J.T. Hutchinson Middle School Orchestra

2nd Annual Hutch All-Region Orchestra Prep Camp 2025

FOR CHAMBER & PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA STUDENTS, 2025-2026

July 30 - August 1

This All-Region Prep Camp is a FREE, 3 day series of group lessons from Wednesday, July 30-August 1. The goal is to provide students an opportunity to get a head start learning the challenging All-Region Orchestra audition music before school begins.

If you are unable to attend Orchestra Summer Camp due to previous scheduled vacations, transportation issues, etc, consider taking a few private lessons over the summer so that you stay up with your peers. Information for private lessons may be found in the packet with our summer music or on our class website!

For every day students attend, they will receive 1 FREE HOMEWORK PASS and 10 points of extra credit in the gradebook for the 1st 9wks! Please RSVP through our class website (tinyurl.com/HutchOrchestra) by July 1, 2025!

Philharmonic Orchestra - 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM

Chamber Orchestra - 1:00 PM- 4:00 PM

Register for the Prep-Camp: CLICK HERE

Monthly Orchestra

IB Learner Profiles:

August: Knowledgeable

September: Caring

October: Risk-Taker

November: Principled

December: Communicator

January: Balanced

February: Inquirer

March: Open-Minded

April: Thinker

May: Reflective

For Incoming 6th Graders:

Incoming 6th grade Orchestra auditions:

NOW OPEN FOR BOOKING!

(Auditions are for those students who already know how to play the violin, viola, cello, bass, or harp.)

Time by appointment

Hutch Middle School Orchestra Room

(Room 116 by the Cafeteria, Enter through Door 10)

APPOINTMENTS ARE ONLY FOR INCOMING STUDENTS

FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR!

Book your appointment here:

hutchmsorchestraauditions.as.me/

Audition for Mrs. Olivier to be placed in a class that meets you where you're at in your learning! (All new-to-orchestra students who do not audition will automatically be placed in Beginner Orchestra.)

The Purpose of this Audition:

This audition gives us a chance to meet!
This audition is really so Mrs. Olivier can watch you play to determine what you know (or don't know yet) in order to correctly place you in the orchestra class in which you'll thrive for next year!
- Orchestra placement is not based on what book level you are in, but rather the collection of knowledge and technique you display! We're all here to grow together, and there is ALWAYS a place for you here no matter what!
No need to be nervous because I'm not here to judge you, but rather, to get to know you and your playing!

Audition Procedure/ Requirements:

For your audition, please perform a solo (or another piece of music you've been working on) that demonstrates what you can do and what you know.
Then, Mrs. Olivier will give you a 4-8 measure piece of music you've never seen before to Sight-Read. You'll have about 5 minutes to study & practice the music before you perform it for Mrs. Olivier.
Finally, we'll discuss your options for where to place you next year! You should know which orchestra you'll be scheduled in to before you leave!

Looking to purchase an instrument?!

As the holiday and gift-giving season revs up, many folks look to purchasing an instrument for the musician in their life!

As a reminder, it is not necessary for students to purchase an instrument to be in orchestra, however, if you are interested in purchasing an instrument, please allow me, or a private teacher, to help you with that process in order to find a high quality and beautiful instrument!

The highest quality instruments that have the most longevity (and therefore instruments that will give you “more bang for your buck” in the long run) are generally a natural wood (no painted on color) and are from specialty stores (rather than online marketplaces). If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me! I am more than happy to answer any and all questions to help you through the process!

There are a few local vendors where you can purchase instruments AND they are several reputable online vendors (if that's a route you prefer). HOWEVER, please avoid colorful or painted instruments! As cool as these instruments are, they just don't tend to be as nice of quality as the normal wooden ones, they don't hold tuning well, and they don't usually stand the test of time well.

For more info, check out THIS GREAT ARTICLE about purchasing an instrument!

We've all heard that "music makes students smarter." BUT, did you know that a study from MIT suggests that "musical brains produce more structural and functional connections when compared to those who don't learn music."

Read About It Here:

-If You Want Smarter Kids, Teach Them Music, Not Coding, According to MIT (Feb. 2022)