News

The date and time is set for Friday, May 27, at 1 PM at the Baxter.

School Instrument Rental – Students currently renting an MPS instrument will receive a contract this week.  If you’d like to use the instrument during the summer, we must have contract and rental fee by May 25. 

Seniors using an MPS-owned instrument must return it to Mrs. Martinez in order to receive their diplomas.

3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
May 28, 2022

Symphony Orchestra performance at Graduation @ Baxter Arena – Required concert for 10th and 11th grades.

Meet at MNHS at 3 PM, bus to Baxter, perform from 4:25-4:55, watch the ceremony, play Pomp and Circumstance for recessional, load equipment, return to MNHS by 7 PM.

To be rescheduled:

The Matball tournament originally scheduled for May 9 will be rescheduled = details TBD.

Scales and etudes posted in this folder and can be found at www.nmeanebraska.org. All State Auditions happen in September – start practicing now!

Exciting News

The Orchestra Trip is scheduled for April 1-4, 2023!

All students enrolled in orchestra in 2022-23 are eligible to travel to Chicago over spring break!

More information to follow. We travel about every 4 years – stay tuned for details about this once in a lifetime trip!

I’m looking for parents to volunteer for the first-ever Orchestra Carnival Committee!
What: Orchestra Carnival and Concert
When: Saturday, May 14. Concert starts at 1:00. I was thinking the carnival could happen after, like maybe 1:30-3?
Where: MNHS auditorium (concert) and cafeteria (carnival)
Who: Carnival portion would be targeted at grades 3-5 and their families.
Why: To get elementary students excited about playing an instrument/continuing playing next year + showcase our amazing orchestra students to our community
How you can help:

• If you have experience with elementary school carnivals – set up, running the event, etc. This will be much smaller scale – I’m thinking a few traditional carnival games (like ring toss) along with an instrument “petting zoo” and crafts (like make your own bow buddies and design your own instrument tags)
• Setting up the booths (like they did at after-prom if any of you helped with that)
• Creating flyers/social media images to get the word out
• Being in charge of this cool thing so I can focus on the concert portion 🙂

I would ideally like 5-6 main parents who would be in charge, who would then determine how many more adults and student helpers we would need.

If you are able to volunteer, please email with the following information:

• Your name and your child’s name
• Your preferred email address and phone number
• If you can be on the “in charge” team
• If you can be on the “worker bee” team

Thank you for considering! I’m hoping that our many hands will make this light work, as well as a fun community event!

May 14th, 2022. Info is also included in the calendar page (top navigation). Select the date for information, select “Read More” to open full page version.

• The festival is 7:30 – 10:30 at Millard South High School and is required for 9th grade orchestra.
• The carnival is 12:30 – 2:00 pm at Millard North High School and is required for seniors.

Young Orchestra Festival: 7:30 – 10:30: Required for 9th grade orchestra, all students in 5th hour Philharmonic Orchestra.

• 7:30 a.m. – Students arrive at Millard South High School, enter through front doors, go to assigned homeroom (room 124) and check in with Mrs. Martinez
• 8:00 a.m. – MN Orchestra warms up (MSHS Band Room)
• 8:30 a.m. – Orchestra performs (Millard South HS Auditorium) and receives clinic with Erin Aguirre (performance is open to public 🙂
• 9:00 a.m. – Orchestra members pack and go watch solo/small ensemble performances
• 10:15 a.m. – Solo/small ensemble concludes – students may be picked up at the flagpole at Millard South.  

All students must be picked up by 10:30 a.m. – thank you!

Solo and Small Ensemble Details – Patty Ritchie, judge:

• 9:06 Quartet – Izzy, Jocelyn, Jessica, Lucy
• 9:12 Violin Trio – Rachel, Pujitha, Swara
• 9:24 Solo – Abhishek B
• 9:30 Solo – Sanjith 
• 9:36 Solo – Calista
• 9:42 Solo – Izzy
• 9:48 Solo – Miles
• 9:54 Solo – Jessica
• 10:00 Solo – Keerthana
• 10:06 Solo – Sriram

Other Information:

