The Oxford Orchestra is a String music program consisting of school classes and performances by students. Students are instructed in instrumental performance and the fundamentals of music.
OIS and OMS students perform as en ensemble 2 times a year and OHS students perform 4 or more times during a school year. Students are expected to attend all dress rehearsals and performances as part of the class.
No! Most students begin with no previous musical instruction. Students with previous playing experience are the exception, and all levels of ability are encouraged to participate.
Students are expected to have an instrument to use for classes at school, for practice at home, and for concert performances. Advice will be given on selecting a quality instrument of the correct size and these instruments can be purchased or rented. There are a few school-owned instruments, if needed.
Participation in a school and/or studio string instrument program enhances a child’s quality of life. It provides creative, emotional, and social opportunities and unifies communities.
Research on brain development has shown string players brains are larger, have more neural pathways, and process information faster.
All children are capable of learning to play a stringed instrument, regardless of “talent,” “giftedness,” or musical background. String classes have been successfully taught to diverse populations and in diverse settings.
Unlike most other musical instruments, stringed instruments come in a variety of sizes so that children as young as three years old can begin instruction.
Orchestral music, which is considered one of Western culture’s greatest treasures, cannot be performed without stringed instruments.
Contemporary music increasingly relies on strings. Some of the popular musical genres that feature stringed instruments include jazz, country, pop, and various folk styles. Other world cultures also use stringed instruments in their music making.
Lifelong opportunities to perform on a stringed instrument abound. According to the American Symphony Orchestra League, opportunities exist for adult musicians in more than 1,600 orchestras in the United States. Professionals in all fields have played stringed instruments for lifelong fulfillment, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein.
Playing a stringed instrument enhances the enjoyment of music, and leads to a lifelong appreciation of music. An estimated 25 million people currently attend concerts each year in the United States.
Colleges and universities may need string players for their orchestras and may offer scholarships to qualified students regardless of their intended academic major.
Opportunities also abound for undergraduate string education and performance majors. Today, more than 8,000 string teaching positions exist in public schools alone, and performers have opportunities to teach in studios, community music schools, and in orchestra community outreach programs.
Communities benefit from area schools that offer a full complement of fine arts courses, including stringed instrument study. Businesses often appraise the cultural climate of a region when making decisions about where to locate.
In every school, there are students who are inherently attracted to the sound of stringed instruments. Without a string and orchestra program to provide access to string education, students are denied the possibility of realizing their potential.
For information about the American String Teachers Association, please visit our website at www.astastrings.org.
