A warm welcome to BIS Orchestra 2023-24!

BIS Orchestra is open to Grade 5-12 students via audition, and we perform for school events such as Christmas Concert, Spring Concert, Graduation, and Special assemblies.  

Our BIS Orchestra’s goal is to engage and inspire budding musicians to collaborate in the learning and mentoring experience as a performing group.  

BIS Orchestra looks forward to growing stronger each year and bringing beautiful melodies to our school and community! .

The participants will be asked to:

• perform their favorite piece.

• sightread the given music at the audition.

-Set up:

• Leaders and assistants (by rotation), come to the theater by 12:15.  You will have 5 min to set up the chairs.

• Members, come to the music class by 12:20 sharp, ready to play!  It may be a good idea to tune/assemble your instruments during morning recess. 

• Members, before coming into the music class, go to the Terry Fox Hall and bring your music stand.  

• Let's try our best! to start playing @ 12:20 pm.  We don't have much time.

-Tidyup:  Members, you have 5 minutes max. to put away and organize everything. 

• Put away your instruments. 

• Fold your chair and put it away.  In the corner of the room, where the percussion instruments are kept. 

• Fold the music stand, and take it back to the Terry Fox Room. (Put it away neatly!)

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Students are expected to practice for at least 30 minutes each day. 

Rehearsal time is for putting the parts together to build the piece as a whole under the instruction of the head conductor.     Students must refine the technique with their private lesson teacher and be ready to play the part as an ensemble on the rehearsal day.   

Teachers will observe the student's performance on the rehearsal day and assign video recording homework to students who need extra attention.  These selected students must submit the video recording by the due date.  After viewing the video, teachers will comment on the performance and suggest what to work on.  Students are required to make an effort to improve the commented suggestions and be ready to apply these changes at the next rehearsal.

We only have 45 min of rehearsal time a week.  The rehearsal time is to refine the performance as a group, not individual practice.  Personal practice and refinement should be done before the rehearsal.  Failure to show effort and dedication to improving will result in taking a break from the orchestra and will have to re-audition when ready to work as a group.  

Our limited short rehearsal time requires focused dedication from each member.