News

Students interested in auditioning for one of the MNHS Jazz Bands, please see the post on Google Classroom. 

All orchestra students are encouraged to participate in the January practice challenge!
Make it part of your routine to practice at least 15 minutes per day during the month of January.
We will report practice minutes every Friday in class. There will be prizes for top practices and top section teams.

Concerto Competition entries due Dec. 5
Auditions for performance with the Millard North Orchestra Concert on March 7, should be a well-prepared movement from a standard concerto/aria for your instrument/voice.  More information may be found here.

UNL Young Artist Award recognizes Nebraska high school juniors who are talented in art, music, dance, theater, or film and emerging media. Selected students and their families are invited to UNL for Red Letter Day in the spring to see what a career in the arts may be like.

Applications are due to the website by Dec. 2.

Every orchestra student, grades 9-12, is required to record and submit a Mid-Year Assessment that will serve as their first second semester grade and help determine their orchestra placement for the 2023-24 school year.  Students received the materials in class Dec. 1, and have received practice strategies and some work time in class.  However, they are expected to do most of the prep work on their own outside of class.  Assessment Materials are also linked here, as well as on Google Classroom.

Our next concert is November 30.  The theme is Haunted Holiday. 

The Program

We appreciate donations of refreshments for our post-concert celebration. You can check out a (very) rough draft of the program here.

Perfume/cologne – Performers, please avoid applying perfume or cologne for concerts. Some of our students have sensitivity to strong odors. This, coupled with the bright, hot lights on stage, can cause some to pass out. The general rule is to follow typical hygiene practices (bathing, deodorant, etc.) but not to add any additional perfumes or cologne that may trigger a reaction from your fellow musicians.

Reminder About Concert Attendance – Orchestra is a co-curricular activity, meaning it is considered an academic class (curricular) that has requirements outside of the school day (co-curricular). Several of our orchestra students are engaged in sports, work, and other extracurricular activities. In the event of a conflict, the orchestra concert takes precedence because it is the outcome of our academic work.

School Attendance on concert days – students must attend at least 4 classes on the day of the concert in order to participate. For example – if a student needs to rest, then feels better, they need to attend periods 1-4 or 4-7 to perform at the concert. However, if a student stays home the entire day, even if they feel better for the concert, they are not allowed to attend. Hopefully everyone is happy and healthy next week! If there is an illness/emergency, parents/legal guardians must email or call Mrs. Martinez to notify her of the absence.

In order to prepare for our all-orchestra piece, all orchestra students are asked to meet Monday, Nov. 27, 8:15 a.m. in the auditorium. 
They will need their instruments. Music must be memorized.

The online application must be completed by the end of day Monday, November 27, 2023; students will be notified of their acceptance via email by December 11, 2023. Specific audition requirements for each area are included in the letter linked here.

Additional information regarding the festival and audition process may be found at the BOCH Festival website: http://music.unomaha.edu/boch. 

MNHS Orchestra is 30% of the string section! Congratulations to our 26 students – a MNHS Orchestra record!

The final concert is at the Lied Center on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at this website if you’d like to attend. 

All Staters – remember our extra rehearsals from 10-noon at MNHS band room on 11/4 and 11/11.

Orchestra students and families are invited to volunteer to set up at our annual craft fair at MNHS on Friday, Oct. 27, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Orchestra students who volunteer will earn letter points for orchestra (community outreach) and can earn volunteer hours for MYP, etc.