Longview Schools Orchestra

The Cascade orchestra program in the Longview Schools has a Beginning Orchestra and an Advanced Orchestra.  Beginning orchestra is for 6th-grade students but is open to older students who want to start a stringed instrument. The advanced orchestra is only for students with at least one year of experience where they learn the necessary skills to perform higher-level literature. 
 
Students in all ensembles will develop the important life skills of discipline, collaboration, and creativity.

Acquiring an instrument:
Students are encouraged to rent or purchase an instrument from Ted Brown Music, but school-owned instruments may be available if you cannot make the financial commitment. Students will NOT be turned away from the program if they cannot afford an instrument.
 
Supplies:

• Required daily supplies for all students including instruments and music, which will be provided.
• All students will be provided a method book for use in class; please return the book in suitable condition, free of marks and tears. 
• Violins and Viola must use a shoulder rest – these will be provided if needed.

 
Concert Attire:

• Beginning Orchestra: Solid white dress shirt, solid black dress pants or skirt, black dress shoes, and socks. 
• Advanced Orchestra: Solid black dress top and bottom with black dress shoes and socks.

• Competencies - Standards: Competencies are playing tests or assignments used to demonstrate a student can accurately play music on the instrument or understand a concept.
• Professionalism: Students are expected to demonstrate both individual and group etiquette daily. Participation, professionalism, and proper instrument care are not only part of this grade, but help the group rehearse more efficiently.
• Performance: Attendance at evening concerts demonstrating a polished performance in the proper uniform.

Musicianship Expectations (Daily):
 

Students are expected to be:
Respectful

• Polite and Courteous
• Positive Attitude
• Listen and Follow Directions
• Treat others as you would like to be treated

Safe

• Physically – hands and feet to self, avoid eating or drinking in class
• Emotionally-  be kind to yourself and others – be positive and open
• Intellectually – Focus on work and keep trying
• Maintain Self Control – take a deep breath, relax, and use appropriate language, voice level

Responsible

• Accept Consequences
• Be Prompt
• Be Dependable
• Be Organized
• Maintain Self Control

A Learner

• Participate and Listen
• Use Time Wisely
• Ask Questions
• Set Goals
• Do Your Best

 

Students will treat equipment with respect 

Musical equipment is expensive and delicate. Each repair costs money and you may be asked to cover the repair, depending on the circumstances.

• Thursday, December 5 – Winter Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the Cascade Café

• Saturday, March 15 – Solo & Ensemble (optional) schedule TBD at W.F. West High School

• Tuesday, March 18 – All City Orchestra Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the R.A. Long Auditorium

• Thursday, March 27 – SWWMEA Large Group Orchestra Festival at LCC -  During the school day – Schedule TBD

• Thursday, May 22 – Spring Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the Cascade Café

The Monticello orchestra program in the Longview Schools has a Beginning Orchestra and an Advanced Orchestra. Beginning orchestra is for 6th-grade students but is open to older students who want to start a stringed instrument. The advanced orchestra is only for students with at least one year of experience where they learn the necessary skills to perform higher-level literature. 
 
Students in all ensembles will develop the important life skills of discipline, collaboration, and creativity.

Acquiring an instrument:
Students are encouraged to rent or purchase an instrument from Ted Brown Music, but school-owned instruments may be available if you cannot make the financial commitment. Students will NOT be turned away from the program if they cannot afford an instrument.
 
Supplies:

• Required daily supplies for all students including their instruments and music, which will be provided.
• All students will be provided a method book for use in class; please return the book in suitable condition, free of marks and tears. 
• Violins and Viola must use a shoulder rest – these will be provided if needed.

 
Concert Attire:

• Beginning Orchestra:  Solid white dress shirt, solid black dress pants or skirt, black dress shoes, and socks. 
• Advanced Orchestra:  Solid black dress top and bottom with black dress shoes and socks.
   

• Competencies - Standards: Competencies are playing tests or assignments used to demonstrate a student can accurately play music on the instrument or understand a concept. 
• Professionalism: Students are expected to demonstrate both individual and group etiquette daily. Participation, professionalism, and proper instrument care are not only part of this grade, but help the group rehearse more efficiently.
•  Performance: Attendance at evening concerts demonstrating a polished performance in the proper uniform.

Musicianship Expectations (Daily):
 

Students are expected to be:
Respectful

• Polite and Courteous
• Positive Attitude
• Listen and Follow Directions
• Treat others as you would like to be treated

Safe

• Physically – hands and feet to self, avoid eating or drinking in class
• Emotionally-  be kind to yourself and others – be positive and open
• Intellectually – Focus on work and keep trying
• Maintain Self Control – take a deep breath, relax, and use appropriate language, voice level

Responsible

• Accept Consequences
• Be Prompt
• Be Dependable
• Be Organized
• Maintain Self Control

A Learner

• Participate and Listen
• Use Time Wisely
• Ask Questions
• Set Goals
• Do Your Best

 

Students will treat equipment with respect 

Musical equipment is expensive and delicate. Each repair costs money and you may be asked to cover the repair, depending on the circumstances.

• Monday, December 9 – Winter Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the Monticello Café

• Saturday, March 15 – Solo & Ensemble (optional) schedule TBD at W.F. West High School

• Tuesday, March 18 – All City Orchestra Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the R.A. Long Auditorium

• Thursday, March 27 – SWWMEA Large Group Orchestra Festival at LCC -  During the school day – Schedule TBD

• Monday, June 9 – Spring Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the Monticello Café

The High School Orchestra program in the Longview Schools has a 1st Period String Orchestra and a Chamber Orchestra. 1st Period Orchestra is mostly for students in the 9th grade but many older students stay in 1st Period while joining Chamber Orchestra in order to play in two groups. Chamber Orchestra is mostly for students who completed a year of 1st Period Orchestra but there are 9th grade students who are taking private lessons or are more advanced that do well in Chamber where they learn necessary skills to perform higher level literature. 
 
