String Orchestra
As both academic classes and performance groups, Webb's string orchestra classes provide an excellent opportunity for both new and experienced musicians to develop their skills. All classes offer instruction on the violin, viola, cello and double bass. Strings I gives those students who have never played a stringed instrument the opportunity to quickly learn how to play while learning to read music. No previous musical experience is needed to enroll.
Intermediate Strings is a class for students with 1-2 years’ experience. These musicians study more advanced music while developing their shifting, vibrato, reading and performance skills. Webb’s most advanced orchestra class, Orchestra Honors, teaches students more complex string literature and advanced techniques. This class is for high school students only.
Reasons to Learn to Play a Stringed Instrument
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It connects you to other people of all nationalities regardless of language.
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Music improves your concentration. It takes a great deal of focus and patience to master an instrument.
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Playing a stringed instrument improves your hand-eye coordination. This is because the brain has to translate notes it sees into the act of playing them.
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Music provides a good form of stress relief. Playing an instrument can help refocus bad energy into something positive and enjoyable, which in turn can help alleviate stress. Studies show that playing an instrument can lower heart rates and blood pressure.
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Music develops your self-confidence. As you master an instrument, you discover and develop your talents, and gain tremendous self-satisfaction in seeing (or, hearing) your progress. You may also enjoy having a skill that other people don’t have—and of course sharing it with other people, and enjoying their praise and admiration.
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Music Teaches Discipline
Learning to play an instrument is like learning to speak another language and it can be challenging at times. One of the qualities musicians possess is discipline. You have to be disciplined in order to master playing your instrument. You have to set time each day to practice, practice and practice some more. -
Playing A Musical Instrument is fun!
Sure it can be a lot of hard work, but there is no denying that playing an instrument is fun. Once you get better at it, opportunities will arise for you to share your skill with your family and friends. Who knows, you may also consider playing professionally in the future! Playing a stringed instrument opens up a lot of wonderful possibilities that will enrich your life.
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Music can make you smarter. Studies show that learning music can help improve reading comprehension, mathematics, and cognitive skills like verbal and perceptual abilities as well as spatial reasoning. One landmark research, done by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, shows that exposure to musical instruction can lead to higher scores in reading and math. Another study by the Univ. of California and the Univ. of Wisconsin link learning musical instruments to as much as 34% increase in I.Q. Another study showed that students who had a background in musical instruments scored better on SATs: as many as 61 points higher in verbal tests, and 42 points higher in math.
Researchers believe it’s because reading musical notes and playing instruments involve thinking ahead, visualizing, pattern recognition and using spatial-temporal skills—which children don’t get when they’re watching TV or using their devices. The spatial-temporal skills are also one reason why music has been linked to mathematical intelligence and abstract reasoning.
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Playing an instrument can have social benefits. Playing music is engaging, especially when you are part of an orchestra or ensemble. Learning a stringed instrument creates plenty of opportunities to enlarge your social circle. As you meet other musicians who share your passion for music, practice sessions, amateur performances, and other activities will naturally become the result.
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In a study of medical school applicants, 66% of music majors who applied were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. (Phi Delta Kappan)
Piano
At The Webb School, courses in beginning piano to highly advanced piano are offered to our students. Most recently students performed a “Mostly Chopin” concert in chapel (Spring 2018). The repertoire included works by Chopin, Debussy, and Liszt.
Webb's creativity takes place amid the 11,000 square feet of halls and classroom that comprise the Lundin Fine Arts Center. This facility features a choir room, piano lab with 12 pianos, string ensemble room, recording studio, theatre room for drama classes and rehearsals, individual practice rooms, an art gallery and a 4,000 square-foot room that houses two and three dimensional art classrooms.
Guitar
The guitar course at Webb, taught by Drew Creal, aims to prepare a student to play guitar in a variety of settings. Students learn repertoire, technique, and how to approach the guitar in a way that allows freedom and improvisation. Multiple genres and styles are covered in an effort to make the student as versatile as possible.
Choir
Webb's choir is both an academic class and a performing ensemble. Students learn to read and sing music from a variety of periods as they work to prepare and perform together. The Choir performs both on and off campus throughout the year with the December Service of Lessons and Carols and the Spring Concert serving as highlights.
