Intermediate School Offerings

All students who wish to participate need to have a completed registration form on file. Please use the online registration form below to register your child for 5th grade orchestra. You will receive a confirmation message after completing the form.

PLEASE NOTE: 5th grade orchestra is a full-year class. Students who join 5th grade orchestra are expected to participate for the entire school year. 

Register HERE.

All students interested in orchestra are welcome to join, regardless of a family's ability to pay for an instrument and/or supplies. If your family is in need of assistance with getting an instrument and/or supplies for class, please contact the Student Financial Assistance Fund for additional information.

Instrument Choices

There are four different string instruments that are played in the orchestra. These instruments are the violin, viola, cello, and bass. Please watch this video created by current 6th grade orchestra students about the different instruments.

Fifth grade students have the option of playing the violin, viola, or cello. 

Due to its physical size and the advanced playing techniques needed to play the instrument right away, bass is started in 6th grade orchestra. Any students interested in playing the bass in 6th grade orchestra will need to play the cello in 5th grade, as it is the most-similar instrument to the bass.

Required Supplies (All Instruments)

• All orchestra students will need to have the following items for orchestra:
• Instrument
• New Directions for Strings - Book 1 for your instrument
  • Bass needs the A Position book
• Folding music stand (if no music stand already at home)
• Clip-on tuner (provided by Mr. Steen)
• Music folder (provided by Mr. Steen)
   

Required Supplies (Violin/Viola only)

• Shoulder rest
  • Foam shoulder rest is recommended if child is on fractional/non-full size instrument
  • Kun or Everest-style shoulder rest is recommended if child is on a full-size instrument

Required Supplies (Cello only)

• Rock stop (to help keep instrument end pin from sliding on hard surfaces)

Orchestra instruments come in a wide variety of sizes to best fit each individual player. Playing a properly-sized instrument promotes proper playing posture and technique, and is a lot more comfortable to play. NEVER get an instrument that is too big for a student to play and have them "grow into" it. Not only is it extremely uncomfortable for a student to play an instrument that is too big for them, but the physical adjustments they need to make to attempt playing it can potentially cause a playing-related injury.

The vast majority of incoming 5th grade students will start on a fractional-sized instrument. Depending on a student's growth and particular instrument, most students grow into full-sized instruments by the end of middle school or early high school. Students are encouraged to move up in instrument sizes when they are ready to do so.

Instrument fittings can be done in one of two ways: in-person or virtual.

In-Person FittingsAt an in-person fitting, students meet with Mr. Steen to be fitted for an instrument. This process begins with Mr. Steen taking measurements of the student's arm length and hand size (violin and viola students) or sitting height and hand size (cello students). Once measurements are taken, Mr. Steen will have students hold an instrument to confirm the proper fitting. After the fitting is completed, students and families will be informed of the correct size instrument a student will need. You will need this size to rent/purchase an instrument. The entire in-person fitting process usually takes around 5-10 minutes to complete per student.

Virtual FittingsStudents and families unable to attend an in-person fitting have the option of completing a virtual fitting through Zoom. 

During a virtual fitting, Mr. Steen will walk parents/guardians of the student through the measurement process as described in the in-person fitting section. Families will need a measuring tape or yard stick (minimum 3' length) for taking these measurements. After completing these measurements, Mr. Steen will make his best estimate as to the correct instrument size for the student.

NOTE: Virtual fittings tend to be ~80-85% accurate, as there are some factors that go into instrument fitting that cannot be determined by measurements alone. If you are thinking of purchasing an instrument, Mr. Steen strongly encourages you to complete an in-person fitting to confirm the correct instrument size before purchasing.
 

Providing an instrumentAll students interested in orchestra are welcome to join, regardless of a family's ability to pay for an instrument and/or supplies. If your family is in need of assistance with getting an instrument and/or supplies for class, please contact the Student Financial Assistance Fund for additional information.

It is the responsibility of families to provide the instrument. Families will either need to rent/lease an instrument from a music store or purchase an instrument for their child to use.

Waunakee schools work with Ward-Brodt Music in Fitchburg for instrument rentals and supplies.
 