Students in all ensembles will develop the important life skills of discipline, collaboration, and creativity.

Acquiring an instrument: Students are encouraged to rent or purchase an instrument from Ted Brown Music, but school-owned instruments may be available if you cannot make the financial commitment. Students will NOT be turned away from the program if they cannot afford an instrument.
   

Supplies:

• Required daily supplies for all students include their instruments and music, which will be provided.
• All students will be provided a method book for use in class; please return the book in suitable condition, free of marks and tears. 
• Violins and Viola must use a shoulder rest – these will be provided if needed.

Concert Attire:
1st Period String Orchestra: Ladies: All Black dress clothes with dress black shoes and socks. Gentlemen: Black dress pants, Black dress shoes, and socks, white dress button-up shirt with any color tie.  

Chamber Orchestra: Tuxedo or Uniform Concert Dress for Chamber with dress black shoes and socks.

 

• Competencies - Standards: Competencies are playing tests or assignments used to demonstrate a student can accurately play music on the instrument or understand a concept. 
• Professionalism: Students are expected to demonstrate both individual and group etiquette daily. Participation, professionalism, and proper instrument care are not only part of this grade, but help the group rehearse more efficiently.
•  Performance: Attendance at evening concerts demonstrating a polished performance in the proper uniform.

Musicianship Expectations (Daily):
 

Students are expected to be:
Respectful

• Polite and Courteous
• Positive Attitude
• Listen and Follow Directions
• Treat others as you would like to be treated

Safe

• Physically – hands and feet to self, avoid eating or drinking in class
• Emotionally-  be kind to yourself and others – be positive and open
• Intellectually – Focus on work and keep trying
• Maintain Self Control – take a deep breath, relax, and use appropriate language, voice level

Responsible

• Accept Consequences
• Be Prompt
• Be Dependable
• Be Organized
• Maintain Self Control

A Learner

• Participate and Listen
• Use Time Wisely
• Ask Questions
• Set Goals
• Do Your Best

 

Students will treat equipment with respect 

Musical equipment is expensive and delicate. Each repair costs money and you may be asked to cover the repair, depending on the circumstances.

• Tuesday, Dec. 17 – Winter Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the R.A. Long Auditorium

• Saturday, March 15 – Solo & Ensemble (optional) schedule TBD at W.F. West High School

• Tuesday, March 18 – All City Orchestra Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the R.A. Long Auditorium

• Thursday, March 27 – SWWMEA Large Group Orchestra Festival at LCC -  During the school day – Schedule TBD

• Friday, May 16 – R. A. Long Fine Arts Festival during 5^th period at R.A. Long in the Auditorium

• Thursday, June 5 – Spring Concert with Senior Solo in the RA Long Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.

• Key Signature Part 1, Part 2
• Vibrato Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
• Wrist Vibrato Part 1
• Treble Clef and Staff
• Notes on the Violin 
• Practice Tips
• Left hand set up Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Pizzicato
• Bowing technique crossing strings
• Bowing Exercises (Choo Choo Train)
• Row the Boat bow prep
• Rock the Boat bow prep
• Bowing parallel to the bridge
• Pencil hold - preparation
• Bowing on the string - Driving
• Taking the violin out of the case
• Parts of the bow
• Rocket Bow exercise
• Anatomy of the bow
• Muller Rusch exercise 354 - shifting to 3rd position
• 9 Exercises to Transform your Violin Technique

• Viola Key Signature Part 1, Part 2
• Vibrato Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
• Wrist Vibrato Part 1
• Alto Clef and Staff
• Notes on the Viola
• Practice Tips
• Left hand set up Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Pizzicato
• Bowing technique crossing strings
• Bowing Exercises (Choo Choo Train)
• Row the Boat bow prep
• Rock the Boat bow prep
• Bowing parallel to the bridge
• Pencil hold - preparation
• Bowing on the string - Driving
• Taking the viola out of the case
• Parts of the bow
• Rocket Bow exercise
• Anatomy of the bow
• 9 Exercises to Transform your Viola Technique

• Cello Key Signature Part 1, Part 2
• Bass Clef and Staff
• Notes on the Cello
• Practice Tips
• Cello Left Hand Set Up
• Pizzicato on Cello
• Cello Bow Hold
• Taking the Cello out of the Case

• Learn Cello Vibrato in 4 steps

• Holding the String Bass
• Bass Key Signature Part 1, Part 2
• Bass Clef and Staff 
• Notes on the Bass
• Practice Tips
• Bass Bow Hold
• Taking the Bass out of the Case
• Vibrato on the bass – how to learn it!

Main Points from the Book ADHD 2.0 by Hallowell and Ratey

Introduction
Students with ADHD have a spectrum of traits. The word “deficit” in the name of this disorder is a misnomer. In fact, students with ADHD have just the opposite problem. They have an overabundance of attention. More attention than they can cope with; their constant challenge is to control it. A Ferrari brain with bicycle brakes.

