Patrick Marsh - Past Weekly Updates



Orchestra Newsletter Updated 3/4The most important things for you this week:News:
  1. 7th Grade: Students have a lot of work cut out for them. They will have 6 pieces of music as we get ready for two concerts back to back. One at the end of April and one at the beginning of May. Please be sure that students are practicing their music at home. Next week we will be diving deeper into all the different ways we can make sounds on our instrument.
  2. 6th grade: March is the month of new music! We are working on the music for the all city concert in April and the May concert right now. Students are rising to the challenge and refining their skills as they go. Can’t wait til the next rehearsal :)
  3. Fiddle Club: We are working on three very different styles of music in fiddle club right now. There is an Appalachian/Fiddle style song, a dramatic minor orchestral piece and a tango inspired piece. Students definitely have a split opinion on what is their favorite or what is the “best” piece. I plan to have a discussion soon with them about what makes a “good” piece and give them a further opportunity to give ownership of the music.
  4. Have you made plans for summer music options yet? There are some great camps that are available to students including UW Madison’s Summer Music Clinic, UW Whitewater’s Summer orchestra camp, as well as summer school orchestra. If you have questions about any of these. Please reach out to me with questions.
Future Club meetings: March: 7th, 14th, 28thApril & May: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and May 2nd



Important Dates Coming Up!:4/21 - All City Orchestra Concert SPHS Field House 5/5 - End of Year Concert Patrick Marsh Middle School


Orchestra Newsletter Updated 2/25The most important things for you this week:News: Thank you Orchestra Families for attending our concert or watching via the live stream link. The teachers and students really appreciate all your support. So thank you! In case you missed it! Here is the link for the concert that you can still watch!
  1. 7th Grade: It was a great time looking at some new music this week. Next week we will continue to learn and continue to grow. We are starting these new pieces that have some neat effects and will require learning some new techniques on our instruments. I am very excited to show these to the students and open up a whole new world of sounds to the students.
  2. 6th grade: After we finished the concert reflections - and had an ‘ice’ day :) - we started one of the pieces of music the 6th graders will be playing for the All City Orchestra Concert and they voted as a class between two pieces for the May concert. During the voting, it was really fun to see students light up and get excited about new orchestra music.
  3. Fiddle Club: It was great to have a few new people join Fiddle Club this last week! We are still on the lookout for more violins, violas and bassists if you know any students who may be interested. They definitely still could join on the 28th.
Future Club meetings: February: 28thMarch: 7th, 14th, 28thApril & May: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and May 2nd
  1. If you have any good quality pictures from our concert, please share them with us as we would love to showcase and spotlight some of our students. If you have a picture that you would like to share, please send to Mr. Sanville (basanvi@sunpairieschools.org)

Important Dates Coming Up!:4/21 - All City Orchestra Concert SPHS Field House


Orchestra Newsletter Updated 2/18The most important things for you this week:News: Thank you Orchestra Families for attending our concert or watching via the live stream link. The teachers and students really appreciate all your support. So thank you! In case you missed it! Here is the link for the concert that you can still watch!
  1. 7th Grade: We are very happy with our performance. I think we are ready for some new materials and new music as we look forward to our next concert which will be April 21st.
  2. 6th grade: The 6th grade orchestra has grown so much since the last concert and it was so cool to hear their reflective comments on what they did well and what they need to work on with their musicianship in class today. Keep up the good work 6th grade!
  3. Fiddle Club: Fiddle Club did an excellent job on hiding the fact that they were going to play kazoos at the concert :) We will start new, non-kazoo music on Monday.
Future Club meetings: February: 21st, 28thMarch: 7th, 14th, 28thApril & May: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and May 2nd

  1. There will be a future email regarding our newsletter and the option to “subscribe” to it if you would like to have the information. Keep an eye out for an Infinite Campus email regarding that
  2. Here is the link to sign up for a parent teacher conference for orchestra families. Please put your student’s name in the spreadsheet. If you would like to do a Zoom conference, please shoot us an email.
  3. If you have any good quality pictures from our concert, please share them with us as we would love to showcase and spotlight some of our students. If you have a picture that you would like to share, please send to Mr. Sanville (basanvi@sunpairieschools.org)

