April 27-30

Dear Students,

This week, we are changing it up a little bit and giving you all an assignment that will hopefully allow share some of your favorite music with us while also learning tempo vocabulary! Tempo, by definition, means the speed of the beat/pulse used in a piece of music. There are a myriad of tempi used in music. The video link examples in the form link below will help you complete the assignment.

Assignment: Give examples of songs or piece of music (Popular or Classical style) that fits into each tempo category. *No explicit song lyrics, please. Share your songs/pieces in the answer spaces in the form and have this completed by Thursday, April 30. We suggest keeping links in a Microsoft Word/Notes document so you can pace your work and find two per day and only submit the form ONCE. (Thank you, Mr. Crosby, for creating the awesome video content!!)

Tempo Form -Complete April 30

As always, you can also practice your instrument or practice note reading on musicracer.com if you would like additional practice! :)


We will also do the Zoom lessons I emailed your parents about at the end of last week.

6th Grade - Tuesday at 2pm

Please have your instrument, Sound Innovations book, and binder (Jamboree Music)

We will introduce dotted quarter notes in the book

7th Grade - Wednesday at 2pm

Please have your instrument, Essential Elements book, and binder (Jamboree Music, Storm, etc)

We will introduce/review shifting

8th Grade - Thursday at 2pm

Please have your instrument and binder (Night Shift, Jamboree and other older music)

We will introduce 5th position and review vibrato

I will be introducing a new concept with each grade level and will play through some "throwback" pieces for fun! I will also give some time at the end with either a topic of conversation or a game (music related) so that they can be social and end on a fun note. I will email out the Zoom links tomorrow. 

We hope to see you all soon!

This week - April 20-24

Hello Students!

This week, please complete 4-5 Bingo exercises (one per day) from this link/sheet, due Thursday (or Friday):
Bingo - April 20-24

When you complete the bingo at the end of the week, log in to your Office365, please complete this form. You do NOT need to email us videos of any of the bingo exercises, just complete this form at the end.

Bingo Completion Form

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN INSTRUMENT:
Complete the 4-5 of the following activities (one per day) this week and go on the Bingo Completion Form above at the end of the week to tell us what you conpleted:
1. Watch this video: https://youtu.be/ZN41d7Txcq0
2. Make a meme to encourage friends who are not in Orchestra to join. Email us your meme!
3. Visit incredibox.com and create a beat! Send me a recording or a pic of you making a cool beat.
4. https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note Complete 100 exercises.https://www.music racer.com/ Complete 10 rounds.
5. https://vicfirth.zildjian.com/education/webrhythmslesson-1.htmlVisit the link above and practice rhythm Lesson 1 along with the audio playalong track. Let us know which level you master.
6.Pick a lesson from musictheory.net/lessons to learn about. Tell us in the form what you learned!


If you are auditioning for Advanced Orchestra, that audition is due by the end of this week. Be sure to submit your video(s) on Cut Time.

We will do Zoom sessions this week as well.

6th Grade- Tuesday at 2pm

7th Grade - Wednesday at 2pm

8th Grade - Thursday at 2pm

I will email those links out on the day of the Zoom. Thank you all and have a great week! Let us know if you need any help with the auditions or bingo assignments.



Mrs. Aikey

Play Along/Practice Videos for Advanced Orchestra Auditions

Dear Students,

I have created videos with practice tempos and performance tempos for each excerpt for each instrument.

Click on the link below for your grade level, then click on the video with your instrument. Happy Practicing! :)

Rising 7th (Current 6th) Practice Videos

Rising 8th (Current 7th Grade) Practice Videos

Thursday, April 16

Your final assignment for the week is to practice for at least 10-15 minutes. During your practice time, upload a silly practice picture to the form below. Make it different from the last one. We figured out a way to upload it on forms! You will need to log in to your school Office365 account once you click on the link.

Upload Silly Photo


If you do not have an instrument, go to musicracer.com and fill out the form telling us the highest level you accomplished in 10 minutes.

Alternate Assignment .- April 16

Wednesday - April 15

Thank you all for your patience!

Today's assignment is for you to write out the note name, finger number, and what string each note is on for the first 2 pages for your instrument. You do not have to complete pages 3-4 unless you would like to do it as a bonus. You can use the draw function on an iPad, phone, or computer to electronically write in the answers, or, you can print it and rescan. You can either upload it to the OneNote Class Notebook for your class or email it to durhamorchestra@gmail.com. There are also additional music reading resources in the folder titled "Reading Music" that can help you.

