Young Musicians Use Study Hall as Practice Time

Mark Lotz spends the first part of his Intermediate Strings class tuning instruments, providing sheet music for students who left their's at home, and discussing class schedules.

Several minutes into the class period, he leads them in sectional warm-ups.

Finally, they begin to play their day's music.

"What is unusual with this is that it's a class that Erin Gabriel (Arts Chair) creatively put into middle school club times and study hall," says Lotz. "While other students are working on projects and homework, these musicians are attending a class...Intermediate Strings Orchestra."

With only a couple sessions together, Lotz wants the young musicians to develop a camaraderie. Many of these students started in Beginning Strings class at Overlake, and they're working towards being members of the Overlake Chamber Orchestra.

It may sound raw now, but, under his direction, they will develop into a finely tuned, cohesive orchestra that will play in concerts for years to come.

Click here to go inside Lotz's Intermediate Strings class for one of their first sessions together.