• Location: Millard South High School – 14905 Q St., Omaha, NE
• What to Wear: Students must wear their MN Orchestra uniform. 
• What to bring: Bring your instrument and music. Soloists and small ensembles – make sure you have a judge’s score with each measure numbered in pencil. *Mrs. Martinez may have a score as well – double check with her! Hand the score to the judge as you enter the room. If the score is your personal music, make sure it is marked with your name (first and last) and school. If it is borrowed music, make sure it is clearly marked with the owner’s name.
• Food: Make sure to eat before you leave.  You may bring snacks/water if needed for after our performance. We will not be eating as a group.
• Scores and Awards: The judge’s scores will be given to the director after you have finished playing. The ratings are I = Superior, II = Good, III = Average, IV = Fair. Awards will be mailed to the teacher for distribution.
• What to expect: After signing in at the registration table, we will be shown to a homeroom where we will unpack and wait for the runner to take us to the warm-up room. We must conduct ourselves quietly and professionally, so we do not disturb the individuals performing. We will perform for the judge (the judges are seasoned, and very nice, string educators) who will give you written and spoken comments. Parents are allowed to listen to the performance.
• Time Limits: Your solo/ensemble length is limited to 5 minutes, 30 seconds in order to allow time for comments and to keep on schedule. Our orchestra will perform 3 selections, followed by a clinic at the conclusion.
• Student Expectations: By being a member of Millard North Orchestra, you have signed on to do your personal best and to respect MSHS’s staff, facilities and equipment, as well as the other teachers and students participating.

WE NEED CHAPERONES!

It would be best to have 4-5 designated parent chaperones attend. Please contact Mrs. Martinez if you are available to chaperone.

Chaperone Expectations: Thank you for giving your time! Please be available for students and monitor their behavior, especially helping at transition points. Mrs. Martinez will be supervising other events and, consequently, will not be with all the children at all times.

Questions: If you have further questions, please call me at 402-715-1513 (MNHS Music Office) or email djmartin@mpsomaha.org. Thank you for supporting your child in this endeavor!

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MILLARD NORTH PERFORMS AT MNHS Carnival and Concert!

• WHEN:  Saturday, May 14, 1:00 pm

• WHERE: MNHS Cafeteria and Auditorium 

• We are performing: How to Train Your Dragon, Sea of Thieves, Pirates, School Song, Sweet Caroline, and the MNHS School Song.  This is a required performance for seniors, but not a required performance for string players grades 9-11, HOWEVER, it is important to have good participation and instrument representation.  This is part of our community outreach, so it’s important to make a good impression!

• Winds and percussion – thank you for playing!

• Performers (select link for list) need to be ready to play by 1:00 p.m., so you will need to arrive by 12:30 to perform or by noon to set up

• Dress is concert black – uniforms for orchestra strings, black shirt, black tie, black dress pants or knee-length or longer black skirt or dress – black socks and shoes for all!

• Carnival Workers (select link for list) have 2 shifts: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. = set-up; 1 p.m.-4 p.m. = run a booth and clean up afterward.  Wear orchestra shirts or Millard North shirts and jeans/pants of your choice.

Any questions – contact Mrs. Martinez – 402-715-1513 or djmartin@mpsomaha.org.  Thanks for making time for this event and keeping us visible in the community!

Details about District Music Contest and Piano Soloist Contest

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 – Chamber Orchestra Strings

1. We will meet at MNHS, orchestra room at 7:00 PM to load the buses.  We must leave by 7:10 p.m.
2. We will arrive at Ralston High School (8969 Park Dr. Ralston, NE) by 7:30 p.m.; leave instruments in the homeroom. 
3. We will watch Millard South (8:15 p.m.) perform.  After that, we will go tune our instruments in the home room.  *BRING YOUR TUNER/TUNING APP.
4. Our warm-up time is 9:20 P.M. in the band room and our performance time is 9:45 p.m. in the auditorium.
5. We will load the bus after we perform and return to MNHS around 10:45 p.m.

• ALL STUDENTS MUST RIDE THE BUS.  If you need to arrive from or leave for an activity before/after we perform, Mrs. Martinez needs an email or note from your parent and you will need to provide your own transportation.  

• This is a required, graded, activity for first hour Symphony Orchestra students.  Because Music does not have a state-level competition, District Music Contest is our activity’s equivalent of State!

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 – Piano Soloists

• Arrive at Ralston High School (8969 Park Dr. Ralston, NE) 20 minutes prior to your performance time.
• Bring a clean, original score marked with measure numbers.  If your piece is not memorized, you will need to bring an original part to play from as well.   
• Check in at the registration table. 
• Your warm-up space is in a practice room; performance space is The Library. 
• Your judge is Stacie Hainline (UNO Collaborative Piano Professor).

8:15  PM Luke Eckles (warm-up at 7:55 PM in practice room)

8:21 PM Manognya Muktineni (warm-up at 8:01 in practice room)

When finished, you can stick around and wait for scores to be posted, otherwise you are free to leave right after you perform (except Manognya – join your friends in the orchestra homeroom)!

April 23, 2022, at Ralston High School

Students who registered for the team will receive more information individually via email.