Important Dates Coming Up!:4/21 - All City Orchestra Concert SPHS Field House


Orchestra Newsletter Updated 2/11The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. 7th Grade: Last week before the concert. We are running all the pieces and having fun debates about which piece of music the students want to share with you first and which one they want you to remember the most and have that last. It is a fun kind of chaotic!
  2. 6th grade: After the concert next week we will reflect on our performance and I will be giving students a choice of two pieces for one of our upcoming concerts. I am interested to see what students gravitate towards for the music.
  3. Fiddle Club:.We will plan to continue to meet the week after the concert to start reading through some potential music for the next concert .
Future Club meetings before the concert : 2/14
Important Concert Information:6th Graders arrive by 5:15pm to Patrick Marsh Middle School - Concert at 6pm7th Grade Fiddle Club members arrive by 6:00pm - Perform after the 6th grade performanceAll 7th Graders arrive by 6:30pm - Concert at 7pm
Please have your musician wearing their concert black attire for this concert as well
*If you need assistance getting your musician to the concert please let us know and we would be happy to make sure they can attend the concert.*
There is a live stream option available for the concert using this link.
Important Dates Coming Up!:2/12 - Solo and Ensemble (for those who signed up)2/17 - 6pm 6th grade and Fiddle Club Early Spring Orchestra Concert 2/17 - 7pm 7th grade Early Spring Orchestra Concert




Orchestra Newsletter Updated 2/4The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. 7th Grade: We are in full focus mode and the progress shows it. Glad to see so much more progress being made as we get closer and closer to the concert.
  2. 6th grade: It was great to see many 6th and 7th grade orchestra students in the school musical this week! It was so fun to watch and I really appreciate the work the students put in (on top of practicing orchestra music :) )
  3. Fiddle Club:. I have a fun/musical surprise for the fiddle clubbers this week. Excited to share it with them and continue to rehearse the concert music.
Future Club meetings before the concert : 2/7 and 2/14.
Important Concert Information:6th Graders arrive by 5:15pm to Patrick Marsh Middle School - Concert at 6pm7th Grade Fiddle Club members arrive by 6:00pm - Perform after the 6th grade performanceAll 7th Graders arrive by 6:30pm - Concert at 7pm
Please have your musician wearing their concert black attire for this concert as well
*If you need assistance getting your musician to the concert please let us know and we would be happy to make sure they can attend the concert.*
There is a live stream option available for the concert using this link.
Important Dates Coming Up!:2/12 - Solo and Ensemble (for those who signed up)2/17 - 6pm 6th grade and Fiddle Club Early Spring Orchestra Concert 2/17 - 7pm 7th grade Early Spring Orchestra Concert


Orchestra Newsletter Updated 1/28The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. 7th Grade: This week I started having the young musicians lead our warm ups while I participate in the orchestra and walk around looking for posture. They have been doing a great job. A little nervous, but it is great to see them take ownership of our warm up time.
  2. 6th grade: The students have made some amazing progress on their concert music in class this week. I am floored by their focus as we get closer to the concert, especially at this time of year, which is traditionally very difficult in middle schools.
  3. Another reminder to pay your Solo and Ensemble fee ASAP. Please double check your musician’s performance time to check to make sure it works out okay.
  4. Fiddle Club:. We had a smaller rehearsal this week because of students involved in the musical and pep band but it was really fun to have a smaller “chamber music” style rehearsal. With a smaller group there’s a bigger focus on the tone you get out of your instrument and how well you listen to and play with the group. It was different from our other recent rehearsals and a breath of fresh air.
Future Club meetings before the concert : 1/31, 2/7 and 2/14.
Important Dates Coming Up!:2/12 - Solo and Ensemble (for those who signed up)2/17 - 7pm Early Spring Orchestra Concert (Possible Location change to the High School)
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 1/21The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. 7th Grade: Keep on practicing is all I can ask. We are really starting to ramp up these 4 pieces of music. We have almost all of them down and the next step is to clean them up. I love hearing and seeing this progress from students. You, as the parents, should be proud of all the hard work these musicians are doing.
  2. 6th grade: To echo, Mr. Sanville’s comments - Practicing at home will be the key for this music. I bet your musician would love (or be could be convinced :) ) to play a portion of the concert music for you.
  3. Another reminder to pay your Solo and Ensemble fee ASAP. Next week I will send out your musician’s performance time for you to check to make sure it works out okay.
  4. Fiddle Club:. Future Club meetings before the concert : 1/24, 1/31, 2/7 and 2/14.

