FMHS ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS RESULTS FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR
Dear Students,
Thank you so much for investing yourselves in the audition process for 2020-2021. We know it takes a great deal of work/effort to prepare an audition, and thank you for all of your time preparing. We were particularly impressed with your level of motivation and preparation with the unorthodox ending to the year we all experienced. We hope you have benefited from all the work and think nothing but higher of you for doing it. We are projecting that the orchestras at FMHS will have the most people in school history involved next year (approximately 280). Most of you elected to invest and participate in the audition process for one of the upper level orchestras. We value this a lot. It shows how many people are invested in the program. There is a place in our program where everyone can be a valuable/contributing member, and experience appropriate challenges and success. We can’t wait to welcome you or welcome you back to the Jaguar Family.
All ensembles will be high performing ensembles that are rewarding to participate in. All orchestras participate in all concerts, activities, social events, trips, etc. Reminder that which excerpts you played does not necessarily determine which orchestra you are placed in (I.e., playing the Chamber, or Philharmonic Excerpts does not guarantee placement in that ensemble). A lot of factors are involved (ability to be successful/engaged in the repertoire, balance needs of the ensemble (i.e. an Orchestra cannot have 30 cellos, and 2 violins), commitment to the program, demonstrated effort/engagement throughout the year, etc. It is important to keep in mind that this year there were a very limited amount of people currently graduating from Chamber/Philharmonic and if all continuing upperclassman were placed in Symphonic that orchestra would have had over 100 people in it, which is not feasible. I.e., there will be upperclassman placed in concert/camerata. In no way does this indicate a lack of progress.
For current 8th Graders: A typical path for an entering 9th grader is to move from middle school varsity orchestra to FMHS Concert Orchestra and then move through other levels of orchestra. A very limited number of 9th graders are placed in Chamber, Philharmonic, and Camerata (i.e., there are typically 2-3 in Chamber (Varsity Level) and they have often advanced to Area/All State, and 5-6 in Philharmonic, which many high schools would consider their Varsity Group, and contains many high level All Region Members, etc.). Camerata Orchestra is considered an advanced level underclassman ensemble (E.g., there were several members accepted to HS Region Philharmonic Orchestra this past year). Camerata meets concurrently to Concert Orchestra in a different space, so you may see it listed on your schedule as “Orch”. You have built the skills in middle school (involvement in McKamy Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra, etc., Shadow Ridge Philharmonic, Forestwood Chamber Orchestra, etc.) to be successful at the high school. All orchestras build on the concepts you have built there and help you continue to progress/advance, engage in more challenging repertoire, etc.
Listed below are the audition results for 2020-21. This information has been sent to your guidance counselor for scheduling purposes. Both semester involvement is expected for all orchestras. Placement in the Varsity-Level Chamber Orchestra implies that you are ready to be especially committed, and rigorous about your work on your instrument. You are encouraged to enroll in the orchestra you are placed in. This is where you will experience the most success/fulfillment. You may level down, but not up for scheduling purposes (I.e., a student placed in Philharmonic could register for Symphonic, but not the reverse. We are expecting all orchestras to perform at a high level, and engage in fun, quality repertoire. We have a 48-hour return policy on answering questions related to auditions. We will not be answering any e-mails until Monday. If at that point you are ready to have a calm thoughtful discussion, we are happy to speak with you via e-mail or phone.
Also listed below is the list of officers for the upcoming year. This is done by application and what we have observed of your work over the course of your tenure at FMHS. We are so excited you are willing to go above and beyond and contribute your ideas and energy to the orchestra program. It is going to be a lot of fun!
Again, thank you for your investment and all of your efforts have us just thrilled for the many wonderful students we are going to have an opportunity to work with in 2020-2021!!! If you are returning, have a great summer, and can’t wait to see you in the Fall. If you are new to FMHS, we can’t wait to meet you. Feel welcome to check out the FMHS Orchestra Facebook Page (Flower Mound High School Orchestra), FMHS Orchestra Instagram (@fmhsorchestra) or twitter (@fmhs_orch) for even more information on our program.
Thanks so much,
Stephen Clink, Head Orchestra Director, Flower Mound High School
Benjamin Bunte, Associate Orchestra Director, Flower Mound High School
P.S.-
The audition process has been completed for 2020-21, if you are relocating from somewhere else to Flower Mound over the summer or are considering re-joining the program please contact Stephen Clink (clinks@lisd.net) for questions.