It helps to think of ADHD as a complex set of contradictions or paradoxical tendencies: 

• a lack of focus combined with an ability to superfocus 
• a lack of direction combined with highly directed entrepreneurialism 
• a tendency to procrastinate combined with a knack for getting a week’s worth of work done in two hours
• impulsive, wrongheaded decision making combined with inventive, out-of-the-blue problem solving 
• interpersonal cluelessness combined with uncanny intuition and empathy
• The list goes on.
• Here are some formal telltale signs of ADHD:
• Unexplained underachievement  
• A wandering mind
• Trouble organizing and planning
• High degree of creativity and imagination
• Trouble with time management and a tendency to procrastinate
• Strong will, stubbornness, refusal of help
• Generosity
• Restlessness 
• Unique and active sense of humor
• Trouble sharing and playing with others early on, but at the same time, a desire to make friends
• Exquisite sensitivity to criticism or rejection
• Impulsiveness and impatience (race car brain / bicycle brakes)
• An itch to change the conditions of life
• High energy
• Uncannily accurate intuition
• Transparency to the point of being honest to a fault
• Susceptibility to addictions and compulsive behaviors of all kinds
• Having a metaphorical lightening rod and weather vane (scapegoated, blamed, disciplined more than others)
• Tendency to externalize or blame others while not seeing their role in the problem
• Distorted negative self-image

 

A Bit about the Brain and ADHD
Children with ADHD brains have no control over the switch between two basic networks:

1. Task Focused Thinking (TPN) and
2. Default Mode Network (DMN) for expansive/imaginative/creative thinking.  

The Neurotypical brain can choose when to switch from one network to the other, but children with ADHD brains have a glitchy switch and can’t control which network takes over or both networks can work at the same time.  To make things worse, the back part of the DMN can have a demon aspect, in that this network allows you to think back, draw upon and pick apart or ruminate on the past.  The front part of the DMN is responsible for looking forward, to think about, imagine and plan for the future. People with ADHD are prone to head toward gloom and doom in their minds because they’ve stored up a lifetime of moments of failure, disappointment, shame, frustration, defeat and embarrassment.  

Music Can Help
Improved Cerebellar Function = Improved ADHD Symptoms
Stimulating and challenging the cerebellum in the brain improves the braking control on the ADHD Ferrari brain. Specifically strengthening the central strip down the midline of the cerebellum called the vermis makes a difference to help reduce the negative symptoms of ADHD.  

Musicians have a larger vermis connecting the two sides of the brain so playing an instrument or studying voice will help.  Including rhythmic or melody based learning games in class could increase attention. Coordination/balancing exercises also increase this area.  Standing on a wobble board, standing on one foot while picking several things up off the floor or juggling are examples of ways to stimulate the cerebellum.  The “Zing” method uses exercises like this while doing calculations or counting backwards, which has proven to reduce ADHD symptoms.  

Check for Inner Ear Problems Affecting Balance
The inner ear and vestibular system play a significant role in ADHD, dyslexia and an array of other conditions.

A Safe and Positive Environment- Connection to Others 
Children with ADHD don’t need punishment, they need Vitamin Connect. It should be the lifeblood of all families, schools and organizations.

Even if children have high ACEs scores (Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale), connection to at least one person can have incredible healing power and promote success in their lives.
Creating comfortable, positively connected environments is the most important step in helping children get the most out of life in general; the lack of connection particularly hurts people who have ADHD.

Set up Structure in Environment
Creating structure is not something students with ADHD can do, but they need it like the walls of a bobsled run.  

Try the following in your classroom:

• Low fear, high trust atmosphere
• Shaming not allowed
• Rules of the room are clear. Even Better: They are posted on the wall
• A seating arrangement that promotes connection with others
• The Socratic method of teaching: That is, dialogue and asking/answering questions to get to information. A top-down, I lecture/ you listen structure is not compatible with the ADHD mind.
• Project-based learning as much as possible
• Innovation and initiative encouraged
• Frequent breaks for exercise during class, e.g., standing up, dancing, jogging in place, stretching
• A Teacher or administrator that encourages the identification of strengths

 

Get Exercise
Movement during class – PE is important.
Find the Right Kind of Difficult – Tap into Super Power
Take a strength-based approach and find the one or two things a student can do really well.  Something they are excited about.  Tailor lessons or activities to meet that strength or interest. 
Identify Strengths – Focus on Them
Have students assess their strengths – there is a great tool in the book or use the Kolbe Index. (Over 16 – Kolbe A Index, between 10-16 – Kolbe Y Index).  You have to pay for the results of these tests but there is also a free adapted test online called the Kolbe High5s test.  

These tests unearth the unique and inborn way each of us exerts effort or takes action. What are the students’ strengths that lead to action?  If a student finds the right kind of difficult tasks, they are likely to focus more naturally and work hard.

Motivate Students with Imagination
Have students imagine how good it will feel to have accomplished the task.

