Watch this video to hear what D303 orchestra students have to say about orchestra!
Read what our parents have to say about Orchestra:
We Love Orchestra
Dear future orchestra families,
"I highly recommend your child join orchestra because it is an incredibly enriching experience for both the parents and children. Orchestra lessons will help kids develop a passion for music while they learn so much and have a lot of fun along the way. I have two children in orchestra at Anderson and they have learned so much in such a short time. They look forward to their lessons each week and they are challenged to learn new songs with fun incentives for completing those songs. Mrs. Mezera even makes sure that practicing doesn’t become a chore by offering all sorts of practice challenges throughout the year. Orchestra students also got to go on a field trip this year to the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and it was a really great experience and was so fun for everyone. Renting an instrument is also such a breeze. The rental company takes care of everything and fixes anything on the instrument or upgrades to a bigger instrument as your child grows free of charge. And best of all, it all gets done during the school day and is facilitated by the orchestra teacher and parents don’t have do a thing! Overall, I highly recommend the orchestra program. It is so wonderful to see your children come home from school so excited about what they learned and then hear them play beautiful music."
Ashley Guth, Anderson Orchestra Parent
"The orchestra program is fantastic. Our daughter has enjoyed playing the violin so much that she is going to continue on with orchestra at Wredling next year. She has improved from plucking the bow to reading music and notes to playing advanced songs. The teacher is very friendly and ready to teach your child all about orchestra even for those non-musically inclined parents such as myself! The instrument rental process is a breeze and they will also make sure your child has the correct size instrument. Our daughter loves orchestra so much she can be seen actively recruiting and playing along with the other students on our street! I highly recommend giving the orchestra program a chance!"
-Victoria Smith, 5th Grade Orchestra Parent
"The orchestra program has been truly amazing! Our daughter started playing the piano in kindergarten and grew such a love for music. When she heard about orchestra in 2nd grade, she couldn't be more excited. We were a little hesitant at first thinking how learning two instruments could be a little overwhelming for her, but it actually worked out great. Since she already had a great base knowledge of reading music it didn't seem to be a struggle at all. Our daughter started playing in the orchestra in 3rd grade and continued on into 4th and 5th grades. In 5th grade, she also joined band...so we have a lot of music in our house! She has also encouraged her younger brother and parents to join in on the fun! During the holidays she had all of us learning different instruments, such a great time. Another thing that we love about orchestra is that she can continue to play in middle school and high school. The orchestra program has been a great way for our daughter to meet new people, become more organized and disciplined, and encourage her love for music. Even though it felt rough a couple mornings getting up earlier to go to morning orchestra it has really been worth it!! "
Mindy Thompson, 5th Grade Orchestra Parent
"This has been the highlight of my daughter’s school year this year! She got to connect with others in her class who were also playing and she loves being part of a group with her entire grade! Sign up was very easy and instrument rental is fantastic. But most important – is how much she has learned in just one year. She started with 2 notes…and is now playing Beethoven and so many other beautiful songs. She’s learning notes and how to read music and has been able to figure out a few other songs on her own. She’s also learning the value of practice and hard work, as well as perseverance when something new is challenging. The teachers are AMAZING and so supportive and encouraging. I am absolutely thrilled with what she has learned and how confident she is with playing!"
Alicia La France 3rd Grade Orchestra Parent
"Our daughter was super excited about starting orchestra and learning to play an instrument like her big brothers. As parents, we were worried about starting violin during a different year of learning. We are extremely happy that we made the choice to enroll our daughter in Orchestra. We have seen such a blossom of excitement and motivation that comes with learning through music. It has been the best and safest extracurricular activity decision this whole school year for our family. "
Munhall 3rd grade parent
"I CANNOT say enough wonderful things about D303 orchestra! I've had 2 children begin in 3rd grade, one playing the violin and one playing the cello. From the orchestra camps, to the wonderful concerts for friends and family, to the chance to practice something new and be proud of their accomplishments! It has been such a joy to watch my children fall in love with the art of music even while keeping up with regular school work and outside sports. The morning orchestra practices are really not that bad, they don't start right away at the beginning of the year and they end before the last month of school. All of the orchestra instructors are so encouraging and it is a beautiful thing to now watch my middle schooler continue to play her instrument in the middle school orchestra! If you are on the fence, take the plunge, you won't regret it!"
Jen Weber, Former Anderson Orchestra Parent
"Joining orchestra has come with many added benefits for my daughter. She has become part of a team that still allows individuality. Her musical training has touched on many aspects such as developing language, cognitive skills, social skills, problem solving skills, coordination, and creativity to name a few. She has some great friendship in orchestra. Renting an instrument is so easy and if there's a problem the rental place come to the school. I love that she could join at a young age which is in 3rd grade and can continue into high school. Music has a healthy outlet for her after all music is a part of all of our lives, the universal language."
Debbie Kosiek, Former Anderson Orchestra Parent
I have a third year bassist in D303 Elementary Orchestra and I couldn’t say enough about our positive experiences in this program. There’s a big misconception that bass players have to lug around these large instruments. When in fact, bassists' are the only students that do not need to transport their instruments to and from school for lessons and rehearsals! The instructors are patient, encouraging and fun. Our student blossomed as a musician through this program. Not only has his love and passion for music grown, but being apart of orchestra has helped him improve life skills including responsibility, commitment and teamwork.
Kristie Domain, Current 3rd Grade and Former Anderson Orchestra