As a 7th grade flute player, Neila Welch already recognizes that to play an instrument is to ‘practice commitment’ and this also helps her in other areas of school. She also made the astute observation that being in band is ‘A good balance of individual and team spirit.’ We love hearing how Orcas student musicians … More February 2023 Music Student of the Month – Neila Welch
Beautiful Fall weather on Orcas Island saw the high school (HS) band rehearsing outdoors for their marching debut. On October 7, the band led the Homecoming parade, marching from the public school to the Village Green, where it entertained the public at the Homecoming Bonfire and Chili Bake. Most Orcas Island HS string and band … More Fall 2022 School Music News
Fantastic to hear a young musician sharing her knowledge. Your enthusiasm is infectious, Cathy! Congratulations on being February’s Music Student of the Month in 2022! The Music Student of the Month series recognizes Orcas Island Public School musicians who work hard at their musical skills and whose love of music is an inspiration to their … More February 2022 Music Student of the Month – Cathy Hall
Fun and community are two enduring reasons that make music-making a lifelong passion for many adults. Thank you, Kristian, for sharing how learning music is enriching you both personally and socially. Congratulations on being the first Music Student of the Month in 2022! The Music Student of the Month series recognizes Orcas Island Public School … More January 2022 Music Student of the Month – Kristian Freeman
Keep up the great work, Cooper! Congratulations on being recognized by your teacher as the December 2021 Music Student of the Month. The Music Student of the Month series recognizes Orcas Island Public School musicians who work hard at their musical skills and whose love of music is an inspiration to their fellow student musicians. … More December 2021 Music Student of the Month – Cooper Maddux
Hazel’s dedication to her musical instrument of choice at 5th grade, the cello, has meant adapting to learning on a computer screen (due to Covid19 restrictions) not long after first picking it up—a challenging task even for more experienced music students. Her efforts have paid off and Strings Director Mrs. Wright noticed a huge improvement … More November 2021 Music Student of the Month – Hazel McKenzie
Orcas Island Music Advocacy Group (MAG) is helping to raise money for 4 steel carts to safely stack, move, store and protect the 80 or so music chairs used daily by 5th-12th grade music students for practice and performance in the public school. These storage carts will keep large stacks of chairs stable, freeing up … More Public school music program needs chair carts for daily use — GiveOrcas Holiday Campaign 2021
Hello from MAG! School music has started, in-person, at Orcas public schools. Hooray! The high school band even performed ‘live’ at the Homecoming week bonfire on the Village Green on October 8th. Holiday concerts are being planned, albeit only open to families at this time. This year, there are 116 students in Band and Strings … More 2021 Fall School Music News
A junior at Orcas high school, Paxton packs a busy daily schedule that starts with zero-hour band class and ends with after-school sports, often with away games that end with a late ferry ride home. With all he has going on, he still brings enthusiasm to the band with his tuba playing! We love his … More October 2021 Music Student of the Month – Paxton White
As a high school student musician in the Strings program, Silas starts his school day at ‘zero hour’—7:30am, an hour before regular classes begin. In his leisure time, he plays bass guitar, piano, and drums. Wow! Read more about what drives him. Congratulations on being the first Music Student of the Month in the 2021-22 … More September 2021 Music Student of the Month – Silas Kok
Music Advocacy Group 