See the Potential – Creativity, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Energy – of people with ADHD
 

Orchestra Students’ Version of: (Introduction and Chapter One)

Every Brain Needs Music: The Neuroscience of Making and Listening to Music by Larry S. Sherman & Dennis Plies

Introduction

• Music and the human brain cannot live without each other.  Humans have used music from the beginning and this book explains how people create wonderful music.  It explains how we hear music and how music works.  Miranda, Grade 6
• This book is about the relationship the human brain has with the music/sound that it creates. Vivian, Grade 9
• “Cool” book.  The book explains what music is.  Musicians spend so much time trying to get really amazing at music, then they go to an audience!  Zelda, Grade 6
• When we hear music and see the notes, we can play.  Millie, Grade 6
• This book shows the relationships between people’s brains and music. Julia, Grade 10
• Music is air molecules, but without a “receptor” in your brain, would it really be music?  Music is ideas, sounds and symbols.  Mac, Grade 9
• This book is about the way music and the brain coexist and how the brain processes music; how the brain and music can’t survive without each other.  Olevia, Grade 7
• The first movement (chapter) explores the question “What is music?”  Music is just vibrations in the air created by an instrument or recorder.  It is received by our ears and interpreted by our brains.  Chris, Grade 12
• Music can change the brain of the people who make the music who play the music and who hear the music.  People hearing music can give them ideas to repeat the cycle by making new music for different people or even the same. Silas, Grade 7

Chapter One

• What is music? If an alien landed in your yard, how would you describe music? A sound made of beauty and grace, made with chords and strings, made of thoughts and mind, made of ideas and people. Taylor, Grade 7
• There are 4 parts of the brain; each doing different things.  Dylan, Grade 7
• The brain weighs around 3.3 pounds.  Eli, Grade 10
• There are unique connections in our brains because of playing and listening to music.  Roni, Grade 9
• The brain has different functions that help perceive music. Every part of the brain helps to contribute to music, it’s interesting. Eli, Grade 10
• The brain has parts with different jobs. Jayden, Grade 6
• The human brain has many parts that work together. Hannah, Grade 10
• Neurons talk to one another, forming the circuits of our nervous system.  We have unique connections in our brain because of playing new instruments.  Hannah, Grade 10
• Dendrites accept electrical signals (music) that go to the cell, then along the axon, then goes to other dendrites creating the circuit of our brains, letting us do things like play music.  Julia, Grade 10
• The brain is like a telephone game.  Jamee, Grade 6
• The brain has 171 billion cells! Around 86 billion are neurons.  Neurons help us understand the world around us, including understanding music.  There are also dendrites, which help the brain and all its parts connect through axons coated in myelin.  Viviana, Grade 7
• The brain is made of billions of cells.  The brain reacts to music; music may illicit feelings of joy or sadness.  Neurons communicate with each other – from dendrites to axons.  They meet at synapses to transfer impulses (information).  Chris, Grade 12
• Synapses are the spaces between neurons.  Claire, Grade 7
• A Synapse is energy that goes through neurotransmitters and can be electrical or chemical energy. Mac, Grade 9
• A synapse is when a chemical or electrical charge jumps from one neuron to another. Wyatt, Grade 9
• Neurons can talk to each other.  Rose, Grade 6
• The dendrites accept electrical signals (music) that go to the cell, then along the axon, then go to other dendrites, creating the circuit of our brains, letting us do things like play music.  Julia, Grade 10
• There is a connection between all neurons and they send little signals to each other like an orchestra. Vivian, Grade 9
• The vibrating air molecules that are generated enter the human ear. Carlee, Grade 7
• Sound turns from mechanical energy (bones vibrating in the ear) to electrical energy before it reaches the brain.  Rose, Grade 6
• The sound that goes into our ears is brought up to the thalamus and the thalamus gives the signal to the other parts of the brain.  Yurianna, Grade 6
• The thalamus is located above the brain stem and is the relay station for almost all sensory information going into the brain. The auditory cortex then sorts the sounds out and then it gets transferred to other parts of the brain. Inara, Grade 7
• It is unclear why the brain differentiates music from other things. Viviana, Grade 7
• A special device called the fMRI detects changes in blood pressure in a human like when music triggers neurons in the brain.  Vesper, Grade 8
• fMRIs show how music is affecting your brain and where it does.  Jocelyn, Grade 7
• Music activates changes in blood vessels in certain areas of the brain. Olevia, Grade 7
• Parts of your brain lights up when it hears music.  Sandy, Grade 7
• When we listen to music, our brains process rhythm, pitch, tempo, contour, reverberation, and loudness.  Sophia, Grade 10
• The brain has enjoyed music since the beginning of humanity.  Dom, Grade 7
• Music has likely been a part of the human experience from the beginning.  We have parts in our brains that are really in tune with music.
• 40,000 years ago there were flutes made of bone.  There could have also been other instruments way before that.  Music has been around for around 43,000 years.  Silas, Grade 7
• Music is a core experience, all societies have some form of music, and humans from all over the world participate in it.  We use music in many ways, whether it’s emotional, or physical, we use it for connections.  Olevia, Grade 7
• Music is a social instinct. First, human mothers vocalized to calm down kids.  Words can change with different pitches. The language of a tribe in the Amazon is mostly sounds and music.  Music provides creativity and is important to mankind.  Felipe, Grade 6
• There is actually a language fully based on music.  Ryan, Grade 11
• As social beings, humans want to communicate and connect with others for meaning and purpose.  Mylee, Grade 10
• Our language is founded on music, it allows us to interpret things in new ways and say things differently. Music is the universal language of the Homo sapiens. Anna, Grade 12
• People sing and coo to their babies to get their attention or to stop crying.  Millie, Grade 6
• Our musical abilities start as young as childbirth.  Music is in all cultures and is the foundation of language.  We are hard-wired to create music.  Gabriel, Grade 12
• One of the first things infants hear is music, mothers instinctively sing to their child to soothe them.  We notice pitch fluctuations in language just like we do in music.  Chris, Grade 12
• Pairing music with other things like the alphabet song helps us learn faster because our brains are tuned to recognize music.  Wyatt, Grade 9
• Music helps us in many ways, including communication, learning faster (ABC Song), and warning people and telling them what to do (Underground Railroad).  Miranda, Grade 6
• The Underground Railroad used songs to lead people who didn’t know how to spell, write, etc. Siana, Grade 6
• Harriett Tubman freed her people using music.  Zeek, Grade 10
• Music is an amazing way to communicate.  Learning things becomes easier and faster if there’s music involved. Julia, Grade 11
• Every nation on earth has music.  Music is a great kind of expression.  Eddie, Grade 6
• People usually have music at cultural events.  Sometimes people use it to express their emotions.  Regina, Grade 6