Important Dates Coming Up!:2/12 - Solo and Ensemble (for those who signed up)2/17 - 7pm Early Spring Orchestra Concert (Possible Location change to the High School)
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 1/15The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. 7th Grade: This week went very well for the 7th graders. They keep putting in 110% while we focus our attention on some new music. I continue to be impressed with their ability to pick up new music and play it. It has also been very cool to see so many of them as they come in at lunch to practice and play their new music with others.
  2. 6th grade: 6th graders have a recording assignment due on Google classroom this next week. Maybe they can play their recording for you before submitting it :)
  3. PLEASE PAY your fees for Solo and Ensemble. That will be very important. You should expect to see a schedule and know when your musician will perform sometime in the next week.
  4. Fiddle Club: We started on two new fiddle tunes last rehearsal that are coming together well. Future Club meetings before the concert : 1/24, 1/31, 2/7 and 2/14.
  5. We want to know how the at home instruments are doing. Some of you have school cellos or basses at home. Are they still in tune? Please reach out so we can set up a time to have you bring those in or us to come to you to tune them quick! Thank you!
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 1/7The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. 7th Grade: We are working hard on our ability to tune our instruments right now. As the winter months come and go, the cold air affects our instruments quite a bit making it difficult for us to tune them. In addition to sending a lot of focus to tuning, we are still doing great work on our three pieces and even decided on a 4th one. Keep an ear out for Gauntlet as you hear this in your homes.
  2. 6th grade: The two orchestra classes seem to really be getting a hold on the skill of tuning their own instruments. Not only is this exciting, but it is very helpful in the winter months. String instruments tend to be out of tune more frequently in the winter months because of the cold temperatures and dry weather’s effect on wood. I did post a few tuning resources on Google classroom on December 20th that your musician can utilize to tune their instrument while at home.
  3. Fees for Solo and Ensemble if your child is participating ARE UP. Please get those paid. Reminder that this takes place Saturday, February 12th
  4. Fiddle Club: I am excited for Fiddle Club to return this upcoming Monday (1/10)! Since we have relatively few rehearsals between now and the concert, I do ask that students commit to coming to every rehearsal. As of right now, we do not have a rehearsal the week of the 17th because of no school on the 17th (MLK Jr day) - so that would leave us with 5 rehearsals - 1/10, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7 and 2/14.
  5. We are looking to share more with you! We like to create these newsletters to help you know more about what is going on in orchestra class and share reminders. If there is more that you would like us to share or are curious about other things, please let us know so we can put it in our newsletter. Thank you!
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 12/23The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. With the holidays coming up, we would love to see pictures of instruments decorated or showcasing their holiday spirit. Feel free to send pictures of your instruments showing some of it’s holiday spirit!!
  2. 7th Grade: Mr. Sanville was sorry to be out for a couple days. He is back and feeling much better. He tested negative and just had a cold. Thank you to Mr. Kuhn for filling in for orchestra class. The students can play from start to finish in all the music so they should be showing what they can do at home. There could be a possibility of adding a fourth piece of music before their February concert.
  3. 6th grade: I have posted all the sheet music, links to online tuners and metronome apps on google classroom. As long as your student has their instrument at home they will have everything they need to keep fiddlin on winter break. I hope all orchestra members and families have a relaxing winter break.
  4. Fees for Solo and Ensemble if your child is participating in it will be posted soon. You should be able to see those come around in just a bit. Reminder that this takes place Saturday, February 12th
  5. Fiddle Club: Resuming January 10th. 🎻🎻🎻
  6. We are looking to share more with you! We like to create these newsletters to help you know more about what is going on in orchestra class and share reminders. If there is more that you would like us to share or are curious about other things, please let us know so we can put it in our newsletter. Thank you!
