Elemental Music

I am so grateful for my daughter's three years in the Elemental Strings program, and excited for her younger sister's turn in the program. Having the opportunity to play as part of an orchestra in elementary school is an incredible experience for young musicians. Every week they spend one hour rehearsing with their section (e.g., first violins, cellos) and one hour rehearsing as a full orchestra. In the final third of the year, they play in chamber ensembles, learning to perform without a conductor.

It is almost unheard of to have this much time dedicated to music instruction every week in the elementary years, in a program that is accessible to students at any level of playing, with or without the ability to also take private lessons. The program is rigorous, but also supportive and age-appropriate. The students get excited about their instruments because they feel a sense of accomplishment as well as the joy of performing as part of a group. The three performances a year are so much fun for the musicians and the families. Hearing the full orchestra play a piece, after weeks of hearing my daughter rehearse just her one part, was very special. Because the performances are filmed and posted on YouTube, we were able to share them later with extended family.

My daughter had incredible teachers in Elemental, as well as the experience of having first Mr. Aiello (who she will probably re-encounter in high school, where he is one of the conductors) and later Dr. Jo as her directors. Orchestra became an extremely important part of her life through this program, and now that she is in middle school, the school orchestra is one of her favorite parts of school and will be the one point of continuity across her three years in middle school as well as into high school as she continues to be a part of the orchestra student community. She would not be playing at the level she is, having been placed in the highest middle school orchestra as a 6th grader and fully prepared to take on the demands of the program, if not for her time in Elemental. The other day she told me, "I love orchestra at school so much, but I still miss Dr. Jo!"