 

Printable Text - PDF

Orchestra Students’ Version of: (Chapter 2 How your brain composes music)

Every Brain Needs Music: The Neuroscience of Making and Listening to Music by Larry S. Sherman & Dennis Plies

• Music is everywhere and anytime like at coronations, funerals, weddings, etc. Afton, Grade 6
• Music is a language.  Azalea, Grade 6
• Music is a social instinct that governs our social evolution.  Music is a cultural and connective force.  Silas, Grade 7
• Music serves as an organizing cultural activity.  It can promote human well-being and similarly represents universal language.  Jasmine, Grade 7
• Charles Darwin suggests that music is a social instinct.  Archer, Grade 6
• Music might have been created by vocalization or banging on a rock.  Felipe, Grade 6
• Music is embodied language, social instinct, and our roots.  Music is our roots, and a language lots of us use to connect.  Jamee, Grade 6
• Humans use music to communicate emotion.  Dom, Grade 7
• Music is most likely the first thing we hear when we’re born.  Jocelyn, Grade 7
• Babies and people use pitch to show and express their emotions.  Babies have heard music from their mothers for a long time.  Lots of people use different pitches when talking to a baby.  Pitches show people your emotions.  Jamee, Grade 6
• Humans want to communicate and connect with others for meaning and purpose.  Music is the first thing infants hear.  Archer, Grade 6
• Humans use music to communicate emotion. Logan, Grade 6
• Human mothers have an instinct to sing songs to their babies like a lullaby to soothe the infant down.  Bonita, Grade 6
• Our brains’ understanding of music is developed at a young age.  Aidan, Grade 8
• The brain processes sounds. Adan, Grade 8
• Music can boost imagination. Rose, Grade 6
• Music can help us connect with others.  Vesper, Grade 8
• Music is one of the first things infants hear from their mother’s singing.  Carlee, Grade 8
• Human mothers would sing to calm the infants down and use high pitch to talk to them and sing/speak and scientists think that music came first before language.  Lillian, Grade 6
• How people compose music is when a person has an idea or makes noise. By experimenting you can make beautiful pieces.  But revise things like audiation, rhythm, etc.  Viviana, Grade 6
• There’s a difference between composing and improvising. Audiation is hearing music in your head without it being in the outside world.  Vesper, Grade 8
• Audiation is the inner hearing of music.  Silas, Grade 7
• Today, we read about reasons why people compose music.  These reasons include a product, for teaching, to give a message, and many more.  Andrew, Grade 8
• Composers write music based on the purpose.  Tinkering plays a big part in composing.  Vivian, Grade 9
• When composing music, people often sit down and experiment with notes or chords.  Emma, Grade 8
• Composing is a process of improvising and revising with sounds using your curiosity.  Julia, Grade 10
• Composing is a creative process and you need to be able to improvise as part of that process.  Various composers were studied using MRI machines and it showed that similar parts of the brain were used for composition.  Audra, Grade 7
• Music is formed through experimentation and composers use different strategies to put things together.  Things can come from either improvisation or organized thought.  Kaylee, Grade 10
• The composing of music includes improvisation.  Roni, Grade 10
• Experimenting and noodling with sounds was how music was made. Composing is different from improvising.  Composing is having it written/ planned.  Improvising is making it up throughout the process.  Jasmine, Grade 7
• The foundation of composing is “inner hearing”.  Ben, Grade 11
• Curiosity lead to new musical ideas.  Chloe H., Grade 6
• Curiosity is a form of internal motivation that drives composers to create new pieces.  Inara, Grade 7
• Humans (and cats) explore for something new and exciting.  This is curiosity.  Curiosity helps us to be motivated, and helps us with music composition.  Viviana, Grade 7
• Curiosity is a really big part of creating music.  Ayla, Grade 10
• Curiosity is an essential part of learning and, most importantly, composing music.  Curiosity leads us to experiment and put two things together to make something new.  Chris, Grade 12
• Curiosity drives us to learn and lets us combine what we know with what’s new and drives creativity, which changes how we think.  Olevia, Grade 7
• Curiosity is essential for creativity.  Jamee, Grade 6
• Improvising and composing are different.  Emily, Grade 7
• Improvising is based off of structure.  Julia, Grade 10
• Improvisation is when you make things up when you play.  Afton, Grade 6
• Improvisation = “without provision”. You make it up as you go, but with rules.  Siana, Grade 6
• Studies of musicians using MRI and fMRI machines shows how their brain works while actively improvising or composing. Sandy, Grade 7
• Improvisation activates parts in the brain used for conversation, speech, and language, but not focused on the meaning of the language.  Olevia, Grade 7
• Improvising jazz music activates motor functions and sensory areas in the brain.  Julia, Grade 10
• Jazz musicians’ frontal lobes are not as activated while improvising as classical musicians improvising. Taylor, Grade 7
• Classically trained musicians utilized different processes when they improvised compared to jazz musicians.  Jose, Grade 9
• Jazz musicians do a lot of improvisation.  Scientists found that jazz musicians have some parts of their brain deactivated that are about thinking.  Classically trained musicians use different parts of the brain while improvising.  Jasmine, Grade 7
• Question:  If you tested the same things on neuro-divergent people, how would the results differ?  What if someone measured multiple instruments with different techniques? Mac, Grade 9
