Welcome to the Washington Irving Orchestra Site
About Our Programs
Students at Washington Irving begin the process of choosing instruments at the end of 3rd grade. As 4th graders, they begin study on the instrument that they have chosen from the Orchestra or Band and can also sing in our Chorus. The students that join the orchestra can learn to play the violin, viola, cello or bass.
First year students join the BEGINNER ORCHESTRA. Students receive one small group lesson per week during the school day. They perform in once concert during the school day in the beginning of June. Throughout the year, BEGINNER VIOLINS/VIOLAS rehearse on Tuesdays after school and BEGINNER CELLO/BASS rehearses after school on Thursdays.
Second year students or students that have shown proficiency in their instrument are part of the CONCERT ORCHESTRA. This group also receives one small group lesson per week. They perform with the CONCERT ORCHESTRA every Monday after school as well as many Fridays during the school day. The CONCERT ORCHESTRA performs twice a year at the WINTER CONCERT and SPRING CONCERT.
The CHAMBER ENSEMBLE is for students who began study on their instrument before 4th grade and/or demonstrate an advanced level of skill on their instrument. The Chamber Ensemble meets once a week as a separate lesson group that performs advanced chamber music in addition to the regular concert orchestra music. In addition to the Winter and Spring Concerts, the Chamber Ensemble also performs for our senior citizens once a year at The Tarrytown Senior Center and for the community during The Strawberry Festival in June.
First year students join the BEGINNER ORCHESTRA. Students receive one small group lesson per week during the school day. They perform in once concert during the school day in the beginning of June. Throughout the year, BEGINNER VIOLINS/VIOLAS rehearse on Tuesdays after school and BEGINNER CELLO/BASS rehearses after school on Thursdays.
Second year students or students that have shown proficiency in their instrument are part of the CONCERT ORCHESTRA. This group also receives one small group lesson per week. They perform with the CONCERT ORCHESTRA every Monday after school as well as many Fridays during the school day. The CONCERT ORCHESTRA performs twice a year at the WINTER CONCERT and SPRING CONCERT.
The CHAMBER ENSEMBLE is for students who began study on their instrument before 4th grade and/or demonstrate an advanced level of skill on their instrument. The Chamber Ensemble meets once a week as a separate lesson group that performs advanced chamber music in addition to the regular concert orchestra music. In addition to the Winter and Spring Concerts, the Chamber Ensemble also performs for our senior citizens once a year at The Tarrytown Senior Center and for the community during The Strawberry Festival in June.
MUSIC AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
"The word is out: Researchers have discovered a way to make kids smarter. And savvy parents are signing their children up for private music lessons while school boards debate the role of music in the public school curriculum." These are the words of Joan Schmidt, member of the board of directors of the National School Boards Association, in support of music programs in our schools.
Statistics indicate that if your child participates in music, he or she is likely to earn higher grades and score better on standardized tests. Now there is powerful evidence of a cause and effect link between music instruction and intelligence.
A study conducted by psychologist Dr. Frances Rauscher of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and physicist Gordon Shaw of the University of California at Irvine produced startling results. Preschoolers who received piano instruction scored 34% higher than those who did not study piano in tests to measure spatial-temporal reasoning — that function necessary to understand math, science and engineering. They also scored higher by the same margin than children who studied computer skills!
There are dozens of recent scientific studies which indicate that music making is a key component of academic and social success. These findings show that music training at a young age may actually change how your brain works. Brain imaging has shown that a region called the planum temporale (which is involved in auditory perception) in the left hemisphere of the brain is larger in musicians compared to non-musicians. Researchers have found that the left side of the brain may be more developed in musicians, and therefore, adults with music training have better verbal memory than non-musicians.
*Research shows that children who participate in the arts on a regular basis are:
• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office
• 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
• 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
• 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem
*In addition, young arts participants as compared with their peers are likely to:
• Read for pleasure nearly twice as often
• Participate in youth groups nearly 4 times as frequently
• Perform community service nearly twice as often
*Source: Dr. Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University, for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
"A-Sharp to A-Plus...Boost Your Kids' Brainpower with Music"
Information provided by Lori Moran
Statistics indicate that if your child participates in music, he or she is likely to earn higher grades and score better on standardized tests. Now there is powerful evidence of a cause and effect link between music instruction and intelligence.
A study conducted by psychologist Dr. Frances Rauscher of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and physicist Gordon Shaw of the University of California at Irvine produced startling results. Preschoolers who received piano instruction scored 34% higher than those who did not study piano in tests to measure spatial-temporal reasoning — that function necessary to understand math, science and engineering. They also scored higher by the same margin than children who studied computer skills!
There are dozens of recent scientific studies which indicate that music making is a key component of academic and social success. These findings show that music training at a young age may actually change how your brain works. Brain imaging has shown that a region called the planum temporale (which is involved in auditory perception) in the left hemisphere of the brain is larger in musicians compared to non-musicians. Researchers have found that the left side of the brain may be more developed in musicians, and therefore, adults with music training have better verbal memory than non-musicians.
*Research shows that children who participate in the arts on a regular basis are:
• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office
• 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair
• 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance
• 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem
*In addition, young arts participants as compared with their peers are likely to:
• Read for pleasure nearly twice as often
• Participate in youth groups nearly 4 times as frequently
• Perform community service nearly twice as often
*Source: Dr. Shirley Brice Heath, Stanford University, for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
"A-Sharp to A-Plus...Boost Your Kids' Brainpower with Music"
Information provided by Lori Moran
MUSIC, MIND AND HEALTH
Adam Boulanger, Graham Grindlay, and Nick Knouf
Music affects us in ways that are more direct and substantial than just about any other stimuli. But how, and why is music so meaningful? Furthermore, can the unique status of music be leveraged for the betterment of our health? Our interest in the new field of music, mind and health will develop the technologies and research required to answer these questions.
We are currently working in several different areas of music augmentation, with both healthy and pathological individuals. For more detail about our current thinking regarding how new music technologies are implied for research and treatment, click on any of the following categories or selected projects.
Current Directions in Music, Mind, and Health:
A focus on Alzheimer's Disease
A focus on Autism
A focus on Emotion
A focus on Performance
Selected Projects in Music, Mind and Health:
Music affects us in ways that are more direct and substantial than just about any other stimuli. But how, and why is music so meaningful? Furthermore, can the unique status of music be leveraged for the betterment of our health? Our interest in the new field of music, mind and health will develop the technologies and research required to answer these questions.
We are currently working in several different areas of music augmentation, with both healthy and pathological individuals. For more detail about our current thinking regarding how new music technologies are implied for research and treatment, click on any of the following categories or selected projects.
Current Directions in Music, Mind, and Health:
A focus on Alzheimer's Disease
A focus on Autism
A focus on Emotion
A focus on Performance
Selected Projects in Music, Mind and Health: