Do you want to learn how to play the Violin? Viola? Cello? Double Bass?
**** For the 2023-24 school year, instrument selection will be limited to violin and viola. Students who start in Strings this year will have opportunities to switch to cello and bass next year in Middle School. ****
Beginning Strings class instruction is offered as part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools curriculum for fifth grade students. This class will prepare your child for the Strings and Orchestra classes which are offered at the middle and high school levels in many of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The specific days and times of the classes vary from school to school, so please refer to the information that is sent home with your child. There are no instruction fees or lesson payments. You will need to purchase–at a local music store–your own method book and supplies, which will cost about $25. Renting an instrument from one of the local music stores will cost $100-$150 for the year. The schools have a limited number of instruments for loan, based on need. A student must have their supplies to be eligible for a school instrument. It is recommended that you wait until your child has been measured for the correct instrument before obtaining your instrument and supplies.
Why Join the Orchestra? There are lots of great reasons.
Because making music is...
. . . fun. Making music brings people together, breaks down barriers and leads to good times. Playing really well can make you feel like you're on top of the world. And even if you're not brimming with talent, doing your best and even messing up occasionally is a lot more engaging than staring at the TV.
. . . good for the brain. A series of new scientific studies has demonstrated a link between active music making and increased brainpower. Children who make music show improved spatial-temporal reasoning, which is the foundation of later success in math and science. And they actually get better grades than kids who don't take music.
. . . good for the body. Making music is proven to reduce stress. And stress on the body has been linked to the performance of our immune systems. Studies show that people who make music have had higher levels of melatonin, a revitalized natural production of Human Growth Hormone — even an increase in the immune system's natural "cancer-killer" cells.
. . . good for the soul. Music is beautiful and beauty helps your peace of mind. The benefits of music on well-being have been scientifically measured. For example, older people who make music show reduced levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness. Among younger people, those who make music together are less likely to use drugs or get in other kinds of trouble.
. . . good for the social life. Joining a musical group means making lots of friends, all working together to make great music. In most cases these will be friends for life.