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Orchestra at Wayzata High School

Rising 9th Grade

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Why should I take a music class in high school?

Practical:

A credit in the arts (music, theater, visual, or media) sometime during high school is a graduation requirement.

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Meaningful:

  • An area of personal interest and/or competency
  • Music connects you to something bigger than yourself, a human experience of profound historical and contemporary significance.
  • Because music is most often a collaborative effort, it’s an invitation to, and an act of, belonging.
  • Because music has the ability to move, shape, and change us individually and collectively, making music helps you explore the person you want to become and helps shape the world in rich and powerful ways.

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Why Orchestra?

  • For the Music!
  • To Be College Attractive and Life Ready
    • Use high school to prepare for your preferred post high school path AND to develop who you want to be as a person (grit, emotional awareness, creativity, decision-making, community, joy).
    • Colleges look for evidence of sustained effort and breadth of experience, not just the # of AP classes you’ve taken. Set yourself apart through the Triple A approach: arts, activities (co-curricular clubs and athletic teams), and balanced academics.
    • Our brains can survive monotony (textbooks and technology all day, every day), but they thrive on variety.
  • Awesome peers, deep friendships, making a big school smaller
    • Develop relationships alongside academics (1-4 years vs. nine or eighteen weeks)
    • Orchestra students describe their peers as hardworking, of good character, friendly, fun, understanding, intelligent
  • Rewarding experiences, lasting memories
    • Graduates of the WHS orchestra program who go on in every imaginable field or work and study often point to orchestra as their most memorable and valuable experience in high school

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9th Grade Schedule with Orchestra

REQUIREMENTS (10 credits)

English 9* 2 cr

Human Geography 2 cr

Earth Science 2 cr

Math 2 cr

PhyEd 2 cr

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*Honors option

ELECTIVES (6 credits)

Orchestra 2 cr

Other 4 cr

  • World Language (2 cr)
  • Double up math/science (2cr)
  • Choir/Band (2 credits), Music Production, Music Theory (1 cr)
  • Other areas of passion or curiosity (most courses are 1 or 2 cr)

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Orchestra meets every other day opposite of English, Geography, or Science. We take care of scheduling your opposite day class.

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A credit in the arts sometime during high school is a Minnesota state graduation requirement. Orchestra fulfills this requirement.

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After Ninth Grade

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Sophomore through Senior year:

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  • Your schedule opens up considerably (7 elective credits in the sophomore year, 8 in the junior and senior years), creating ample room for exploration, deep dives, and AP options while keeping orchestra in your schedule.
  • Approximately 2/3 of freshman continue playing in their sophomore year.
  • Approximately 3/4 of sophomores in orchestra continue into their junior and senior years.

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Orchestra Registration

All students registering for orchestra use course code 670.

You’ll be placed in one of two “Intermezzo” (9th grade) orchestras:

Intermezzo Blue

Students will reinforce basic and intermediate techniques while developing independent and cooperative musicianship skills.

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Intermezzo Gold

This is our accelerated 9th grade ensemble. Students will refine intermediate technique, introduce upper intermediate technique, and develop higher-level cooperative musicianship skills.

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Blue in Concert 11/30/23: Gold in Concert 12/07/23:

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Placement Video

This video is separate from registration (due Sunday, March 3)

  • Scale(s) in two or three octaves
  • Short excerpt
  • Optional Solo (from private lessons, school orchestra music, etc.)

Everything will be handled in Canvas - your middle school teacher will help you find what you need, when you need it, and will help you prepare the materials required for your video.

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Questions?

Contact Mark Gitch or Max Clifford

mark.gitch@wayzataschools.org

763-745-6922�

max.clifford@wayzataschools.org

763-745-6693

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We look forward to welcoming you to our community!

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