News 3-4-2008
Project Mayhem Concert, March 19, click here for more
info.
Sectionals
After school rehearsals are required for all Symphony Orchestra members. Sectionals
start at 3:15 and end at 4:15. Each section has a different day of the week
to rehearse.
The Boardman Local Schools Orchestra Program
Boardman, Ohio, is a community of about 50,000 people just to the south of Youngstown. Located halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and halfway between New York and Chicago, Youngstown has always been a stop over area for travelers. The township has sustained an affluent status, and continues to offer more to residents in its schools, government and services. The Boardman Orchestras are a fine example of this. No other school system in Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula or Columbiana counties has a complete orchestra program as is found in the Boardman Schools.
The Boardman Orchestra was started in the late 1940’s by then-newly hired band director Richard S. Bame. Mr. Bame knew the value of playing in an orchestral setting, as he played both tuba and string bass, and he encouraged all his band students to study string instruments as well. From this beginning, the program has grown to over 400 students in grades 5 through 12, mostly due to the efforts of Miss Carol Clark, one of Mr. Bame’s former students, who ran the program from 1971 to 1999. During her tenure, the Boardman Orchestras established a reputation for excellence through repeated “Superior” evaluations at the state and national level. The Boardman Orchestras still hold the state record for longest unbroken string of Superior ratings (from 1973 to the present) of any school orchestra in Ohio. The orchestras have also won numerous “Superior” and “Orchestra Sweepstakes” trophies at numerous national festivals.
Students begin orchestra in the 5th grade. 5th grade string orchestras meet three times a week at Glenwood and Center Middle Schools. This kind of instruction continues in the 6th grade string orchestras. In the 7th and 8th grade, strings are combined, meet five days a week, and 8th grade wind players from the Glenwood and Center Bands are added to give students a truly symphonic full orchestra experience. Private study and a dedicated staff and parents help students progress through these formative years. Students in the 7th and 8th grade are also encouraged to attend Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Solo & Ensemble Contests.
The Boardman High School Orchestra Department offers several ensembles for students to participate in. The Classical Orchestra serves as an entry level ensemble for high school. Students in all orchestras and bands are encouraged to participate in the Theater Orchestra. Every year, the BHS drama guild, chorus and orchestra join to produce a major Broadway musical. The Orchestra Department is responsible for providing the pit orchestra. There is also the Symphony Orchestra, one of the largest in the state of Ohio, and the Chamber Orchestra, consisting of our most accomplished string students.
Boardman Orchestras have been invited to play at numerous Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Conventions, Music Educators National Conference (MENC) Regional Conferences, and numerous other musically oriented meetings.