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Longfellow Orchestras

WELCOME!

Our orchestra is a place for students who play violin, viola, cello or bass to grow and learn in both team and small group settings.  This course builds on the knowledge and skills learned in elementary orchestra and further develops skills and concepts such as intonation, articulation, technique, ear training, music theory, music vocabulary, and music literacy.  During the school year, students are required to practice for 15-20 minutes at home three times each week as part of our orchestra ‘homework,’ in addition to attending small group lessons, rehearsals, and performances. We play classical music, movie music, folk tunes, multicultural music, blues, rock, and more.  If you love the sound of strings and want to play a variety of music, join our orchestras!  More information about our course is available in our class syllabus.

ORCHESTRA FORMS & INFORMATION 2025-2026

ORCHESTRA SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST 2025-2026

All supplies listed will be due and are needed for class by the first week of school:  Friday, August 29, 2025 (Day 1):

  • Instrument outfit (including instrument, bow, case, & rosin):  store rental, own, or school rental (District rental instruments are available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis to families who qualify for the free/reduced lunch program and who have communicated ahead of time – district rental instrument form & fee must be turned in before instruments are issued.)
  • Textbook:  Essential Elements for Strings ~ Book 1 for 6th grade, Book 2 for 7th grade, Book 3 for 8th grade.
  • Instrument support:  shoulder rest (violin/viola) or endpin anchor (cello/bass)
  • Other supplies needed for shared use in our classroom (drop off in orchestra room):  one box of tissues.
  • Music stand:  each student will need their own music stand for practicing at home (and will be needed for some school performances).
  • Concert attire for performances:  Longfellow Orchestra t-shirt (purchase at the beginning of the school year), black pants, black socks, black shoes (no high heels, please).
  • Optional, for 7/8th graders at the intermediate level and nominated/participating in Solo & Ensemble Festival: Suzuki Book 2 for violin/viola/cello or 20 Progressive Solos for bass.

Most materials are available at our local music stores here in La Crosse; Leithold Music or SSE Music.  Each store features easy online or telephone ordering and curbside pickup or delivery to school if desired!

INSTRUMENT RENTALS 2025-2026

Instrument rentals for our region are covered by our local music stores:  Leithold Music and SSE Music.  Each store carries a full line of high quality orchestra instruments and accessories that are backed up by a full-service repair department.  Beginning orchestra instruments usually rent from $20-50 a month, with at least the first year of rent typically counting towards the purchase price of the instrument.  We encourage families to pursue this great-value option!

A limited supply of school district instruments are also available (rental agreement form & a nominal rental fee are required at the beginning of each school year term and each summer school term).  These school instruments are available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis to families who qualify for the free/reduced lunch program and who have turned in their rental agreement form and fee.

If your family already has an instrument or has purchased one online, we recommend taking it to one of our local music stores to make sure that the instrument is set up (proper bridge & string height/spacing), able to stay in tune and is easily tunable (pegs don’t slip/stick and instrument has four functional fine tuners), the bow tightens/loosens adequately, has a fresh set of strings, and that everything is in good condition & working properly.  Instruments that haven’t been set up or that come out of adjustment can make it more difficult or frustrating for a student to play – stop by a local shop to check your instrument’s set up for a great start to the school year!

WHAT SIZE INSTRUMENT WILL I NEED?

Orchestra instruments are available in different sizes to best fit our growing students.  If you’re not sure what size you may be needing or what size instrument you currently have, that’s okay!  Your orchestra teacher can help measure at school or a music store representative can also help determine sizing.  Here also is more information about instrument sizes and measuring instructions!

PERFORMANCES, LESSONS, & REHEARSALS

In our Longfellow performing music department, each of our rehearsals, small group lessons, and performances are a graded part of our class:

Our orchestra will meet for rehearsals every other day (3 times per cycle) for 45 minutes during the school day as part of your regular school class schedule.  In rehearsal, all of the orchestra instruments combine to work on learning and making music together as a team.

