For our co-curricular String Orchestra group, we blended activities that involved performing, creating, responding, improvising, and actively listening to music as a group. Below, you will experience some more traditional performances along with newly created works.

How do you perform as a group when you are working in a hybrid setting? Some students are virtual. Some students are hybrid. We get creative! Below, we share the process of learning and recording a virtual orchestra video.

After recording the large group project, each student had two weeks to explore a creative portfolio project. Working alone or with a group, students focused on various self-selected work, including playing by ear, transcribing popular songs, creating original compositions, and collaborating with others to learn new music.

Some students in String Orchestra elected to spend their project time composing new music and arranging songs by ear. Click below to listen to the original compositions and view a pdf of the music.

One of the skills we work on throughout the year is "playing by ear." Students listen and copy popular songs, eventually creating arrangements that can be performed by the orchestra. Below, you can listen to three PBE arrangements created by LOMOSO students.

This year, we have the honor of working with composer and singer/songwriter Andrew Lipke through our artist-in-residence program. Andrew is meeting with our students regularly to co-create string orchestra arrangements of original songs. We will continue working on arrangements throughout the school year with the goal of a culminating performance in 2021 in which Andrew will perform alongside our songwriters and orchestra members. Click on the videos below to listen to the winning songs!

Thank you for taking the time to experience this virtual celebration of all that our LOMOSO program is! In the spring, we are looking forward to a virtual pops concert and the culmination of our artist-in-residence collaboration. Please note that while some students did not share videos for this page, every LOMOSO student was involved in making these projects. For a full list of students, see below: