At a tender age, Jessica, a 7th grader, has already grasped one of the best reasons for playing music with friends—a life skill that we can all practice: ”When we play by ourselves, we listen to ourselves, and when we play as a group, we learn how to listen to others.” Bravo, Jessica, we are … More December 2023 Music Student of the Month – Jessica Cartisser
Edwin has played the alto saxophone all through middle school and counts jazz music as his favorite genre. Band Director, Darren Dix, appreciates his developing leadership skills and great attitude. Way to go, Edwin! Come enjoy these upcoming Winter Concerts: The Music Student of the Month series recognizes Orcas Island Public School musicians who work … More November 2023 Music Student of the Month – Edwin Gonzalez
Congratulations, Scarlett! This high school junior credits school music for her music sight-reading skills, which she sees as a valuable language for connecting with musicians everywhere. She believes music is “a way to connect to cultures around the world.” Yes, indeed! School music matters. Save the date — Dec 14, for an evening Winter Concert … More October 2023 Music Student of the Month – Scarlett Coffey
Congratulations to Tom Malo, our first Music Student of the Month in the 2023-24 school year! This freshman tuba player made his high school concert debut on October 6th, in costume, at the High School Costume/Pops concert. This Friday, October 13th, at 3:30pm, Tom will march with the High School Band in the Homecoming parade, … More September 2023 Music Student of the Month – Tom Malo
Orcas Island life is filled with inspiring musical programming this summer—what a treat for student musicians to be immersed in this! As a soon-to-be senior, Forest reflects that ‘high school is a really good time of life to learn an instrument’. This year, he has traveled to Pacific Lutheran University for a band festival and … More June 2023 Music Student of the Month – Forest Friedli
Yes, fun is a worthy goal of playing music. Vaughn Webster, a 6th grader who plays the cello, is one of many of our student musicians who have realized that just 10 minutes of daily practice can quickly add up to a big improvement in musical skills, and the better you get, the more fun … More May 2023 Music Student of the Month – Vaughn Webster
Always a pleasure to chat with and to present to you these student musicians from Orcas Island School District who are passionate about learning their instruments and ready to improve their skills at every lesson. Meet our March duo, Marin and Sidney Andersson, who are in 5th grade Strings and our April honoree, Yusef Guzauskas, … More March and April 2023 Music Students of the Month
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
Music Advocacy Group 