Pioneer Orchestras Return from London!

The Pioneer Orchestra tour of London, UK is now complete!
The 144 of us on the tour represented the Ann Arbor Public Schools and the United States with great poise and professionalism. We were praised everywhere we went for our kindness, flexibility, and in performance, our musicianship.
It feels good to be home, but I do miss that wonderful city! London was beautiful and charming.

This was the largest international tour I have ever done, and despite the typical challenges, the Pioneer students were a class act!

Many thanks to the chaperones who were the true heroes of this trip. Thanks to all members of the Pioneer Orchestra Parents Society - POPS for their financial support through scholarships. Additional appreciation for student bus captains, stage crews, chaperone group leaders, my co -director Julia Knowles, and of course Caro Uhlemann-Short and Courtney Frederickson from Bob Rogers Travel.

Hard to believe, but Pioneer auditions for 2019-2020 begin on Tuesday. 200+ students to hear independently for placement. No rest for the wicked.

Peer Private Lessons at Pioneer!

Mission statement for PPL:

In Ann Arbor, ensemble music education starts in fifth grade, where public school students receive instruction in band, orchestra, or choir. Yet private instruction is an equally essential part of musical development, fostering technical abilities and offering an increased sense of musicality. 

For many students, we have realized, typical private lessons can be prohibitively expensive and intense. The average high school musician looks to appreciate, be able to play together with their friends, and make a little music. That's where we come in. 

You can learn more at their website: https://www.peerprivatelessons.org

At Pioneer, we have a wonderful group of student mentors and mentees that have shown great dedication through the semester!

Happy New Year! Added Events in 2019!

PHILHARMONIC SOLO UNIT RECITAL (informal, in class)

Monday, Jan. 14 & Tuesday, Jan. 15

Students performing are those who chose NOT to go to Solo and Ensemble.

Exact program will be emailed after break. Contact Mr. Smith directly if you have additional questions.  "Smith, Reid" <smithr@aaps.k12.mi.us>

CONCERT WHITE INSTRUMENT CHOIR RECITAL (informal, in class)

Monday, Jan. 14 & Tuesday, Jan. 15

ALL instrument choirs will perform for either feedback prep for S/E, or a grade if NOT going to S/E

Exact program will be emailed after break. Contact Mr. Glawe directly if you have additional questions. 

CONCERT PURPLE,  NEW CALENDAR EVENT Feb. 28, 2019, 6:45p-8:30p commitment

What: For the past 5 years, we have had a musical partnership with several musical groups from Japan. We were recently contacted by one of our connections who is bringing over the group Neo Japanesque from Nagoya Japan in late February. They wanted to do a type of exchange with our concert purple orchestra, which, coincidentally, is the ONLY orchestra looking for a project during that time!

Date: Thursday, Feb. 28th--- Music Clinic and Cultural Exchange in partnership with Neo Japanesque from Nagoya area in Japan

Tentative Schedule:

6:45p           Call time for students.  attire-- TBD

7p                Pioneer Orchestra Purple performs 3 short selections in the style of Tango (current curricular unit)

7:30p           Neo Japanesque does a clinic and demonstration of their music for our community. Not a formal performance, but a demo

8:30p           Event ends, no official reception, but meet and greet with musicians

Who is invited?  Parents, all orchestra students, all interest members of our musical community

Conflict? See Glawe. We can work through it.

PIONEER SYMPHONY SIDE BY SIDE WITH EMU SYMPHONY (Feb. 7 & 8)

A day ago, I was contact by Director of Orchestras at Eastern Michigan University, Robert Boardman, regarding doing a side by side performance of Rainbow Body with the EMU Symphony, who is also performing the work in February. This is all VERY new, but I want to put it out there now before break, so it can be on your radar. 5th hour tomorrow (Friday), we will discuss in further detail.

Conflict? See Glawe. We can work through it.

Tentative Schedule:

Thursday, February 7:

6:30pm: Group sectionals (Alexander Building)

7:30pm: Pizza, socialize, break

8:00pm: walk to Pease Auditorium

8:15pm: Rainbow Body joint dress rehearsal with EMUSO, Jonathan Glawe, conducting 

9:00pm: End

Friday, February 8:

7:00: pre-concert panel

7:30: House opens, call time for musicians

7:30:  presentation on Rainbow Body by Jonathan Glawe

8:00pm, concert; Mahler and Theofanidis, Pioneer only plays Theofanidis