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 12/17The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. The weather is getting colder and instruments are getting out of tune! Please be careful with instruments as the weather changes. Please keep instruments away from cold windows or hot heaters to make sure the instruments stay at a consistent temperature to avoid any damage to them.
  2. 7th Grade: We have got 3 new pieces we are working on, we are really looking forward to sharing them with all of you soon. As for right now, please be sure your musician is practicing at home semi-regularly to be able to learn this new music we are working on.
  3. 6th grade: We have started on the first two of the three pieces for the next concert this week. There was a definite sense of excitement but also a sense of “are we going to be able to play this?”. I can’t wait to see what the 6th graders will achieve in this concert cycle with some practice at home and some determination.
  4. Clothing orders are OFFICIALLY in. I will be picking them up on monday and handing them out afterschool on monday or on tuesday. If you will be gone, please let me know and I can hang on to it for you and find a way to get them to you if you would like.
  5. Fiddle Club: Resuming January 10th.
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 12/10The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Thank you to everyone who came and supported us at the concert this week. If you missed it, or even want to share it with other family members. Here is the link to the stream.
  2. If interested in participating in Solo and Ensemble this year please fill out this form or return the hard copy form. The deadline was EXTENDED if you would like to participate. This also means that some families may not see the charge in their infinite campus accounts until a later date after families sign up.
  3. Fiddle Club: We will resume on January 10th.
  4. 7th grade: We decided our next tunes, and even voted on a third one. You will start to hear some new music in the home as we start working on it together.
  5. We expect clothing orders will be returned this next week so I will stay in touch with you for how to get them or they can be sent home with the students. If your orders are going to be gifts, please let me know (email me again if you have just to be safe) and I will be sure to set the clothing aside and we can find a time to get it to you.
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 11/19The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Fiddle Club: Our Club meetings for the rest of the year are 11/22, 11/29 12/6 and 12/13. We will be taking off for the week before winter break. Fiddle club will go back to meeting for the whole 3pm hour because the mentoring program is over for this year.
  2. 6th Grade: Here are some important details for the upcoming December 7th concert.
6th graders should arrive at the High School by 6pm. They will go through the main entrance and follow the signs to get to the room where they will unpack their instrument and get tuned. We will plan to practice as a large group on the stage shortly after 6. 6th grade will rehearse on stage and then stay on stage as the audience enters. Performance order for the concert will be 6th grade, Fiddle Club and then 7th grade. There will be a section of the audience seats that the 6th graders will sit in to listen to the remainder of the performance after they perform.
Concert attire for performers is as follows (can also be found in the orchestra handbook on page 3) “This year, we ask that families have clothes available for the student that are professional looking that also help the student feel good. This could include many things so we ask for family’s discretion. Please consider the following:
Black polo, black dress shirt, black blouseBlack bottoms (pants or long skirt)Black socks, tights, and shoes
Please avoid sweatpants, shorts, short skirts, graphic T-shirts and jeans”
  1. 7th grade: We are almost ready for our concert coming up. Be sure to check the concert attire above. We have 10 rehearsals until our next performance. We hope you see some great growth comparing our recorded performance a few weeks ago to our concert in a few weeks.
  2. The next concert will be Dec. 7th at 7pm. You will notice that the original concert location was Patrick Marsh Middle School but to accommodate our audience members and both grade levels, we will be moving our concert to the High School PAC. We will continue to update you on the location and procedures for the concert.
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 11/12The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Fiddle Club: We are doing well with our tunes for the December 7th concert so we may start working on new music or even writing our own music. Stay tuned for that

