues in D minor and First Finger Pachelebel. Some students will play Folk Song Medley.
We will maybe play WE Will Rock You/Celebration and Lady Gaga Medley.
5th Grade will play:
D String Boogie
Fiddlin' Around
When I See you Again
Summertime Jazz
Goals of the two year 4th-5th grade Strings Program
Click here for the Instrument rental form
How to use the Strings Class Blackboard site for home practice, sheet music and videos:
Try Bloozy Woozy! Here's a video. Practice 10 times a day.
Mr. Utley's class, October, 2014....hard workers! Tall violins, great posture, great violin feet, good bow arms, relaxed bow arms. focus! Great Job.
Violin and Orchestra at Abingdon.
At Abingdon, all 4th graders take group violin lessons.
5th graders can take band or strings.
Welcome to our 2014-2015 school year!
Abingdon Strings Program
All 4th grade students have violin class once per week They will take violins home at the end of October once they have learned how to practice. Each student must bring a soft cloth to use as a cover for the violin.
5th grade Orchestra students have class once a week.
Concert Dress for all events is black pants and white shirts. If Arlington Public Schools are closed, all Strings Events are cancelled. :(
Arlington Public Schools Strings Programs
The award-winning Arlington Public Schools Strings Program starts in the 4th grade and continues with middle and high school Orchestra. In addition to our school orchestra programs, we have outstanding county orchestras: Junior Honors Orchestra ( 4th - 6th graders), Honors Orchestra (7th and 8th graders) and our Arlington Youth Symphony. Students may also audition to participate in numerous chamber music opportunities as well as District and State events.
Information about Abingdon Elementary School Strings
- All 4th grade students take Suzuki-based group violin lessons once per week. 5th graders select between strings and band instruments.
* Students rent instruments from Abingdon Elementary School for the annual fee of $5.00. Please do not buy an instrument for your child without first consulting a strings teacher.
* Books and folders are provided by Abingdon. Please be sure to return the books at the end of the school year.
* Some after-school rehearsals may be organized during the year.
- We are planning on at least two musical concerts this year, but we may organize a March or April recital if we have enough interest. We have our first Arts Showcase in November. String player arrival time is 30 minutes before the show.
* String players should wear black pants or skirts and white shirts to the concerts.
LOTS OF INFO ABOUT VIOLIN LESSONS: CLICK THIS LINK
* How to get an instrument: Students rent violins/violas/celli from the school for $5.00.
* Parents are responsible for the cost of repairs for broken instruments.
* Rental forms go home in Tuesday folders. 4th graders will receive violins in mid October once they have learned to hold and care for the instrument. 5th graders will receive their instruments in late September.
* We have very limited number of celli for 5th graders and those 4th graders who take up the cello in the winter.
Each Suzuki based strings class meets once per week for 45 minutes. Students rent violins for $5.00. Parents are responsible for the cost of repairs for broken instruments. Rental forms go home in Tuesday folders. 4th graders will receive violins in mid October once they have learned to hold and care for the instrument. We have very limited number of cellos for 5th graders and those 4th graders who arrive in 4th grade already playing the cello.
Honors Orchestra Info:
Click for Website:
Great bow hand!!!
Some of our recent and upcoming events:
Spring 2007: Suzuki Festival at Strathmore Hall. 6 Abingdon Students played at Strathmore Hall.
May 2007: Concert for Arlington County Neighborhood Day
Summer 2007: Abingdon Summer Violin Workshop on Tuesday evenings
December 2007: Concert for a School Square Dance with professional caller Skip Cleland This event was funded by a generous Grant from the Virginia Commission on the Arts.
Fall 2007:
February 2008: About 45 Abingdon Students participated in the South Arlington Pyramid Orchestra Festival.
March 7, 2008: Abingdon Strings are invited to play with the Alexandria Band under the Direction of Dr. Wendy Matthews
April 12, 2008: 6 Abingdon students played at Strathmore Hall as part of the Washington Area Suzuki Festival.
May 20, 2008: Abingdon family field trip to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
June 11, 2008: Spring Concert
Summer 2008: Strings camp on Tuesday evening
February 2009: South Pyramid Concert
March 2009: District 12 Solo and Ensemble Festival...All Superior Ratings in every category. 12 Abingdon students performed.
March 2009: A concert and workshop on Tango with QuinTango. This was provided by a Grant from the Washington performing Arts Society.
April 1, 2009: Concert for 4th and 5th grade as part of Wheel Night
April 21, 2009: National Symphony Field Trip
Summer, 2009: Free Evening Workshops for Abingdon String Students at Wakefield High School.
November, 2009: Our First Concert for Wheel Night.
February 20, 2010: Wakefield Orchestra Festival.
March 2010: Concert and Workshop with QuinTango, and Argentine Tango Quintet.
Spring 2010: District 12 Solo and Ensemble Festival in Herndon. All Superior grades in our ensembles!!!!
Wheel Night Concert was awesome!!!!!!!
Fall 2010: Project Gift Showcase
February, 2011: Pyramid Concert
April 4: Recital
April 5: Ochestra plays for parent breakfast
April 11, 2011: Concert and Workshop with Quintango
March 2013: Solo Recital at Abingdon
March 2013: Played at the International Adessert Night
June 2013: 4th grade concert called "A History of Virginia Music"
June 2013: a Visit from The Potomac Players String Trio
South Arlington Pyramid Concert
9 of the 14 cellos were from Abingdon Cello ProjectViolin Class InfoAt
We incorporate the Suzuki philosophy in the child's school experience:
- by realizing every child can learn
- by creating a positive, supportive learning environment
- by encouraging noble human values and
- by encouraging positive personal, social and education values
For technical mastery of the instrument we:
- Use a common sequenced repertoire for all instruments
- Memorize the repertoire
- Review the repertoire to develop technical skills and musical expression
- Teach small step instruction of each skill
- Teach and reinforce mastery of each skill
- Teach group lessons in the 'Suzuki Style'
- Promote daily listening and aural exposure to Suzuki repertoire and other good music
- Develop posture and basic technique before introducing note reading
We encourage parents to be involved in their child's violin/viola/cello progress by:
- Encouraging a regular time and place for daily practice.Students should practice 15 minutes for the first 2 months and then up to a half hour per day.
- Being enthusiastic about the violin and the students' progress.Be your child's cheering squad.
Parents:
Help your children by reminding them that:
- 4th graders have violin on Thursday and Friday.
- 5th graders have strings on Monday and Tuesday..
- Help remind them to bring their instruments to school.
- All students have folders of music to take home.Extra copies of music are available for use at school.
- We offer advanced orchestra after school on Wednesday. Thursday is 4th grade Violin Club after school..Extra practice sessions for everyone are available after school on Monday and Friday and during recess. After school participants require written permission slips.
Care of instrument:Keep the instrument out of hot or cold cars at all times; keep it away from heating vents; do not let anyone 'try' the instrument.DO NOT try to tune it unless you are a string player; let Ms Snyder or a music store tune it for you.Be very careful not to bump into anything with the instrument.
Thank you,Kristin Gomez
Violin Teacher at
703-228-6650