Our orchestra small group lessons meet 1 time per cycle for 20 minutes during the school day.  In small group lessons, students receive differentiated and specialized instruction that is specific to their instrument and skill level.

Our orchestras have at least three evening performances each school year:  our Winter Orchestra Concert in December at Central HS, the district’s All City String Festival in March at the La Crosse Center, and our Longfellow Orchestra Spring Concert in May at Central HS (dates for all performances/events will be listed below on this website, on our class Canvas page, and in our orchestra syllabus that is distributed to students during the first week of school).

OUR ORCHESTRA HOMEWORK:  PRACTICING!

At each small group lesson, your teacher will give you an assignment to prepare and practice for next time.  Assignments may include exercises from our textbook, sections of orchestra music, or other studies.  Bring your instrument/folder home for practice at least every other day, as a portion of each lesson grade is based on your skill improvement (preparing and practicing leads to improvement)!  15-20 minutes of home practice every other day is our goal, although slightly more practice may be needed for students to prepare their assignment well.  Parents, caregivers, and families:  please help your student to establish a regular practice time at home and check in with your student about their music making regularly – your encouragement and support helps your young musician so much!

PERFORMANCES, EVENTS, & IMPORTANT DATES 2025-2026 (tentative)

Mark your family calendars!  Here are our Longfellow Orchestra event & performance dates for this school year (detailed info for students will be handed out to students in class & also made available on Canvas).  Students should wear concert attire and bring their own folder, instrument, and accessories for all performances (cellos/basses bring your ‘home/practice’ instrument).

  • Monday, August 25, 2025 ~ Orchestra rehearsals will begin on the first or second day of school & will continue throughout the school year.  Get in the habit of bringing your instrument & folder (with your textbook) to school now!
  • Friday, August 29, 2025 ~ All orchestra forms & fees are due!  Everyone will need to turn in their syllabus form, field trip permission form, and shirt order form/fee (if you don’t already have an orchestra shirt).  All students who are renting an instrument from the school district will need to have their instrument rental form/fee turned in by this date also.
  • Tuesday, September 9-16, 2025 ~ First orchestra lesson cycle! Lessons will continue throughout the school year.
  • Monday, October 20, 2025 ~ 8th Grade Orchestra Step-up Day:  graded, daytime field trip rehearsal & evening performance for 8th grade orchestra students only.  Students report to CHS warm-up area at 6:30 pm (students, please use CHS Travis Street entrance), concert at 7:00 in the Central High School auditorium. 
  • Wednesday, November 19 or Thursday, November 20, 2025, TBA ~ 8th Grade Large Group Festival:  graded, daytime field trip & clinic performance for 8th grade students only, during the school day.
  • Tuesday, December 9, 2025 ~ Longfellow Orchestra Winter Concert:  graded, daytime field trip rehearsal & evening performance for all Longfellow orchestra students.  Students report to CHS warm-up area at 6:30 pm (students, please use CHS Travis Street entrance), concert at 7:00 in the Central High School auditorium.
  • Thursday, Jan. 22 and Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 ~ 8th Grade Orchestra performance on the Longfellow Music Department Elementary Tour:  graded, daytime field trip performances during the school day for 8th grade students only at Spence, Hintgen, Southern Bluffs, State Road, Hamilton, and SOTA I Elementary Schools.  
  • Saturday, February 7, 2026 ~ LAMFA 7/8th Grade Honors Orchestra Festival:  optional, for 7/8th grade students at the advanced level by audition/nomination (prep starting in Nov., registration/audition usually due no later than Dec. 15). Schedule TBA, usually from 8:30 & ends with a 3:00 concert in the Holmen High School performing arts center. 
  • Saturday, February 21, 2026 ~ WSMA Solo & Ensemble Festival:  optional, for 7/8th grade students at the intermediate level (preparation starting in November, registration/sign-up due no later than Friday, January 9, 2025 for students wanting to participate).  Performance times will vary by student, schedule will be available from WSMA about 2 weeks prior to the festival. This year’s festival will be held at Logan High School.
  • Tuesday, March 17, 2026 ~ All City String Festival:  graded, daytime field trip rehearsal & evening performance for all Longfellow orchestra students.  Student arrival to La Crosse Center warm-up area at 6:15 pm (students, please use La Crosse Center main arena entrance), concert begins at 7:00 pm in the La Crosse Center.  
  • Tuesday, May 12, 2026 ~ Longfellow Spring Orchestra Concert:  graded, daytime field trip rehearsal & evening performance for all Longfellow orchestra students.  Students report to CHS warm-up area at 6:30 pm (students, please use CHS Travis Street entrance), concert at 7:00 in the Central High School auditorium.
  • Wednesday, May 13, 2026 ~ All school district rental instruments/borrowed materials due back to the Longfellow orchestra room so teachers can complete yearly inventory, maintenance, and repair work before the school year ends.
  • Friday, May 22, 2026 ~ this will likely be the last day that we will play instruments in class.  Students, don’t forget to take home all personally owned instruments/equipment by this date. 
  • Friday, May 29, 2026 – Last day of school for the year!  Have a great summer!
     