  1. 6th Grade: Here are a few tips for instrument care as the weather may start to change soon. 1. When your student is not playing their instrument at home, they should store in their case, fully zipped/latched and the bow loosened. 2. Rapid changes in temperature and humidity are the biggest cause of string instruments getting out of tune or even being damaged. Try to store the instrument in a consistent temperature environment (away from windows or doors with air leak) 3. If your family owns the instrument or you want to go the extra mile, maybe consider getting an instrument humidifier.

  1. 7th grade: In case you didn’t get a chance to see the video from our performance the other week, here it is. Starting new music is always hard but the students are handling it well. We are able to play through a piece of music and half of another one. Continue to encourage at home practice so students can continue to grow.

  1. Music Mentors had a great run. Everyone seemed to have a great time, Mentors and Mentees alike. We have ONE more week left. Be sure that your student is in attendance for their time if they have one.

  1. The Orchestra Apparel fundraiser ends soon!!!!! Follow this link to purchase some apparel which helps out our orchestra program and gets you set up with some cool orchestra swag.

  1. The next concert will be Dec. 7th at 7pm. You will notice that the original concert location was Patrick Marsh Middle School but to accommodate our audience members and both grade levels, we will be moving our concert to the High School PAC. We will continue to update you on the location and procedures for the concert.
Orchestra NewsletterUpdated 11/6The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Fiddle Club: We are experimenting around with different arrangements for a fiddle tune we are working on for the fall concert “Old Joe Clark”. I can’t wait for you all to hear it.

  1. 6th Grade: I am continuing to hear progress in the 6th grade rehearsals every week. One of the keys of success at this level is students regularly playing their instrument at home. With practice at home, note reading becomes more ingrained, the music we play in class becomes more enjoyable as it gets more familiar and the whole group benefits with a fuller sound. Ask your musician to play the songs we are working on in class sometime this weekend :)

  1. 7th grade: In case you didn’t get a chance to see the video from our performance last week, here it is. We have started new music as we gear up for our next LIVE performance which will be Dec. 7th. Mark your calendars!

  1. Music Mentors was a great start! Everyone remembered their time and did a great job teaching some of the younger students, looking forward to having two more weeks of mentoring!

  1. Place your orders for Orchestra Apparel! Follow this link to purchase some apparel which helps out our orchestra program and gets you set up with some cool orchestra swag.

  1. Keep on getting those students to play at home for you. The best way to help encourage your musician to grow is to have them play for you and show you what they are working on.
Orchestra NewsletterUpdated 10/29The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Fiddle Club: The rehearsals for fiddle club continue to be fun for all! There will be a break in meetings of fiddle club after the December 7th concert, but until then we meet every week.

  1. 6th Grade: The 6th graders have made excellent progress on a new piece of music this week - “First Scale March”. Through this piece we are learning about how to play in harmony and also follow a conductor as an ensemble.

  1. 7th grade: They did it, and it sounded GREAT. On Friday we recorded all the pieces that we have been working so hard on. It came together extremely well and I think the students were really pleased with what they were able to accomplish and do. Mr. Sanville will have a video of the performance soon.

  1. Next week starts Music Mentors! We have some great students ready to help teach some of our 5th grade orchestra students in sun prairie. 7th Grade students know who are mentoring. Be sure they remember their mentor time

  1. Orchestra Apparel is here and ready! Follow this link to purchase some apparel which helps out our orchestra program and gets you set up with some cool orchestra swag.

  1. Keep on getting those students to play at home for you. The best way to help encourage your musician to grow is to have them play for you and show you what they are working on.
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 10/22The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Fiddle Club: The students now have all the pieces we will be playing on our December concert. Now it is time to really get these pieces shining in our upcoming Monday club meetings. These three different styled pieces will really stretch them in a good way.

  1. 6th Grade: Looking back on quarter 1, I am very proud of the growth in the 6th grade orchestra so far. They’re getting a fuller sound on their instruments, playing with more relaxed bow holds, and have refined and balanced playing posture. Mark those calendars for December 7th folks! It will be a great first concert.

  1. 7th grade: We are gearing up for a “concert” to happen this upcoming Friday. This will be in the form of a recording session. We will set up on the stage, turn on the lights, and show you what we’ve got. I think it will be a great video and would love to share that with you all next week.

