BHS Orchestra Newsletter

Dear BHS Orchestra Families,

We are entering a season of gratitude, and we have a lot to be thankful for!

Thank you parents for your support of not only our Orchestra and Music program, but our district as a whole with the passing of the levy!

The Monsters Home Opener was especially fun-- thank you to the BHS students that joined BMS 8th grade in performance, and a huge thank you to the parents that helped sell 50/50 at the game earning OPUS just over $2, 000 (Mrs. Thellman, Mr. and Mrs. Blanc, Mrs. Muniak, Mrs. Murphy)!

Thank you to those students and parents who participated in the OPUS Fall Fundraiser with Century Resources!

Please find the following topics in this newsletter:

- Performance Reminders (Winter Concert/December)

- Quarter 2 assignments

- OPUS Meeting and Updates

- Youth Orchestras/ Area Concerts

- Strings/Instrument Reminders

- Private Lessons

- Camerata NOSF pics from BW trip

- Cleveland Monsters Orchestra Night Pics

Sincerely,

Mrs. Roman

5:15-5:30pm-- Student report time to change

6:00pm-- Ensemble Yearbook pictures in the PAC

6:30- Warm Ups

7:00pm-- Concert Begins (Freshman, Phil, Camerata)

Thank you for supporting your student to get the necessary items! Reminders...

• Please read this guide to selecting the appropriate concert shoe as stated in the syllabus/handbook.
• Dress shirts for NEW members (mostly 9th grade): Please send in your $20 payment (cash or check to OPUS), as you will keep/own the shirt. I've only received 1 or 2 payments! Students should give payments directly to me!

Every quarter students are responsible for individual assignments. Concert grades each quarter are worth 100 points, in addition to these individual assignments that are also given a few times a quarter.

These assignments are important for students to do to receive individualized feedback and to track their progress on repertoire and technical skills. This is extremely important for the overall success of the group, as is practicing their instruments at home even when they do not have assignments.

The Brunswick Music Dept. is fortunate that the district has been supporting us in annually purchasing the Music First program to assist us in guiding the students' learning, practicing, and giving efficient assessments. Students can also have videos due to Google Classroom for teacher review. This week 2nd and 3rd period classes had some assignments due.

Please check in with your orchestra student regarding assignments, and encourage them to bring their instruments home every week. They are also allowed to arrange to use practice rooms to practice and/or record assignments during study halls. Thank you for your support!

A week ago we collected over 100 order forms between BHS and BMS students! We had 160 online payments/web store orders! Last week, OPUS met to check orders with cash/checks turned in. Any checks written you should see deposited soon.

Century Resources has received our orders, and we are on track for product delivery and pick up

the WEEK OF NOVEMBER 18TH! We will update everyone when we have more details. We will also need volunteers that week to assist with product pick up! We will pick an evening based on when CR can deliver the products.

Next Meeting is on Thursday November 7th, 7:00pm at Brunswick Middle School

The meeting will be held in the Student Center (turn right through Main Entrance). This is our Electrify Your Strings KICK OFF meeting! Come find out what this event is all about, what we need leading up to and the nights of the performances!

Interested in a Youth Orchestra program, but not sure which one? Try attending a concert, and also support our very own Brunswick musicians in some of these groups!

Luke Thellman (cello, Cam) and Samantha Keller (violin, Cam) will be performing with the Cleveland Contemporary Youth Orchestra at the Agora Theater in a unique concert experience with pop artist Chayla Hope! CYO Tickets here

Luca Brusco (bass, Cam) will be performing at Severance Hall on Sunday November 24th in Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra's opening concert! COYO Tickets here

There is also a local community orchestra (Medina Western Reserve Orchestra) that welcomes HS string players for rehearsals and concerts. They rehearse here in Brunswick at the Rec Center one evening a week, and have begun rehearsals for their Holiday concert!

Camerata Orchestra performed on Friday October 25th at Baldwin Wallace's Gamble Auditorium for the 3rd annual Northern Ohio String Festival, hosted by BW Conservatory for HS Orchestra groups! They performed the pieces from the Fall Concert, as well as a double cello concerto featuring our seniors Luke Thellman and Abigail Karim! We then had a 30 minute clinic with Judy Palac, a retired Profssor of String Music Education at The University of Michigan. She gave us feedback, and we will perform the concerto again as a part of the Winter Concert next month! We also got to see a concert given by the BW University Symphony Orchestra led by Doug Droste. We were also excited to see Brunswick Orchestra alumni members in the orchestra (Adam Kennedy--cello '22, Madeline Bohrer violin '24, Christa Provance violin '24)!

Private Lessons are a great way for students to improve their skills and confidence playing their instrument!

Here are some great local options:

• Sarah's Violin Studio in Medina Square - https://www.sarahsviolinstudio.com/

• Baldwin Wallace Community Arts School - https://bwcommunityarts.bw.edu/private-lesson-programs/

• Woody's Medina - https://www.woodsysmedina.com/lessons

• Royalton Music Center - https://www.royaltonmusic.com/t-lessons.aspx

• Shelly Jansen, Medina City Schools Orchestra teacher and violinist, lives in Brunswick, find info flier here

• Wei Shu Co, serious violin students only, retired violin professor and Cleveland Opera violinist, lives in Brunswick, wsco45@gmail.com

• Dr. Julian Ross, previous Baldwin Wallace Violin Professor - julian@julianrossviolin.com, https://www.julianrossviolin.com/

• Cassandra Bryant, Suzuki Violin teacher and performer, teaches on BW campus in Berea cb@cassandrabryant.com

• Nick Schrantz, professional cellist/teacher from Oberlin Conservatory, nschrantz@charter.net

• Patricia Johnston, professional bassist, located in Brecksville: pmjohnston115@gmail.com

Do your orchestra student a favor and help them get new strings! Students should be replacing their strings every 6-8 months, or at least once a year! EVEN if they do not break !! Strings wear away on the inside, and will sound dull or be difficult to play/tune if over worn. It's like trying to play a sport with deflated or damaged equipment! Click the link above for help and links for what to get!

Rettig/Royalton customers...Be on the lookout for STEP UP instrument sales in Nov/Dec! Great prices for a better instrument!

Mrs. Valerie Roman teaches grades 9 through 12 orchestra at Brunswick High School and is a violinist/conductor who gigs in Medina County and NE Ohio. Mrs. Roman has Music Education degrees from Baldwin Wallace University (BME) and University of Akron (MME). Mrs. Roman is in her 17th year of teaching, all for Brunswick City Schools!

Email: vroman@bcsoh.org

Website: https://sites.google.com/s.bcsoh.org/brunswick-orchestras/home