HALEY LOVELACE, DIRECTOR
the elementary strings program
re-launch postponed until the 2022-2023 Season
Caring for our Beginners
We were so excited to introduce our beginning string students to violin, viola and cello this fall after suspending our Elementary Strings program for a year due to safety concerns. In spite of our best efforts and student enthusiasm, we've had to postpone this relaunch until next year. As the world begins to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still facing challenges. Our schools and principals are focusing their energy on safety and getting students back to being happy and productive at school. Many parents and teachers are still concerned about their students being at school with other children, especially those from other classes and schools.
In 2019-2020 we had a record high number of participants in Elementary Strings - more than 100 beginners - and we continued offering classes online to all our returning students over the pandemic. Those students were amazing in their participation and success and have advanced to our first ensemble opportunity, Prelude String Orchestra. We are saddened by our need to postpone teaching a new group of excited elementary students, but are hopeful and excited to see a strong relaunch next fall once we're past this year of uncertainty.
Beginning Opportunity for this year
Thank you, and we hope to have you back with us as soon as possible!
Haley Lovelace, Artistic Director
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Students move through three levels of classes within Elementary Strings. Levels I and II are structured as group classes, whose enrollment may range from 8 to 12 students. Level III is the Prelude String Orchestra, which serves as a transition to the more traditional orchestra-and-private-lesson format. Students may attend the same level of class as many years as necessary to master the skills and techniques learned at each stage. The pieces learned will change from year to year allowing students to stay challenged while fine-tuning their playing. After graduating from PSO, students may go on to join the SFYSA Intermezzo String Orchestra, Mariachi, or Jazz programs. ES graduates who are old enough and enrolled in a Santa Fe Public School also join their school orchestra.
We were so excited to introduce our beginning string students to violin, viola and cello this fall after suspending our Elementary Strings program for a year due to safety concerns. In spite of our best efforts and student enthusiasm, we've had to postpone this relaunch until next year. As the world begins to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still facing challenges. Our schools and principals are focusing their energy on safety and getting students back to being happy and productive at school. Many parents and teachers are still concerned about their students being at school with other children, especially those from other classes and schools.
In 2019-2020 we had a record high number of participants in Elementary Strings - more than 100 beginners - and we continued offering classes online to all our returning students over the pandemic. Those students were amazing in their participation and success and have advanced to our first ensemble opportunity, Prelude String Orchestra. We are saddened by our need to postpone teaching a new group of excited elementary students, but are hopeful and excited to see a strong relaunch next fall once we're past this year of uncertainty.
Beginning Opportunity for this year
- If your student would like to begin playing an instrument this year as a beginner, please visit our Mariachi page and consider joining Mariachi Garibaldi on guitar, guitarron, vihuela, or trumpet.
- Please reach out to us any time this year, to have your name placed on an interest list. This way we will be able to keep you updated as we plan next year's Elementary Strings relaunch.
Thank you, and we hope to have you back with us as soon as possible!
Haley Lovelace, Artistic Director
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Students move through three levels of classes within Elementary Strings. Levels I and II are structured as group classes, whose enrollment may range from 8 to 12 students. Level III is the Prelude String Orchestra, which serves as a transition to the more traditional orchestra-and-private-lesson format. Students may attend the same level of class as many years as necessary to master the skills and techniques learned at each stage. The pieces learned will change from year to year allowing students to stay challenged while fine-tuning their playing. After graduating from PSO, students may go on to join the SFYSA Intermezzo String Orchestra, Mariachi, or Jazz programs. ES graduates who are old enough and enrolled in a Santa Fe Public School also join their school orchestra.
LEVEL 1: BEGINNING STRINGS
Level 1 is open to students in grades 2 – 4 who have never studied a string instrument and to those who are still building their fundamental skills. Classes are immediately after school, and run twice a week for an hour.
At this level, students learn:
Parents are welcomed and encouraged to attend classes with their children and to supervise practice at home. Students may repeat this level until all beginning skills are mastered. If needed, please contact Haley (haley@sfysa.org) for a detailed list of all techniques covered.
Level 1 Classes will only be held at Nava Elementary School for the 2021-2022 school year. Classes will run from 3-4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Your child does not have to attend the host school, and homeschoolers are welcome to join!
At this level, students learn:
- Basic playing posture and fundamental technique
- Building-block songs culminating in “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
- Listening skills
- Stage presence and performance etiquette
- Working and performing together as an ensemble
- The importance of home practice
Parents are welcomed and encouraged to attend classes with their children and to supervise practice at home. Students may repeat this level until all beginning skills are mastered. If needed, please contact Haley (haley@sfysa.org) for a detailed list of all techniques covered.
Level 1 Classes will only be held at Nava Elementary School for the 2021-2022 school year. Classes will run from 3-4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Your child does not have to attend the host school, and homeschoolers are welcome to join!
level 1+
available for the 2021-2022 school year
In Level 1+ we will move through the Level 1 material quickly, and cover as much Level 2 material as possible within the span of the school year. This class is for students who played violin or viola with us previously, whose education was interrupted by Covid-19. These classes will be held exclusively at Nava Elementary School, from 4-5pm to accommodate travel. If your family is unsure about transportation, carpool arrangements can be made with other families after registration is complete and we have a full list of student participants.
Si su familia no está segura sobre el transporte, se pueden hacer arreglos para compartir el viaje con otras familias después de que se complete el registro y tengamos una lista completa de los estudiantes participantes.
Si su familia no está segura sobre el transporte, se pueden hacer arreglos para compartir el viaje con otras familias después de que se complete el registro y tengamos una lista completa de los estudiantes participantes.
level 2: pre-orchestra
NOT OFFERED FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR
Level 2 is available to all students who have completed Level 1 (to be determined by the instructor).
At this level, students learn:
The playing level of students graduating out of Level 2 is equivalent to “Etude” or “Rigadoon” from the Suzuki Method books. A student may remain in Level 2 until all skills are mastered. If needed, please contact Haley (haley@sfysa.org) for a detailed list of all techniques covered.
At this level, students learn:
- Different finger patterns/placements
- Longer piece length and structure
- Bow speed and distribution, allowing for more complicated rhythm
- Contrasting musical styles
- Early scales and note names on their instrument
The playing level of students graduating out of Level 2 is equivalent to “Etude” or “Rigadoon” from the Suzuki Method books. A student may remain in Level 2 until all skills are mastered. If needed, please contact Haley (haley@sfysa.org) for a detailed list of all techniques covered.
LEVEL 3: PRELUDE STRING ORCHESTRA
MORE ABOUT ELEMENTARY STRINGSEstablished in 1998, Elementary Strings (ES) is an after-school program for violin, viola, and cello presented by SFYSA at area elementary schools. ES is open to all children in the Santa Fe area. The curriculum is inspired by the Suzuki Method, and adapted to serve students in a group-class rather than in a private-lesson setting. While parents are encouraged to support their students in a variety of ways - from attending class as a volunteer, to support of practice - parental expectations have been modified significantly from the standard Suzuki model. The program is designed as a feeder not only to SFYSA's Orchestras, Mariachi and Jazz programs, but also to the middle and high school orchestras of Santa Fe Public Schools.
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