Welcome to the home page for the 

2023-2024 

Sudie Williams TAG Orchestra! 

Sudie Orchestra Website Information

Welcome to the Sudie Orchestra homepage! This site is available originally in English, but please use Google Chrome to translate any of the written text, if needed. Please use the navigation tabs on the left or top of the page to navigate between the various pages of this website as needed.

On this site, you will find information regarding middle school orchestra and elementary violin classes at Sudie for the 2023-2024 school year. Sections are labelled and clickable throughout each page of the site. If you read through any section of this site and find anything confusing or have any questions/comments related to orchestra classes at Sudie, please let me know. I look forward to another great year of orchestra classes at Sudie!

Joseph Powers

Orchestra Teacher

Sudie Williams TAG, Degolyer Elementary, Gooch Elementary

JOPOWERS@DALLASISD.ORG 

Sudie Orchestra Basics

For the 2023-2024 school year, string orchestra classes will be offered for middle school students in grades 6-8 with instruction on classical violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Violin group lessons will also be available once weekly for students in 4th and 5th grade. Orchestra class progress continues year-to-year, but there are always openings for beginning students in 4th and 6th grade. Students with prior playing experience on an orchestra instrument may also be able to join in other grade levels if they are new to Sudie, so please contact Mr. Powers ASAP to ensure you are able to join the orchestra this year if you are interested. Here are a few short answers to common questions about orchestra class:

What is orchestra class?

• Orchestra is a performance-based music class in which students will learn to read and perform music through the study of a bowed string instrument. This year, beginners in middle school may begin to learn the violin, viola, or cello. Highly motivated students may also be invited to switch to the double bass if they show a strong dedication to their musical studies in orchestra class in the first half of the school year.

When and how often does class meet?

• Middle school classes meet in the A-B block schedule rotation, with 90-minute classes alternating daily. Elementary violin class meets once per week for 30-40 minutes during specials class on Tuesday mornings. There will be several evening performances throughout the year as well, so please check Google Classroom regularly to stay up to date with orchestra performance information.

What do students learn in orchestra class?

• The goal of orchestra classes at Sudie is to provide students with musical and academic enrichment through the study of music performance, literacy, history, theory, and appreciation. String orchestra classes are a great introduction to music performance and serve as many students' first hands-on experience with the arts. Due to Dallas ISD's dedication to the fine arts and instrumental music, orchestra class is one of the few courses in school that can be done continuously from elementary through high school, with each level of the course building upon content and skills from the previous one. Highly motivated and dedicated students who participate in orchestra courses at the middle school level at Sudie will be prepared not only for regional auditions and performance at the middle school level, but will be amongst or above their peers once they reach the high school in 9th grade.

Why Join the Orchestra?

Here are some of the top reasons to join the orchestra!

1. Your child gets to be part of a group of students who are all learning how to play an instrument.

2. Your child will become part of the orchestra family!  Every member of a musical ensemble is important and the group does not function without every member there.  

3. Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining varied and creative solutions.

4. Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning.

5. Students will learn about important values such as teamwork, dedication, responsibility, and discipline.

6. Music provides children with a means of self-expression.  For many, it is a creative outlet!  

7. Academic and peer-reviewed studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT as well as with learning in general. These students also achieve higher grades in high school in general.

8. By studying music, your child will be challenged to take risks and to not be afraid to try something new.  :)

9.  BECAUSE IT'S FUN!!!

Please watch the video below to learn how playing an instrument benefits your brain:

About the Teacher

Mr. Powers is the orchestra teacher for the Sudie Orchestra program. 2023-2024 will be Mr. Powers' 6th year at Sudie and 11th year teaching orchestra. He holds bachelor's degrees in music performance and in music education, from Texas Tech University in Lubbock , Texas. He also holds a master's degree in multicultural and international education from Oslo Metropolitan University in Oslo, Norway. While a student at Texas Tech, Mr. Powers was a member of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as the Music City Mystique percussion ensemble. 

In addition to teaching orchestra, Mr. Powers also teaches private double bass lessons and performs with several local orchestras in North Texas. The photo used in the banner image of this site was taken in Grieghallen in Bergen, Norway during a performance of Universitets Symfoniorkester (The University Symphony Orchestra) during the 2018 European Orchestra Festival. Please look for Mr. Powers in the bass section!

Orchestra Classes Offered in 2023-2024

(More details on these classes can be found on either "Middle School Orchestra" or "Elementary Violin" pages)

Beginning Orchestra 

-Open to all 6th grade middle school students with or without music experience

-Students will learn how to read and perform music through study of the violin, viola, or cello. Students will have several group performances throughout the school year.

-This course serves as an introduction to instrumental music and will aim to prepare students for the Varsity or Non-Varsity orchestra in 7th grade.

Intermediate Orchestra 

-Open to 6th grade students with prior performance experience on an orchestra instrument in elementary school

-Students will strengthen skills in reading and performing music through study of the violin, viola, or cello. Students will have several group performances throughout the school year.

-This course will prepare students for either the Varsity or Non-Varsity orchestra in 7th grade.

Philharmonic Orchestra

-Intermediate orchestra for middle school students in 7th or 8th grade with prior experience in orchestra classes.

-This course will focus on further developing skills and concepts introduced in beginning level orchestra classes and aims to prepare students for either high school orchestra or the Varsity Orchestra at Sudie.

-Students who demonstrate a continuous dedication in this class may be asked to join the Honors Orchestra students, Sudie's representative orchestra in spring UIL evaluations.

Honors Orchestra

-Advanced orchestra for advanced middle school students in 7th and 8th grade

-With an accelerated learning pace and higher class expectations, Varsity Orchestra students will train and prepare to participate in the spring University Interscholastic League's Orchestra Evaluations as well as local and regional scholastic auditions and performances throughout the school year.

-Students who participate in this class may be asked to perform in small or large ensembles for school-related events throughout the school year in addition to formal orchestra performances.

Elementary Violin

-Elementary Violin class is open to students 

-The 4th class is designed for students who are new to learning an instrument and no prior experience is needed

-The 5th grade class is intended to be the second year of a 2-year course, and will continue the progress made in the 4th grade strings class

-This class meets once per week during students' specials class time. Students who choose to join the elementary strings class will attend their scheduled specials class for Art, Music, and 2 PE classes each week. They will come to strings class on the morning scheduled for their section below:

-Sections B and D meet on Tuesdays

-Sections A and C meet on Fridays

-Elementary violin class meets for a maximum of 45 minutes, not including school announcements or any changes to the normal weekly schedule, such as field trips or testing

-Dedicated students who are able to perform all the music learned in 4th and 5th grade will be ready to join the Advanced 6th Orchestra Class in middle school.

Instrument Tuning Help

Students, after you have learned to basic of how to tune your instrument, please check this page for help with tuning your instrument at home:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/116EwFJOoXLEDi9cXqAsnqOUiyR4T48Uz74FUM3Vk9tM/edit?usp=sharing