Description of Class (SSE)

The Symphonic String Ensemble is our most advanced group and students become eligible by teacher recommendation (and this includes outside private teachers as well as GSA teachers) when they can shift comfortably out of first position into at least one other position, when they can use vibrato, and when they have some experience in key signatures with more than 2 flats or sharps. A gentle audition with the SSE teachers is required to assess the individual student’s strengths and needs. Most of the SSE students take private lessons in addition to GSA classes but this is not a requirement. The class meets for two hours once a week and the first 90 minutes are treated as an ensemble rehearsal. The last 30 minutes are used for recreational playing, sight reading and special topics. SSE is the group most often invited to represent GSA by playing in the community so we may have several additional performances during the year in addition to the regular GSA concerts. It is also a highly social group and we have two “movie musical nights” a year as a class. Students are strongly encouraged to get together on their own to play music over academic breaks. This class is co-taught by Jan Caputo and Ross Maki.