Should I lease or purchase an instrument?I recommend that beginning orchestra students lease their instrument to start off with. There are many reasons why I encourage families to go this route, including:

• Ease of changing instrument sizes. 
  • String instruments come in a variety of sizes to fit the individual student. Playing a properly sized instrument is critical to developing proper technique and avoiding any physical strain or injury. 
  • Students who lease an instrument can change the size of instrument they need as they grow without paying any additional fees outside of the monthly lease price.
• Maintenance costs and instrument insurance
  • Maintaining stringed instruments can be costly. Instrument leasing fees cover most basic maintenance fees, including cases of cracks, seam splits, or broken bridges. Replacement of broken strings are not normally covered by these plans.
  • Most leasing fees cover instrument insurance. If there is an accident with a leased instrument that renders it damaged or destroyed, this insurance will protect families from having to pay to repair or replace the instrument. 

Purchasing an instrumentIf your family chooses to purchase an instrument, I strongly encourage you to follow these guidelines:

• Whether purchasing new or used, never purchase an instrument from a seller who refuses to allow families to take the instrument home to try for a few days or have a teacher look over.
• Only purchase instruments from sellers who specialize in music instruments/music. Please contact Mr. Steen for a list of Madison area or online music retailers that sell stringed instruments.
• Never purchase an instrument from a store that does not specialize in music instruments. 
  • The quality of instruments from these stores is often exceedingly poor, and trying to get them into any sort of playable shape can be financially expensive (oftentimes exceeding the initial cost of the instrument itself). 
  • Most music instrument repair technicians refuse to work on these instruments due to their poor quality and workmanship.
• Please check with Mr. Steen about purchasing an instrument online before buying.
  •  A lot of instruments that come from non-music store online retailers may seem like a bargain, but end up being of poor quality and needing a lot of money invested into them to make them playable.
  • Mr. Steen has a list of online retailers who sell quality instruments at affordable prices. Please contact him if you would like this list.
  • Mr. Steen is more than happy to take a look at any instrument you are looking at purchasing. Purchasing an instrument is a financial investment, and you want to make sure what you purchase is of good quality.

Should I buy new or used?This is a question that is often asked when families are looking to purchase an instrument. Ultimately, the answer will come down to how much a family is willing to invest in an instrument. While buying a brand new instrument can be an exciting motivator for students, a quality used instrument can give the same results at a lower price.

Before buying any instrument, I strongly recommend that you either have me (Mr. Steen) or a qualified stringed instrument repair person look over the instrument. There are times when used instruments may need some basic maintenance performed to bring it up to its best playing condition. This is especially true if it is an instrument that has not been used for any significant amount of time

Be wary of sellers who refuse to let you bring any instrument (new or used) to a teacher or instrument repair technician to look over before purchasing. Trustworthy sellers will allow a "trial" period for students and families to try out an instrument and take it to teachers and repair technicians to look over before making a final purchase.
 

All students interested in joining 5th grade orchestra are encouraged to participate in summer school orchestra (course title: Orchestra 5/6 -Beginning). Summer school orchestra is a great chance for students to start learning about their instrument in a fun and relaxed environment. Students unable to participate in summer school orchestra are still able to begin orchestra in the fall.

Orchestra 5/6 - Beginning runs for the second half of summer school session only (July 10-27). This course meets every day for 35 minutes (half of a full summer school class period).

If students are running a full class load (three classes plus orchestra), they will come out of part of one of their enrichment courses for orchestra. Students taking summer math, reading, or keyboarding classes cannot come to orchestra from these classes.

Students also have the option of taking an after summer school class that runs from 11:35-12:05 (normal summer school hours are 7:50-11:30). Please note that the district does not offer busing for students participating in the after summer school orchestra class. 

You can find more information about signing up for summer school classes at the Waunakee Summer School Website.
 

Learn more about how 5th grade orchestra is structured during the school year.
 

Small Group ScheduleFifth grade orchestra is focused primarily on small-group instruction (~1-6 students at a time, depending on homeroom placement/instrument played).

Orchestra follows the six-day schedule rotation. Students will be scheduled to have their orchestra class once every six (6) days. For example, if a student is assigned Day 3 for their orchestra small group class, they will need to bring their orchestra instrument and supplies to school every Day 3 in the schedule rotation.

Students will come out of their Intervention/Extension (I/E) time for small group classes. I/E is a time designated for student pull-outs. Students will not miss any active class instruction time for homeroom or related arts classes to participate in orchestra small group classes.
 

Large Group ScheduleBefore concerts, students will come together for large group orchestra rehearsals. Most large group rehearsals will take place during I/E time and are done by village or homeroom team.

On the day of concerts, all 5th grade orchestra students combine together for a full orchestra rehearsal.
 

