Ms. Steele's Orchestra

Student Expectations

The basic expectations for success are listed below:

Attendance:

• Attendance of all lessons, rehearsals, and performances (unless excused), is crucial to your student's success in orchestra. In order to learn the skills necessary to play a string instrument, your student must be present. It is also important that your student also brings their instrument in addition to themselves!

Practice:

• This is probably the most important key to success for orchestra students. My job is to teach your student the skills and information necessary to learn a string instrument. However, once it has been taught, it is up to your student to then learn those skills by practicing what they have been taught. 

• Your student will essentially be learning a new language and a new way of conveying thoughts and emotions. Those that learn to speak a new language fluently spend years practicing that language many times a week until it begins to feel natural; learning an instrument is a similar challenge. 

Growth Mindset:

• Learning an instrument can be difficult at times and the amount of new information can feel overwhelming to some. If your student ever expresses their frustrations with the desire to quit, we ask that you encourage your student to push through those frustrations as they are often temporary speed bumps on the road to growth. 

• I firmly believe that every student is capable of learning an instrument and I will work to ensure that your student holds that same belief for themselves.