2023-2024 Orchestra Calendar:
Benold Orchestra 2023 Concert Locations:
Benold Middle School Cafeteria & Stage
GISD Klett Performing Arts Center (PAC)
All concerts are required to attend & perform. Students earn two test grades per night for these performances. As explained in the Orchestra handbook & submitted handbook contracts, these concerts will occur roughly once every 9 weeks and serve as our Unit Exam for Orchestra covering the curricular items of that grading period.
Details regarding report times (call times) and starting times of the concert are listed in the calendar details below. Paper flyers will also be available to students in class, linked to the website, and posted in Schoology.
Concert Grades are earned in this way:
- 1st Concert grade: Pre-Concert: On time arrival, warm up, dress rehearsal, appropriate attire, readiness, professionalism, listening & following directions, full participation, following Eagle Essentials.
- 2nd Concert grade: Concert: Performance by the student including on stage and the professionalism, respect & listening shown off stage while not performing. This includes concert ettiquette, following our social contract & Eagle Essentials, and the demonstration and execution of their preparation of the music that was completed during that grading cycle.
2023 Dates:
August:
- August 18-30th, Instrument rental & check out, forms due
- Pinstack Kick Off Party information announced: Trip date Saturday 9/9
September:
- Saturday September 9th, Pinstack Kick Off Party, 1:15pm-7:45pm, meet at the back of Benold by the bus lane. Details, itinerary, permission slip here
October:
Thursday October 26th - MASQUERADE CONCERT: Philharmonic & Symphony Orchestras only
Halloween Masquerade Concert, Benold & Forbes Orchestras @ GISD Klett PAC
5:30pm Report time on PAC stage, 6:30pm Concert begins at PAC
- Monday October 30th - SCARY SOUNDS CONCERT: Benold Prelude Orchestra only (Beginners in Period 1 & 2 Orchestra), plus volunteers from Phil. & Symph.)
Halloween Scary Sounds Concert, Benold Prelude Orchestra @ BMS Cafeteria
4:00pm Report time in Benold Orchestra room, 6:00pm Concert begins
- All Prelude stays after school for set up, warm up, dress rehearsal & pizza party from 4-6pm, families and friends arrive at 6pm for the beginning of the concert
November:
- Friday November 11th, 10:15am-11:00am, Veterans Day Ceremony Performance, Symphony & Philharmonic Orchestras
- Composer visit; rehearsal & recording, Tuesday-Thursday November 14th-16th, Philharmonic & Symphony with M.L. Daniels
- Secret Santa information distributed in Schoology, Secret Santa drawings during class 11/15 & 11/16 - Information here
December:
- December Calendar details are linked here for all 3 Orchestras, please read carefully!
- Austin Symphony Orchestra trip - Ticket reservation - MS & HS band and orchestra are invited. Complete your ticket reservation by December 9th, $15 ticket payment due by December 20th.
- Concert - Wednesday Dec. 13th
- Fine Arts Showcase - Thursday Dec. 14th
- Secret Santa & Winter Party - Friday Dec. 15th
- Winter Pep Rally - Tuesday Dec. 19th
2024 Dates:
January:
- First day back at school - January 8th
- New music
- UIL preparation
- Solo & Ensemble music selection
- Fundraiser for EOY trip
February:
- 5th grade performances: Transition Day, Tuesday February 13th: Prelude & volunteers from Symphony & Philharmonic
- Pre-UIL Contest, Feb. 14-15th: GISD PAC, 8am-4pm. *Assigned performance times will be given to us for this contest.
- Pre-UIL Clinician comes to Benold: Philharmonic & Symphony Orchestras have a clinician coming to work with us on our UIL preparations, Dr. Ruben Balboa from UT-Austin. He is Miss Dane's former stand partner from Texas State when she was in graduate school! Here is Dr. Balboa's bio: https://music.utexas.edu/about/people/ruben-balboa
- REMINDER ATTIRE for Pre-UIL & UIL are our most formal concerts: Concert Black attire.
March:
- March 5, 6, 7 - UIL CONTEST (Required) for Symphony & Philharmonic. *Assigned performance times will be given to us for the contest in Round Rock.
Wednesday March 20th - UIL & Prelude Spring Concert, 6pm-7pm - All Benold MS Orchestras Concert, BMS Cafeteria
*Required for all BMS Orchestra students, students can stay after school
April:
Audition Dates for 2024-2025
April 2-11th, 2024
Any 6th or 7th grader who is going to be in Orchestra next year will play for Miss Dane. Students can select 16 measures of music from a song that shows off their skills and musicianship, anything they have played or prepared this school year. These help to identify what level Orchestra a student prefers & is confident in doing, as well as what level best serves the balance and blend of the instruments in the Orchestra program for the 2024-25 school year.
- Friday April 12th, 4:30pm-10:30pm - Austin Symphony Orchestra trip - MS & HS band and orchestra are invited. Complete your ticket reservation by December 9th, $15 ticket payment due by December 20th.
- Saturday April 13th, 8:15am-3:15pm - Benold & Forbes MS Orchestra Solo & Ensemble Contest: Benold MS Orchestra is hosting! Required for all BMS Orchestra students. Students choose to do a solo and/or a duet/trio/quartet/quintet, they choose & prepare their own music, and choose their performance time (a 30 minute time commitment). If a person does more than one song/song and a group, then they will pick two time slots near each other. Time selections will take place from March 6th-20th. Solos & groups & songs must be selected and approved between March 6th and 10th before we go to Spring Break.
Spring Trip Date:
All BMS Orchestra students in 6th, 7th & 8th grade, along with Choir 7th & 8th grade and Theatre students will be taking a Fine Arts trip together to Six Flags Fiesta Texas on Monday May 15th. We will meet at approximately 7:15am, arrive to San Antonio for the opening of the park at 10:30am, leave the park at 6:00pm, and be back to Benold by 9pm. The cost of the trip is approximately $65 and includes transportation, the park ticket and a picnic lunch provided. Breakfast & Dinner will be paid for individually by each student at Buccee's, our restroom/snack/meal stop on the way to San Antonio in the morning, and again on the way home from Six Flags in the evening. Chaperones are needed (one for every 12 students) so if you are interested, there is a significant discount available for our first volunteers. More details to come after Spring Break.
May:
- Friday May 17th, 6pm - GISD Klett Performing Arts Center