ConcertsFifth grade orchestra students perform in two evening concerts. The dates of the 2023-2024 Intermediate School Orchestra concerts are:

• Thursday, January 18, 2024
• Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Both concerts are held in the Waunakee Intermediate School gym. The start time of the concerts is 6:30 pm, with students needing to arrive by 6:00 pm for tuning and warm-ups.
 

General

Q: Am I required to take orchestra in 5th grade?
A: Orchestra is an elective (optional) music class. All 5th grade students have the option of taking orchestra in 5th grade.

Q: If I take orchestra, do I still have to take general music?
A: Yes. General music is a required class for all 5th grade students. Students participating in orchestra will have two music classes in 5th grade.

Instruments/Supplies

Q: What instruments can you play in orchestra?
A: Orchestra focuses on instruments from the string family. Students are able to play one of four instruments in orchestra: violin, viola, cello, or bass. All 5th grade students can start on either the violin, viola, or cello. Due to its size and advanced playing techniques, we wait to start students on bass until they are in 6th grade. If you are interested in playing bass, Mr. Steen recommends you to start on cello in 5th grade, as it is the most-similar instrument to bass.

Q: How big are the instruments?
A: In order of size from smallest to biggest, they go violin, viola, cello, and bass. Violins and violas are the smallest of the instruments. They look similar to one another (viola is slightly bigger), and are held on your left shoulder when played. Cellos are big enough that you have to sit on a chair to play them. They are held between your legs when you play. Basses are so big that they are taller than the person playing them! Basses can be played standing up or sitting on a stool.

(For bass size height reference, the smallest basses available for students stand at approximately 5’3”-5’4” at its shortest height. A full size bass is approximately 6’0”-6’2” at its shortest height.)

Orchestra instruments come in different sizes to best fit the individual player. Part of getting ready for orchestra is getting sized for an instrument. Students can be sized by the Waunakee orchestra teachers or at a local music store that sells string instruments. Further details on getting fitted for an instrument by Mr. Steen will be coming out soon.

Q: How do I get an instrument?
A: In most cases, students and families provide the instrument used in orchestra. When starting out, most students and families choose to rent an instrument from a local music store, while others choose to buy an instrument right away. 

Orchestra is open to all students, regardless of a family’s ability to pay for an instrument or class supplies. If you need assistance with obtaining an instrument and supplies, please contact the Waunakee Student Financial Assistance Fund for more information.

In addition to the instrument, students will need the following supplies for orchestra:

-New Directions for Strings - Book 1 for your instrument
-Folding music stand (if you don’t have a music stand at home)
-Foam shoulder rest (violin/viola students only)
-Rock stop (cello students only)
-Snark tuner (provided by Mr. Steen)

Summer School

Q: Do I have to take summer school orchestra?
A: It is encouraged for all incoming 5th grade orchestra students to take summer school orchestra (Orchestra 5/6 Beginning). If you are not able to take summer school orchestra, you can still begin orchestra in the fall.

Q: Do I need to be registered for 5th grade orchestra to be able to take summer school orchestra?
A: Yes. This is to help with planning not only for summer school orchestra, but for 5th grade homeroom teacher placements in the fall.

Q: How does the summer school orchestra schedule work?
A: Orchestra 5/6 - Beginning runs for the second half of summer school session only (July 10-27). This course meets every day for 35 minutes (half of a full summer school class period).

If students are running a full class load (three classes plus orchestra), they will come out of part of one of their enrichment courses for orchestra. Students taking summer math, reading, or keyboarding classes cannot come to orchestra from these classes.

Students also have the option of taking an after summer school class that runs from 11:35-12:05 (normal summer school hours are 7:50-11:30). Please note that the district does not offer busing for students participating in the after summer school orchestra class. 

Other Questions

Q: Is it possible to take two music classes after 5th grade?
A: Yes, it is possible to take two music classes in 6th grade (band/choir, band/orchestra, or choir/orchestra). However, there are several factors that go into determining if a student will be allowed to take two music classes. You will receive more information about this as 5th grade students when it is time to choose the music class(es) you take as 6th graders.

Q: I have been taking private lessons on an orchestra instrument for ___ years. What opportunities are open to me in 5th grade orchestra?
A: We welcome you to be a part of the orchestra! Mr. Steen will set up a meeting with you and your parents/guardians to talk more about your past experiences with playing your instrument. Mr. Steen will also have you play some of the pieces you have or are currently working on with your private teacher. From here, Mr. Steen will help come up with some extension opportunities for you.