5th Grade Orchestra is a special program for 5th graders attending the surrounding elementary schools. They come to WMS after school everyday to begin learning the basic skills on violin and viola. At the end of the year they give a performance at their middle school for their 5th and 4th grade peers. When students begin orchestra in the 5th grade it allows them to skip beginning orchestra in middle school as a 6th grader and move up to an intermediate class.
Beginning Orchestra focuses on the basics of playing a string instrument. All sixth graders and new students start here. During this year students will learn to tune their own instrument as well as read music.
Intermediate II Orchestra is reserved for those students who began orchestra in the 5th grade. In this class they are allowed to switch from violin/viola to any string instrument they want to play and begin learning how to read music within the first week of school.
Intermediate I Orchestra is the next level up from beginning orchestra. In this class students begin to learn more advanced techniques on their instrument and play music with a higher difficulty. Also, in this orchestra, students will attend the UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest in the spring where they will be given ratings and judges’ comments on their performance.
Advanced Orchestra is the top-performing ensemble in the WMS orchestra program. These students will perform rigorous repertoire throughout the year as well as learn more advanced techniques on their instrument. In Advanced Orchestra students will not only perform at the UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest but will also participate in special performances through out the year at various venues.