Mather Orchestra News 2009

Here's some news from the year

Orchestra Activites/ Accomplishments 2008-2009

The Mather Orcehstra received a 500 dollar grant for the Target Foundation and a 3500 dollar grant from the READwELL organization at Northeastern University to host a Musical Residency at Mather. We collaborated with musicans from the 5th House Ensemble, a professional chamber orchestra. The Fifth House Members visited Mather ten times and worked with the kids on the subject of ethnic music styles. The students researched different ethnic music styles and composed their own pieces. The project culminated in a joint performance between the professional and student musicians.

The Mather Orchestra was selected to participate in the MusiCorps Program sponsored by the Civic Orcehstra of Chicago. We were visited twice by chamber music groups from Civic, who provided the orchestra and band classes with a lecture/demonstration/performance.

Students from the Mather Orchestra were selected, for the fourth year in a row, to participate in the SEED program sponsored by the Chicago Sinfionetta. The Sinfonietta provided two professional musicians who visited Mather four times to coach a string quintet. They also provided private lessons for two Mather students. On May 3rd, the quartet will perform with other CPS chamber groups at Symphony Center in Chicago

The Mather Orchestra competed in the Chicago Public Schools Band and Orchestra Contest on Saturday April 18th. The orchestra was awarded an "excellent" rating.

On Friday April 24th, members of the Mather Intermediate and Advanced Orcehstras will participate in a service learning project in collaboration with Clinton Elementary. Mather students will visit Clinton to mentor and tutor the Clinton musicians.

Members of the Mather Band and Orchesta participated in the 2009 Musical; "Life is a Cabaret"

Last fall, the Mather Orchestra was visited by Dr. David Eccles. Dr. Eccles, a noted string and orchestra pedagogue and professor at VanderCook college of Music, conducted the orchestra in rehearsal and met with interested students to discuss furthering their study in college.

The Mather Band, Orchestra, and guitar classes were pleased to receive a donation from The Gift of Carl foundation. The foundation donated several instruments to Mather including: violins, guitars, bells and flutes.

In Februaury, Mr. Smith attended a two day workshop in chicago presented by The Little Kids Rock organization. The organization then donated 24 new classical guitars to Mather to support its guitar program.

This year we have several students pursuing ouside music opportunities including studying at the Merit School of Music and participation in the Northside Youth Symphony, All-City Symphony and the All-City Jazz Band.