Links
Tutorial Help lists specific links to sites that will help you practice and learn more about orchestra.
- Smart Music -$30/yr or $11/mo - This is a subscription service that is a GREAT resource for your child! Students can play into a microphone and Smart Music will grade their performance. All beginner books and Suzuki Solo books are currently on smart music as well as scales and other technical exercises. We highly recommend this great source! Smart Music is a subscription service
- Music Theory Practice - free - This free website allows students to practice note reading, rhythm, and key signature identification. These are timed test formatted and can be fun to play.
- Online Metronome - free - Free online metronome and piano for tuning.
- Finale Notepad -$9.99 -Allows you to typing in the music you are going to play, then having it play back. You can change the tempo and put in multiple parts. It's useful as a virtual playing partner.
Other practice help:
- Left Hand Position
- Online MIDI Files - Very often you can find online files of classical solos that you might be practicing. Just type the name of your song and composer with “midi” typed in the search engine. Your exact song might not come up but something similar will. Just an idea.
- Old Fashioned Recordings - Don’t forget that there are a LOT of CDs out there! You can order CDs of beginning books and advanced solos too!
- New Fangled Webcam Recordings - Get in front of that webcam/microphone you use for IM'ing or Skype'ing and hit the "Record" button! You'll get to watch yourself play and you can watch yourself improve over time!
Fun websites to play and learn in:
- Dallas Symphony Orchestra for kids - Some very fun stuff for kids, including games (click on the computer on the screen for games), a write up on the importance of structured practice (the practice chair). Also good information in the teachers area
- New York Philharmonic's educational website for children - Similar to DSO - loads of fun games and write ups for kids to dig around in.
- San Francisco Symphony's educational website for children - Similar to DSO - loads of fun games and write ups for kids to dig around in
- PlayMusic.org - A children's website from the American Symphony Orchestra League.
- ArtsAlive.ca - The National Arts Centre in Canada's educational website for children.
Very Cool Music - sites for musicians students love
- Ahn Trio - 2006 SCIS Chamber orchestra was invited to perform at the Wortham Theater before this really awesome group of sisters who play violin, cello, and piano. Check out their website and music
- Barrage - Our students loved seeing Barrage live on stage at Clear Lake HS! Click the link to enjoy more of Barrage high energy music!
- Break of Reality - Click the link to take your own Break of Reality!
- Crooked Still - a fun bluegrass band.
- Mark Wood - Everyone's favorite heavy metal violinist!
Student favorites - These are a few of our students favorite alternative string music groups:
Other links of interest:
- Private Instructors - A list of outside instructors
- SCOS - information on the Space Center Orchestra Society
- Bay Area Youth Symphony - youth orchestra your child can participate in
- Clear Lake High School Orchestra - the next level!
- Lisle Violin - local violin rental and repair
- SHARmusic.com - online resource for strings
- Southwestern Strings - another online resource for strings
- www.goarts.org
- www.electrifyyourstrings.com - The Mark Wood program to encourage youths to learn strings!
- www.woodviolins.com - Home site of the Mark Wood developed electric string instruments.