Note Reading Assignment - April 15

Advanced Audition Scales

Current 6th Grade Orchestra Students,

Please take a look at this if you plan to audition for 7th Grade Advanced Orchestra. This details the practice help for the C Major Scale and Arpeggio. 

Violin: 34593Viola: 34594Cello: 34595
Bass: 34596 

After they type in the product number, they should click ok, then click on "Level 3: Sound Musicianship." They can then click on the practice track for #127, which is the C Major Scale in their book. The exercise for the C Major arpeggio follows that. They can use the video function to review their F and C natural (low 2) on the D and A strings should they need to do so.  

Should any student need individual assistance with learning shifting or their C Major scale, please email me and let me know.

You can go to https://sionline.alfred.com/activate and type in the product number of the book. i have provided the product numbers below:

Current 7th Grade Orchestra Students,

Please take a look at this if you plan to audition for 8th Grade Advanced Orchestra. This details the notes and fingerings for the 2 Octave G Major Scale and Arpeggio.

VIOLIN: video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCfYnvwUF0w

Sheet music link (skip the thirds, only look at scale and arpeggio): https://shop.theviolincase.com/template/printable/violin/2octGMajor.pdf

Be sure to play LOW 2 on A and E strings, no shifting required. 

VIOLA: video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUqqt-Cpghg

Sheet music link: https://www.violaonline.com/twooctavemajorvlascales.htm

You must play low 2 on the A string when you get there, and then shift (put your first finger on the note high D) and play 1 H2 3 4 in 3rd position (more details in the video link)

CELLO: video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g84SEz3bNd4

*note that he does several shifting exercises at the beginning of this before going into the scale. I suggest doing them though he plays more of a D major scale exercise before going into G*

Sheet music link (2nd scale on the page): https://www.tamdistrict.org/cms/lib/CA01000875/Centricity/Domain/586/Cello%20Major%20Scales.pdf

BASS: video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PsL-JeGlpA

sheet music link (2nd scale on the page) : http://www.gollihurmusic.com/eclectic/scalesbass.pdf

Should any student need individual assistance with learning shifting or their 2 Octave G major scale, please email me and let me know.

Jennifer Aikey

Tuesday - April 14

Hello Students,

Your assignment for Tuesday,  March 14th is to go to the Violin Masterclass website, view one of the videos, and fill out the short video reflection form on what you learned. If you look on the right hand side of the webpage, you can navigate through different topics and techniques that apply to ALL the string instruments, not just violin (especially in the right hand and left hand categories - there are SO many things you can choose from!). 

If you are in 6th Grade, you have the option to attend today's Zoom lesson at 2 (6th Period) or 2:30pm (7th Period) instead of this assignment.

Have a wonderful Tuesday! :)

Mrs. Aikey

Welcome Back! April 13, 2020

Hello Everyone! We hope you all had a good Spring Break. I know it wasn't the break we all imagined, but for me, it was great spending time with my family.

If you are a rising 7th or rising 8th Grader, please make sure you fill out the form for your grade level below so we know what Orchestra you would like to be in next year! More info is in the email I sent out last week. I also sent a VERY important email with the audition music, so please let me know if you did not get that. 

Rising 8th Enrollment Form

Rising 7th Enrollment Form

Your assignment for Monday, April 13 is to practice your instrument and complete the practice reflection. April 13 Practice Reflection

The blog post below this one has the direct link to the tuning video if you need to reference it.

If you do not have an instrument, please do 50 exercises on musictheory.net/exercises/note

Mr. Crosby and I are going to hold short Orchestra classes (15-20 mins) on Zoom! We would love to see you all and have you work on some of your instrument skills with us. Here is what the class schedule will look like:

Tuesday, April 14
2pm - 6th Period
2:30pm- 7th Period

Wednesday. April 15
2pm - 4th Period
2:30pm - 5th Period

Thursday, April 16
2pm - 1st Period
2:30pm - 2nd Period


Please join in if you can! I miss you all and can't wait to "see" you. :) I will email out the links and passwords at least an hour before the Zoom class starts.

I will be updating playing test grades from Cut Time to Synergy this week and will also upload grades from other assignments for those of you who have submitted work. 

Thank you,

Mrs. Aikey

Tonal Energy and Tuning video

Here is a link directly to the Tonal Energy and Tuning video that was on the OneNote! :)