PRELUDE STRING ORCHESTRA (Formerly ESO)
Haley Lovelace - Conductor

Are you interested in joining the Prelude String Orchestra? Click here for details.

REGISTRATIONS:
Saturday, July 13, 2019; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; SFYSA Office, 422 Medico Lane
Saturday August 31, 2019; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.; SFYSA Office, 422 Medico Lane
Saturday, September 14, 2019; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; SFYSA Office, 422 Medico Lane
CLASSES BEGIN: September 16, 2019
MEETS ON: Mondays from 5:30-7 P.M.
LOCATION: TBD
IMPORTANT LINKS
Target Age Group: Elementary school students.
ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA
The Prelude String Orchestra is the most advanced level of SFYSA's Elementary Strings program and rehearses once per week. Prelude String Orchestra provides an introduction to large ensemble playing and prepares students to audition into any program they wish to join, Orchestra, Mariachi, or Jazz. In addition to the full rehearsal, each week the students participate in either a 30-minute semi-private lesson that is taught by one of our instructors OR they arrange their own private lesson with a teacher of their choice and which is arranged outside the SFYSA program. During rehearsal students will play in a mixed-instrument setting consisting of violins, violas, cellos, and basses, and learn to follow a conductor while listening to members of their own section as well as those in other instrument-sections. Music reading skills are strengthened as students are challenged with sheet music to work from and prepare at home and in semi-private or private lessons. When students can easily work through the pieces given for orchestra rehearsal, the instructors will supplement their education with solos to prepare them for auditions into more advanced programs. Students entering PSO for the first time should have a minimum of 2 years previous study on their instrument, and demonstrate note-reading competency. The recommended minimum age for PSO is 8 years old, or entering 3rd grade. The recommended maximum age is 11 years old, or entering 6th grade. Exceptions to these recommendations can be made by the PSO Conductor.

No student audition is necessary, however a teacher recommendation is required to ensure that the student is appropriately placed. 

*SEMI-PRIVATE & PRIVATE LESSONS
The Prelude String Orchestra pulls a fair number of students from surrounding private studios, where the students have prepared all of the skills learned in our level I and II classes and are ready for a larger group playing experience. For these students that join us from outside our program, we allow students to study with their own teacher while participating in PSO. Likewise, ES students who have completed level II occasionally choose to pursue having their own private teacher as well. For some students, that structure doesn’t fit their lives, and they prefer to stay with our program for the semi-private lesson option. This option pairs the student with a peer that is at approximately the same playing level and they share a 30-minute lesson once per week, on the weeks in which PSO rehearses. There are two different tuition options for PSO to accommodate both in and out-of-program lesson options.
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Often, for the first year or two in PSO, students focus solely on the orchestra material as it is challenging enough to require all their attention. When it becomes more easily mastered the instructor supplements their practice with pieces to round out and polish any skills needed to audition to move on to more advanced programs and performing groups. Auditions for Intermezzo String Orchestra, Mariachi, and Jazz are held each May.

ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR
Haley Lovelace holds a Bachelor of University Studies in string pedagogy and educational psychology from the University of New Mexico. An active researcher in the field of string pedagogy for more than a decade, Haley combines Suzuki and traditional pedagogies as well as developmental psychology in her teaching. Haley’s students have been accepted into the New Mexico School for the Arts and the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program. Haley is herself an alum of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony and has also performed with the University of New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and the Albuquerque Philharmonic. In her “spare” time she enjoys cooking, time with her daughter Arya, and the Society for Creative Anachronism.
PSO  Performs Stoudemire's "Barn Dance" at the St. Francis Auditorium, May 2015
PSO Performs Sheinberg's "Celebration" at the St. Francis Auditorium, May 2015