• Solo vs. Team:  improvisation upon another’s music activates parts of the brain that deal with verbal communication except the parts tied to comprehension.  When improvising solo, these parts do not activate in favor of “letting go”.  Composing vs. improvising: Improvisation requires an agreement or some structure such as melody, tempo, etc. Composing is all planned and coordinated.  Chris, Grade 12
• Composing is edited and improvising is not.  Each time a tune is made it might change.  Landon, Grade 8
• Composing involves both planning and revising combined with a creative process that’s led by curiosity. Jasmine, Grade 7
• Some think improvisation cannot be taught.  It could be that those who are able to improvise naturally are more creative, less visual, and have a different structured brain, because they rely less on memory.  We’re not sure if we are born with these differences or if they are developed with experience.  Kaylee, Grade 11
• Music can be a theme or you can identify a theme.  Music is both motivation and inspiration.  Xyshon, Grade 7
• You can use music to express emotion.  Composers may compose out of sorrow or hardship more often than joy or celebration.  Regina, Grade 6
• Your brain’s curiosity can lead you to create great things, even in times of pain and challenges.  Claire, Grade 9
• Improvising can only occur because it is based on structure or agreement.  One may also improvise in the composition process.  Mylee, Grade 11
• When you compose music and write it down, anyone can play it even 300 years later.  Silas, Grade 7
• We constantly explore to learn the world around us for new information; this is curiosity.  Curiosity drives us to learn new things.  Jasmine, Grade 7
• Most professionals lose track of the time of day while playing and instead of using words, they pour out their emotions into sounds and music.  Jocelyn, Grade 7
• The book refers to music as a drug since it is so addictive to listen to.  Xavier, Grade 7
• Beethoven’s drive to create something unique was a reflection of curiosity.  Our brains feel rewards for something novel or unpredictable because of our curiosity.  If it’s predictable, we become bored.  Olevia, Grade 7.
• Beethoven was deaf but he still tried to make music.  He still tried even after having lead poisoning.  Laylani, Grade 6
• Over time, Beethoven was influenced by curiosity and creativity, driving him to make his music more and more unique.  Vesper (Emma), Grade 8
• Hammerklavier by Beethoven is complex music.  Beethoven created new things by exploring his curiosity.  He became “less predictable” later in his career.  Kaylee, Grade 11
• Hammerklavier was thought to be unplayable until Liszt proved everyone wrong when he played it for an audience.  Inara, Grade 6
• Beethoven wrote lots of music that could have been from him falling in love.  Felipe, Grade 6
• Beethoven’s music become more complicated as his curiosity grew.  Composing involves planning, improvising, and revising.  Classical music activates different parts of the brain than jazz improvisation. Chloe T., Grade 10
• Question: I wonder what changed throughout Beethoven’s sonatas?  How did his brain function to help him create music when he was deaf?  I wish we could have scanned his brain while he composed.  Vivian, Grade 9
• Curiosity can drive music to be less predictable and unique and new.  Hannah, Grade 10
• A composer’s music style can change due to curiosity and exploration.  Dylan, Grade 7
• Composers say that in order to improvise, you have to “throw them in the deep end.” Studies show that different people are at different levels because of improvisation.  This skill is developed over time by working hard, and the brain is developed.  Viviana, Grade 7
• The brain treats music like verbal communication without the meaning of the words.  Jocelyn, Grade 7
• The brain treats music much like it does speech, minus the actual speaking/talking part.  It has more of the tone compared to the talking part of speaking.  Inara, Grade 7
• A study of jazz pianists “traded” music with each other, like a “language”, or a conversation.  The conversation lit up the brain. This also lit up the hearing part of our brain.  The brain treats music just like it treats everyday conversations.  Viviana, Grade 7
• Your brain activates differently when improvising music with someone else rather than by yourself. Question: Does this mean our brain works harder when creating music with others?  Vivian, Grade 9
• When composing and improvising, the language and empathy part of the brain are being used. Composing and improvising are a learned thing and not everyone can do it.   Dylan, Grade 7
• Different parts of the brain work when we improvise alone and different parts when we improvise with others.  Audra, Grade 7
• Improvisation is not something that can be studied at a distance.  You must go all in at it (throw yourself in the deep end).  Adan, Grade 8
• Studies show that you are good at improvising because you do it a lot and then the visual and motor areas of the brain are actually disconnected while improvising.  Regina, Grade 6
• When I was little, I spent recess improvising music.  I started writing it down when I was nine and when I was 12-13 I started adding chords to it.  I started writing instrumental music when I was 14-15.  I never realized that these all took different parts of my brain to do, but I suppose that makes sense.  Anna, Grade 12
• Question:  Can imagining rhythm come up on the color brain MRI or fMRI scan?  If so, would it just be one color if the rhythm sounds like tapping?   If someone has synesthesia, would someone’s music hobby be different?  Would they have color explosions on each song? (Synesthesia is when you hear music, but you see shapes. Or you hear a word or a name and instantly see a color. Synesthesia is a fancy name for when you experience one of your senses through another. For example, you might hear the name "Alex" and see green. Or you might read the word "street" and taste citrus fruit.)  Natalie, Grade 9

 