SUPPORT OUR LONGFELLOW ORCHESTRAS BY VOLUNTEERING OR DONATING!

Your help and time are always greatly appreciated!  Our Longfellow Orchestras are always excited to have more parent/guardian field trip chaperones and concert helpers (video recording, tuning help, and/or help with racking chairs/stands) on board.  If you’d like to volunteer with our orchestras, please email us and be sure to have our district volunteer form completed at least 2 weeks prior – you’ll only need to renew your volunteer form with the district every two years.  We also have a Longfellow Orchestra Amazon Wishlist set up to help with replacing old/worn/broken items, things that we go through quite frequently, and some others that would be nice to enliven/enrich our space and time together.  Thank you so much for considering our orchestra program for donations and help! 🙂

TEACHER CONTACT INFORMATION 2025-2026

We are looking forward to meeting you and making music together in our Longfellow Orchestras!  More information about our program will be sent out at the start of the school year (or summer school term if you are signed up) and also will be available on Canvas.  In the meantime, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

SUMMER ORCHESTRA LESSONS 2025

Summer orchestra lessons will be offered through the La Crosse School District once again for 2025!  These individual lessons will meet once each week for 30 minutes for 4 weeks, beginning the week of June 10 and ending the week of July 3.  Ms. McDonald’s 2025 summer orchestra lessons at Longfellow schedule is now full (as of 2:45 pm on March 19, 2025). Priority for summer orchestra lessons at Longfellow with Ms. McDonald is given to current Longfellow students/families who complete the 2025 Summer Orchestra Lesson Scheduling Questionnaire & Registration Google Form on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.  Here’s some general information and a timeline – teachers will email more information to students/families on their summer rosters during the first week of June!

  • 2025 Summer Lesson Info & Schedule ~ Longfellow Orchestra ~ Ms. McDonald ~ Room #13
  • June 6, 2025:  Summer lesson teachers will email their schedules and summer lesson information to families by the first week of June.
  • June 9 – June 12, 2025:  First week of summer lessons (district rental instruments issued to students at first summer lesson)
  • June 30 – July 3, 2025:  Last week of summer lessons (district rental instruments due back this week).

LINKS (more info will also be made available for students & families on our orchestra’s Canvas page)

Practice Resources:

Instrument & Supply Purchasing Help:

Local Music Stores:

Technology/Canvas/Skyward Help:

School District Related Links:

Local Orchestras & Performance Opportunities:

Summer Orchestra Camp Recommendations:

Cool ‘Just for Fun’ Videos, Artists, & Stuff to Explore: