First Year Orchestra

This orchestra is comprised of students in their first year of playing a bowed stringed instrument. During their first year of playing, students have the choice of learning the violin, viola, cello, double bass, or harp. The First Year Orchestra (FYO) classes meet once daily throughout the school year and are divided into two class sections: Violin/Viola/Harp, and Cello/Double Bass. These two classes combine to create one orchestra for performances and events. Want to know more about the instruments? Click here!

Philharmonic & Chamber Orchestras

The Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras are comprised of students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade who have at least one year of playing experience in a middle school orchestra. These orchestras perform at the annual UIL Concert and Sight Reading Evaluation, with a goal to achieve musical excellence in both categories.  We also take a student trip each year to perform and enjoy a fun day at a theme park!

Honors Orchestra

The premier orchestra at Pearson Ranch Middle School, the Honors Orchestra is tasked each year with steadily raising the bar of musical excellence as Pearson Ranch Middle School establishes itself as a superior school. It is comprised of 7th and 8th grade students who are selected through rigorously competitive audition at the end of each school year. All students are expected to be enrolled in private lessons. Technical skills necessary to meet the rigors of this group are the ability to play beyond 6th position on all instruments; violas must be able to read treble clef; cellos/basses must be able to read tenor clef and be comfortable playing in thumb position. The Honors Orchestra routinely places many students in the Region 26 Orchestras, receives Superior ratings at both UIL Concert & Sight-Reading Evaluations, and competes in both statewide and national competitions.

Our Orchestras are a part of the Region 26 Orchestra Division of the Texas Music Educators Association. For more information about our Region, visit https://sites.google.com/site/tmearegion26orchestra/