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Orchestra Students’ Version of: Every Brain Needs Music: The Neuroscience of Making and Listening to Music by Larry S. Sherman & Dennis Plies  (Chapter 3)

• A teacher plays a huge role in motivation, and how a student views learning.  To adapt and know your student helps produce success.  Gabriel, Grade 12
• Learning to play music can help you open pathways in your brain and make you think more critically.  Mac, Grade 9
• Students need 3 things to learn: Motivation, Learning style, and patience.  If one is lacking, it takes the rest down with it.  Zach, Grade 10
• Positive teachers give a positive mindset towards music.  This fosters a passion for playing and learning.  This is why I have kept playing while my friends have quit.  Ben, Grade 11
• The best music teachers have personal connections with the students, and understand human nature and their needs and wants.  Julia, Grade 10
• Sour or Sweet?  Mean teachers can discourage passion and practice.  A poor student-teacher relationship sours the experience.  On the other hand, a positive relationship with the teacher will promote happiness, fun, and passion.  Chris, Grade 12
• One student felt his mind and habits change after learning piano at the age of 60.  Grit depends of passion, even genetics goes into grit.  Chloe, Grade 10
• Playing something nice can be rewarding so music can be very important.  Audra, Grade 7
• A sport is like playing an instrument – you have to practice.  Jose, Grade 9
• Instruments require good control of hands, fingers, and even feet (if applicable).  Motivation and effort are key to learn anything.  An important part of learning is seeing progress.  Adults (and little kids) tend to be impatient and expect immediate results, a way to solve this is to teach them to “settle in”.  Chris, Grade 12
• The complicated movements we make during musical performance fire neurons throughout the brain.  To improve, we need motivation, and more importantly, a healthy learning environment.  Gabriel, Grade 12
• The act of learning a new instrument requires your entire body to be used; no matter the instrument you’re learning.  Another fact about learning a new instrument: it requires a large amount of motivation and dedication.  Veronica, Grade 9
• Playing an instrument requires many coordinating functions in the brain.  Vivian, Grade 9
• Connecting the movement of the body with the sounds that come from it gives a sense of cause and effect.  It does not matter your age, you can learn how to play/perform music at any time.  You cannot give up.  Vivian, Grade 9
• Motivation and effort are important to learning, but humans only have motivation when they see progress.  Therefore, learning strategies are important too.  Sophia, Grade 9
• Motivation, determination, and guidance are keys to success.  I can practice for hours, but if I do not get input from others, I struggle to improve on the little things.  Ben, Grade 11
• Music enhances the mind of those who practice it.  It creates new links to other parts of the brain. Learning music rewards those who play – it benefits the brain.  However, music is very difficult, you need lots of grit, which can sometimes be more important to success.  Gabriel, Grade 12
• Patience during practice can help you do something better but children get too excited and rush through their pieces.  Finishing practice with your favorite pieces can be rewarding.  Xyshon, Grade 7
• Learning music tests patience, in a way that is similar to athletes.  Skills are built up over time, and can bring permanent change to your personality.  Jose, Grade 9
• At any age, you can learn and master an instrument.  You just need effort and focus.  Although adults tend to get impatient.  Patience is key when learning.  Ben, Grade 11
• Although the brain ages over time, if challenged enough, the brain will still get stronger, learning and improving. Gabriel, Grade 12
• When the body is relaxed, the mind can think, like cause and effect.  Ayla, Grade 10
• Learning music takes years to master.  Learning how to play an instrument will change your life and your brain.  Consistent musical experience enhances your analytical thinking skills and encourages you to challenge yourself and your critical thinking skills.  Chris, Grade 12
• Patience is a trait that you will learn from playing music.  Siana, Grade 6
• Adults want to talk about their weekends at lessons, but kids want to play more than talk.  Eddie, Grade 6
• Practicing involves slowly working on the pieces.  Regina, Grade 6
• Grit is very important because when you like to do something, you would do it even when it gets hard.  Audra, Grade 7
• People should make long-term goals and use grit to achieve them.  Kelsey, Grade 7
• Grit is determined by your personality.  Sometimes when it seems hard and you want to give up, you don’t give up.  Eddie, Grade 6
• People who don’t give up easily are the ones who keep their long-term goals.  Regina, Grade 6
• Some people give up with music and others don’t because they focus and persevere. Chloe, Grade 6
• Music practice is a long windy road. Grit can come from your parents.  Grit is a mix of passion and perseverance.  Felipe, Grade 6
• You can inherit grit from your genes.  If you have grit, you can do anything.  If you have curiosity, you will have better learning outcomes.  Miranda, Grade 6
• Grit may be partly inherited as a trait, kind of like your personality.  Your environment and genetic traits may be better at working towards long-term goals.  You can learn perseverance if you did not adopt it earlier in life. Chris, Grade 12
• Kids tend to have more patience than adults when it comes to learning music; if they aren’t pressured by parents. (I can’t relate, LOL).  Siana, Grade 6
• Kids may have more motivation in working with music, because adults are used to “instant gratification”. Children are more excited just to play, rather than study or practice.  Kaylee, Grade 10
• Most people are excited to go home and practice a certain part.  It has helped me gain more focus.  Zelda, Grade 6
• Students hate practicing but they love playing.  Kellen, Grade 6
• Small successes can reach high and greater goals. Dante, Grade 9
• Perseverance is genetic and environmental.  Annabella, Grade 10
• Smaller successes lead to bigger goals. Mylee, Grade 10
• Playing music turns you into a thinker/learner.  Adults struggle to learn new things because of a lack of patience.  Humans need to see progress to stay motivated.  Anna, Grade 12
• “Learn” sometimes leads to “Like”.  Miranda, Grade 6
• If you are used to everything being easy, learning to play music can be challenging and have a different effect on different people.  Claire, Grade 9
• Ask questions about music.  For example, “How does the speed of my bow affect my playing?”  Siana, Grade 6
• Learning to play an instrument requires control.  There’s a cause and effect in what you learn.  Eli, Grade 12
• My benefit of playing string bass is that I have a better understanding of the deeper meaning of music. Kelsey, Grade 7
• Playing music is a good thing for your health.  Felipe, Grade 6
• Our brain has a process for liking and wanting and it’s like dopamine where you like it and want more of it.  Xyshon, Grade 7
• Music can release a neurotransmitter that makes you want more music (kind of like dopamine). Adan, Grade 8
• Liking chocolate is like music because when you eat chocolate, you want more, so if you listen to a song, you want to hear it again.  Felipe, Grade 6
• If I took the survey, I would say I like music for the way it sounds.  Archer, Grade 6
• Playing music gives you a thirst for more.  It is addicting.  You crave the satisfaction of mastering a piece.  Ben, Grade 11
• Rewarding people after practice (i.e. playing a game you like or a piece) will actively help you practice more often and probably help with motivation.  Zac, Grade 10
• Music can benefit people by helping them express themselves.  Regina, Grade 6
• Learning music helped me look at the world differently, and listen to music differently (really hearing the background melodies and pitches).  Siana, Grade 6
• Shared emotional feelings can affect others around you in different ways.  Bonita, Grade 6
• Emotions affect you when you play music.  For example, if you’re anxious, your shaky hands can mess up your piano playing (music).  Siana, Grade 6
• Visuals are needed for practicing music.  The eyes send signals to the thalamus to process sensory information. Our “higher” brains process visual information of “What” and “Where” (there is a “what” and “where” pathway for reading music).  Mac, Grade 9
• Sight reading takes the most concentration because you don’t have much time to process things.  However, repetition can still lead to improvement.  Kaylee, Grade 10
• Motivation, determination, concentration, and guidance are needed for learning.  When concentrating, we pay less attention to distractions and have tenacity (stick to it).  Jamee, Grade 6
• Concentration allows us to block out distractions and perform at a higher level.  One thing that needs a lot of concentration is sight reading.  Playing through a piece, in-tempo, without stopping, lets you absorb more and improve your ability to play the piece.  Chris, Grade 12
• Concentration is another key to successful learning, when concentrating, you use more focus and show a stronger desire for what you're doing.  Sight reading requires a humongous amount of concentration.  Olevia, Grade 7
• Concentration can help with practice and sight reading.  Mac, Grade 9
• Music holds poetic space, meaning it can be hard to understand sometimes but once you let it sit, you can begin to understand what the poet is saying.  Vivian, Grade 9
• It’s better to focus if you’re alone and have no distractions.  This refers to music and the outside world. You should ask questions to know how different things affect the outcome.  For example, “Does the speed of my bow affect my music?”   Siana, Grade 6
• Collaboration helps to learn a new musical instrument.  Learning to play an instrument is one of the most difficult things for the human brain.  Chloe, Grade 6
• To be successful in learning, you need concentration, motivation, and determination; you need someone to guide you.  Regina, Grade 6
• Until you master one skill on its own, it will be nearly impossible to use multiple skills at once.  Inara, Grade 7
• When people concentrate on the music, they engage more with it for better playing.  When you sight read, your brain concentrates the most to get the most out of your playing.  Without this and other aspects of music, you can only play noise, not music.  Viviana, Grade 7
• Maturity, and maximum concentration with no distractions are what it takes to be a successful learner.  Katy, Grade 6
• If you are listening to music while drawing for fun, you’ll be more concentrated on the music.  But if you are listening to music while drawing for a contest, you don’t really listen at all.  Rose, Grade 6
• Learning music helps us feel a sense of accomplishment.  Jamee, Grade 6

