Fine Arts
Orchestra
The Orchestra Program teaches students a life-long love of music and develops quality string technique in a challenging and fun environment.
Our young musicians engage in seasonal concerts as well as authentic performance experiences in the great metro-Atlanta community. The Mount Pisgah orchestra program continues to grow under the leadership of Mr. Nicholas Wheeler. MPCS offers additional private lessons after school on campus, along with chamber music ensembles and support in auditions for state competitions such as Georgia All-State, GMEA Honors Orchestra and GISA Honors Orchestra. We compete in Southern Star Orchestra Festival as well as travel opportunities to Disney, Universal as well as Chicago, New York, etc. During summer months, students are a encouraged to engage in fun, local string camps or audition for higher level music institutes.
Starting in 5th grade, students can choose to study either violin, viola, cello or string bass.
Our young musicians engage in seasonal concerts as well as authentic performance experiences in the great metro-Atlanta community. The Mount Pisgah orchestra program continues to grow under the leadership of Mr. Nicholas Wheeler. MPCS offers additional private lessons after school on campus, along with chamber music ensembles and support in auditions for state competitions such as Georgia All-State, GMEA Honors Orchestra and GISA Honors Orchestra. We compete in Southern Star Orchestra Festival as well as travel opportunities to Disney, Universal as well as Chicago, New York, etc. During summer months, students are a encouraged to engage in fun, local string camps or audition for higher level music institutes.
Starting in 5th grade, students can choose to study either violin, viola, cello or string bass.
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Mentorship Opportunities
The MPCS Orchestra offers mentorship opportunities to Upper School students for service hours as they are requested to tutor our younger students before school on Thursday’s "Buddy-Donut-Day."
Upper School students enjoy working with our younger students and the younger musicians are positively motivated by their Upper School buddies. Additionally, Upper School students engage in learning music theory, music history, audition preparation and independent performance skills. -
Orchestra Homework
Homework consists of daily practice. A total of 60 minutes is required each week. The teacher suggests students practice four days a week for 15 minutes, or three days a week for 20 minutes. Progress on a string instrument is made by building fine-motor skills; creating new "muscle memory" by daily repetition. Parents will need to encourage younger students to practice at home and parent signed "practice records" are due each Monday in class.
Whether your child considers themselves an athlete or an actress, string orchestra strives to be a simple part of their already busy pre-teen and teen schedules as the majority of our work is in class and homework is paperless. We teach music performance skills that will reach far beyond their classroom years. The MPCS Orchestra Program does not "stamp out musicians." In our program, we teach young people how to be thinkers, doers, dreamers, performers, and creators via string instruments and engaged, hands-on learning. We aim to create scientists, scholars and leaders for the 21st century that understand how to create with both the mind and the heart.
