Welcome to the Autrey Mill Middle School Orchestra!

Information for students and parents of the AMMS Orchestra Program

About the Orchestra

The Autrey Mill Middle School Orchestras

The AMMS Orchestras are divided by grade level and meet in groups of 30-50 students at a time over the course of 6 periods each day. Our 6th graders are typically considered beginners, 7th graders intermediate, and 8th graders advanced, though we have students of many levels in every grade. Classes meet for 50 minutes, 5 days a week.

About the Director

Tim Anderson has been the director of orchestras at Autrey Mill Middle School for 19 years. He is active with both ASTA and GMEA as a clinician and has taken groups to perform at state and national conferences. He has been selected as teacher of the year and most recently was presented with the Georgia chapter of the American String Teachers Association educator of the year award.

Orchestral Opportunities

The orchestra has many performing, outreach, and educational opportunities each year. All 3 grades will perform at least 3 concerts at school. Our 7th and 8th grade orchestras have additional opportunities to perform at events such as Large Group Performance Evaluation, the Southern Star Music Festival (at Six Flags!), and OrlandoFest (at Universal Studios). Please check your calendar and handbook to see what we've got planned for this year!

Orchestra Materials

Instruments

All AMMS Orchestra students will need an instrument for use both at home and at school. There are a few available from the school but we highly recommend renting an instrument from one of the many fine shops in the Roswell/Johns Creek area. Cello and bass players can use school instruments during the day and do not need to transport them back and forth except for concerts. If you have any instrument sizing questions please ask Mr. Anderson, talk to the shop you're renting from, or check here.

Class Materials

Even in our newly virtual and largely paperless world there are still a few resources all AMMS Orchestra students will need. All students will be issued an Essential Elements book by the school. 6th grade uses book 1, 7th uses book 2, and 8th uses book 3- also known as "Essential Technique". In addition to these books there is also a folder here that contains pdfs of various paperwork we use on a daily or weekly basis. Feel free to download and print your own, or just ask Mr. Anderson any day before school if things aren't busy!

Practice Records

The "homework" for orchestra is putting in some individual practice time. Remember that practicing at home is how you learn your parts. Rehearsing at school is how you learn everyone else's parts and how it turns into actual MUSIC! Practice records are due each week and are turned in online via this link. Students, please bookmark this link!!!