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Olivia has been a music teacher at Butler Acres Elementary since 2021.  She finished her Orff levels and is currently working towards her music master’s degree.

Kier graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After college, he moved to Ketchikan, Alaska where he now works as a graphic designer and production manager for a local sign shop. He also became a dad in March 2023 with the birth of his son Oliver.

His summers are spent going on outdoor adventures with his family and friends as well as making digital landscape paintings. In the fall and winter months, Kier has been performing with the Ketchikan Chamber Orchestra where he continues to play the violin.

Delaney graduated in May 2023 from Wellesley College in Wellesley MA. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Mathematics and American Studies. She is a member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society and received honors in Mathematics. She also received the Lewis Atterbury Stimson Prize in Mathematics; one of two recipients for the class of 2023. She also received the Alice Freeman Palmer Fellowship in Mathematics.

Delaney is now a Presidential Fellow at the University of Georgia-Athens, enrolled in the Doctorate program in Mathematics. 

 

Christopher attended Washington State University for his bachelor's and received degrees in English and Psychology. He then attended Boise State University for his Master’s in Teaching. He is currently teaching seventh-grade ELA in Meridian, Idaho. After participating in high school orchestra, Christopher transitioned from the string bass to bass guitar so he could jam with his friends. He enjoys living in Idaho and appreciates the closeness to the great outdoors since he likes camping, fishing, and hunting.

Josie Shepherd is attending Washington State University in Vancouver, modeling, teaching in her violin studio, and performing at weddings.