  1. We will be holding our Orchestra Apparel sale soon! So if you are trying to find some holiday presents for your families or musician, we will have some great orchestra clothing options to choose from.

  1. Keep on getting those students to play at home for you. The best way to help encourage your musician to grow is to have them play for you and show you what they are working on.
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 10/15The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Orchestra 101 continues to meet after school on Mondays. We’re looking forward to seeing more students showing up!

  1. Fiddle Club. Had a great start this last week! The purpose of the group is to focus on more challenging and diverse music that we wouldn’t normally get to play in Orchestra class. Fiddle Club will have its own section to perform on our Orchestra concerts as well. I would love to have more students drop in and try fiddle club this next Monday after school 3:15-4pm. They can come down to the Orchestra room right after school ends.

  1. 6th Grade - We started a new piece in 6th grade Orchestra this week called Kabuki Dance by Richard Meyer. It is our first full length concert piece and I can see the excitement in the room! I am looking forward to them reaching new heights with their skills and to also explore the cultural background of the piece as a class this semester.

  1. 7th grade - Our focus lately has been the bow and how to take care of it and then make a good sound with it. We talked about how rosin works and the importance of it to make a good sound. We also experimented with different ways we can play our bow to find the best sound

  1. Help advise your musician to practice at home. The best way to encourage them is to ask what they are playing and be an audience member for them. Having them play their instrument more will help them grow to be more confident as an orchestra member.


Orchestra NewsletterUpdated 10/8The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Orchestra 101 has continued to be a great resource for many students who are starting out in orchestra new this year. It has been great seeing these beginning students pick up the new ideas so fast. We’re excited that they will feel more in the know during orchestra class time. We will be back to meeting on Monday after school.

  1. Starting on Monday after school there will be an after school club called Fiddle Club that will start to meet. The purpose of the group is to focus on more challenging and diverse music that we wouldn’t normally get to play in Orchestra class. Fiddle Club will have its own section to perform on our Orchestra concerts as well. If your student participates in this group, it is best if they have at least 1 year of experience on their instrument before this year. This club is open for 6th and 7th graders.
  1. It was great to see many of you for Orchestra conferences this week! Please know that if you didn’t get a chance to stop in or ever have a question we are only one email away bdkuhn@sunprairieschools.org Basanvi@sunprairieschools.org

  1. 6th Grade We will have a name for our Orchestra Mascot and “6th grade Orchestra piece” this week! I had all students write down a suggestion for the mascot’s name and the piece’s name and there is a google form on google classroom to vote on the final name. It is fun to see students take ownership of their Orchestra experience in this way.

  1. 7th grade has been doing some amazing things. We are able to play through 3 really different pieces of music. We are looking forward to refining them and possibly considering some way of sharing that out to families so you can get a better glimpse of what we are sounding like right now.

  1. We’re loving seeing so many students take their instruments home over the weekend. It really is great for them to continue to play and practice each weekend they can to improve their skills. The more they practice now, the more they enjoy orchestra class later.


Orchestra NewsletterUpdated 9/24The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. Orchestra 101 has continued to be a great resource for many students who are starting out in orchestra new this year. It has been great seeing these beginning students pick up the new ideas so fast. We’re excited that they will feel more in the know during orchestra class time.

  1. Starting in October, there will be an after school club called Fiddle Club after school Mondays. The purpose of the group is to focus on more challenging and diverse music that we wouldn’t normally get to play in Orchestra class. If your student participates in this group, it is best if they have at least 1 year of experience on their instrument before this year. This club is open for 6th and 7th graders.
  1. Conferences are right around the corner, if you would like to chat with Mr. Kuhn or Mr. Sanville sign up on our spreadsheet here. Looking forward to hearing from you!

  1. 6th Grade orchestra students have really started to get in the groove with the procedures of Orchestra class and Orchestra lessons this week. I love hearing the progress we are making as a group in our music making.

  1. 7th grade has been doing some amazing things. We are able to play through 3 really different pieces of music. We are looking forward to refining them and possibly considering some way of sharing that out to families so you can get a better glimpse of what we are sounding like right now.

