MAS Orchestra Levels
Level 1: Students in this level will review and complete Essential Elements books 1 and learn all pieces in Suzuki book 1. Students will perform selections from the Florida Orchestra Association lists at the ES level (Grade 0 to 1.5). All students in this level are required to participate in FOA Solo and Ensembles. On average, students are expected to be in Orchestra Level 1 for one school year. To advance to Level 2, students must successfully complete all book 1 playing tests and ES level sight reading excerpts.
Level 2: Students in this level will complete Essential Elements book 2 and learn all pieces in Suzuki book 2. Students will perform selections from the Florida Orchestra Association lists at the ES/DS level (Grade 1 to 2.5). On average, students are expected to be in Orchestra Level 2 for one school year. All students in this level are required to participate in FOA Solo and Ensembles and middle school students are encouraged to audition for MDCPS Honors Orchestra. To advance to Level 3, students must successfully complete all book 2 playing tests, perform most 7/8 All-State two-octave scales, and DS sight reading excerpts.
Level 3: Students in this level will complete Essential Elements book 3 and learn all pieces in Suzuki book 3 and some of book 4. Students will perform selections from the Florida Orchestra Association lists at the DS/CS level (Grade 2.5 to 3). On average, students are expected to be in Orchestra Level 3 for one school year. All students in this level are required to participate in FOA Solo and Ensembles. Middle school students in this level are required to audition for MDCPS Honors Orchestra. To advance to Level 4, students must successfully complete all book 3 playing tests, perform all the 7/8 All-State Scales, demonstrate vibrato and shifting, and perform grade 2 sight reading excerpts.
Level 4: Students in this level will complete Essential Elements book 3 and learn all pieces in Suzuki book 4 and 5. Students will perform selections from the Florida Orchestra Association lists at the CS level (Grade 3 to 4). On average, students are expected to be in Orchestra Level 4 for one school year. All students in this level are required to participate in FOA Solo and Ensembles. Middle school students in this level are required to audition for MDCPS Honors Orchestra. To advance to Level 5, students must successfully complete Level 5 Instrumental Techniques class as well as complete and pass the Level 5 audition.
Level 5: Students in this level will complete the Advanced Techniques from Essential Elements. Students will also learn all pieces in Suzuki book 5 their first year, and book 6 their second year. Students will perform selections from the Florida Orchestra Association lists at the BS level (Grade 4 to 5). On average, students are expected to be in Orchestra Level 4 for 1-2 school years. All students in this level are required to participate in FOA Solo and Ensembles. All students in this level are required to audition for MDCPS Honors Orchestra. To advance to Level 6 students must complete all requirements as assigned in their instrumental techniques class as well as complete and pass the Level 6 audition.
Level 6: Students will perform selections from the Florida Orchestra Association lists at the AS level (Grade 5+). All students in this level are required to participate in FOA Solo and Ensembles and are required to audition for MDCPS Honors Orchestra. This is the featured orchestra for Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer, and therefore students in this level have many additional responsibilities, performances, and engagements.
Seating: Each orchestra is a team. In MAS Orchestra, seating will not equate to rank and there will be no “challenges” for “higher” chairs. During class rehearsals seating will rotate, as will violin 1 and violin 2 placement. Seating for performances, competitions, and evaluations will be done to provide the best balance from the front to the back of each section. Every member of the orchestra is important and all students should experience every chair and be able to perform their best wherever they are sitting. Students who come from programs who base seating on rank, and allow challenges for seats, will quickly adjust to the MAS Orchestra seating philosophy and over time will be less concerned with where they are sitting and be more concerned with how they contribute to their section and ensemble.