MASON — There's a new sound filtering into the hallways of Mason Intermediate — stringed instruments.

        Roughly 75 sixth-grade students are part of the district's orchestra, which kicked off the first day of school Sept. 3. The program is only offered to sixth graders, but is expected to expand to additional grades each year, said orchestra teacher Stephanie Jones.

Mason Intermediate sixth graders (from left) Anupana Joseph, Emily Pham and Amy Clippinger play violins during orchestra class. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        Students have been meeting three times a week in smaller classes to focus on the basics — instrument holding, posture and bow movement.

        In coming weeks, the students will start learning some familiar childhood favorites.

        But even playing pizzicato — plucking the strings with her fingers instead of using a bow — was enjoyable for bass player Stephanie Henry.

        “It's a lot of fun,” the 11-year-old said. “I can learn a lot more jazz music than I play on the piano.”

        She and her classmate, 12-year-old Josh Artrip, repeated “G, D, A, E” dozens of times as they memorized which notes correspond to the strings of the bass.

        “I like it,” Josh said of the large instrument, which is about as tall as he is. “I'm excited because my dad said I could play in his band.”

        In addition to the sixth-grade orchestra, roughly 20 seventh through twelfth grade students who already play stringed instruments are performing in after-school ensembles. Many of them take private lessons or had played at another school, Mrs. Jones said.

        Concerts are scheduled for Jan. 9 and June 4. The students also are performing at the Mason Fine Arts Council's Chili Cook-off in January.

        “We have great hopes for this orchestra,” Mrs. Jones said.

        The orchestra has been years in the making. In 1999, a program feasibility study, conducted by a University of Michigan music professor, said the district had the interest, building space and support to start a strings program.

        The strings program should have a positive effect on the students' other classes, Mrs. Jones said. Studies have shown that students who play musical instruments tend to do better on standardized tests and in logical reasoning.

        “Playing an instrument not only builds your mental capacity, but it builds your coordination,” she said. “When a student has to read all these dots and symbols on all these lines on a page, it's like reading a foreign language.”

        There's also a sense of teamwork among the classmates. Some of the students who already know how to play have been helping out some of the novices, Mrs. Jones said.

        “A performance ensemble such as a band or choir, is working collaboratively the whole time,” she said. “They have to learn to work in a group and strive for a common goal. It's something that they have to learn in life.”

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