  1. We’re loving seeing so many students take their instruments home over the weekend. It really is great for them to continue to play and practice each weekend they can to improve their skills. The more they practice now, the more they enjoy orchestra class later.


Orchestra Newsletter Updated 9/18The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. We’re very excited to announce that we started Orchestra 101 this past Monday the 13th. This is right after school in the orchestra room from 3pm-4pm. This is a great opportunity for students who are new to orchestra this year or have changed instruments. There is an activity bus to take students home unless you would like to pick them up.

  1. Starting in October, there will be an after school club called Fiddle Club after school Mondays. The purpose of the group is to focus on more challenging and diverse music that we wouldn’t normally get to play in Orchestra class. If your student participates in this group, it is best if they have at least 1 year of experience on their instrument before this year. This club is open for 6th and 7th graders.

  1. We’re loving seeing so many students take their instruments home over the weekend. It really is great for them to continue to play and practice each weekend they can to improve their skills. The more they practice now, the more they enjoy orchestra class later.

  1. Don’t forget to check out our Patrick Marsh Orchestras website as that will be updated frequently with different information, interesting videos, announcements, and other tools for orchestra. Or follow us @patrickmarshorchestras as another great way to be even more in the loop about things as well!
Orchestra NewsletterUpdated 9/10The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. We will be sending out newsletters frequently detailing what is going on in the orchestra classroom. It will always have the title "PM Orchestra Newsletter" with the date it is sent.

  1. We’re very excited to announce that we will be starting Orchestra 101 this next Monday the 13th. This will be right after school in the orchestra room from 3pm-4pm. This will be a great opportunity for students who are new to orchestra this year or have changed instruments. There will be an activity bus to take students home unless you would like to pick them up.

  1. Orchestra lessons started and they were great! Students are doing a great job of remembering their lesson times. Now, it’ll be really important to remember to practice between each week’s lesson to get the most out of them.

  1. Make sure if you are in 6th grade that you have the Essential Elements book 1 for your instrument and Essential Elements book 2 if you are in 7th grade. We have these books for sale from White House of Music for $10 at Patrick Marsh. If you are interested in picking one up please have your student bring cash or a check made out to “White House of Music”

  1. Don’t forget to check out our Patrick Marsh Orchestras website as that will be updated frequently with different information, interesting videos, announcements, and other tools for orchestra.
  1. @patrickmarshorchestras are also a great way to follow us on Instagram so you can be even more in the loop about things as well!


If you ever have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Kuhn at bdkuhn@sunprairieschools.org or Mr. Sanville at basanvi@sunprairieschools.org
Orchestra Newsletter Updated 8/27The most important things for you this week:News: Hello orchestra students and families!
  1. We will be sending out newsletters frequently detailing what is going on in the orchestra classroom. It will always have the title "PM Orchestra Newsletter" with the date it is sent.

  1. Mr. Sanville and Mr. Kuhn are doing our best to reach out to anyone who does not have an instrument yet. If you don't have an instrument, contact the stores to rent, or reach out to us if you do not know how to rent an instrument.

  1. Make sure if you are in 6th grade that you have the Essential Elements book 1 for your instrument and Essential Elements book 2 if you are in 7th grade. We have these books for sale from White House of Music for $10 at Patrick Marsh. If you are interested in picking one up please have your student bring cash or a check made out to “White House of Music”

  1. Our small group lessons schedule is in the works and being created. We will notify you when it is finished so families and students know when their lesson is.

  1. Don’t forget to check out our Patrick Marsh Orchestras website as that will be updated frequently with different information, interesting videos, announcements, and other tools for orchestra.
  1. @patrickmarshorchestras are also a great way to follow us on Instagram so you can be even more in the loop about things as well!

  1. Keep an eye out for a message about some of our after school clubs that will be beginning soon.

  1. Our Orchestra Handbook is a great reference tool for knowing the ins and outs of orchestra class. It also includes our concert schedule. Please be sure to mark the important concert dates into your calendars.

If you ever have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Kuhn at bdkuhn@sunprairieschools.org or Mr. Sanville at basanvi@sunprairieschools.org