50 state string orchestra project
DAVID ROSIN + EAST LANSING HIGH SCHOOL orchestras
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
The East Lansing Orchestra Program is part of the East Lansing Public Schools and has been in existence for over sixty years. The program was started by Richard H. Snook. He taught from 1951-1958. After that the program was taught by a fantastic educator, Gerald L. Bartlett. Mr. Bartlett continued to build the program from 1959-1975. Next in line was Dorothy McDonald. Ms. McDonald is an expert educator and musician. Under her leadership and teaching the program continued to expand, give top notch performances in and out of the state, and be recognized by the community and local arts organizations. Mrs. McDonald taught in East Lansing from 1975 until 2008 leaving a wonderful legacy. She continues to this day to help and support the program!
The program is located in the wonderful City of East Lansing, Michigan, the home of Michigan State University. The primary objective of the program is to provide students the opportunity to perform, create, and learn about music while having fun and building friendships. The program currently serves over 250 students in grades 6-12.
Students begin in 6th grade and receive instruction five times a week. This fundamental instruction continues throughout the 6th grade year. The 6th orchestras perform 3-4 concerts a year. After entering MacDonald Middle School, the 7th and 8th grade orchestras meet separately five days a week. The middle school orchestras perform 4-5 concerts a year including the Michigan School Band and Orchestra (MSBOA) district and state festivals. Seventh and eighth grade students are eligible and encouraged to participate in the MSBOA Solo and Ensemble festival. At times, the 8th grade orchestra students will join with 8th grade band members to create a true full orchestra experience! The Middle School program also features Ovation Strings - a before school 7-8th grade alternative strings ensemble. They perform non-classical styles of music such as rock, jazz, celtic, and pop.
The High School Orchestra Department offers several ensembles in which the students may participate. The Concert Orchestra is an entry-level orchestra for freshman and sophomore students. The Symphonic Orchestra is an upper-level orchestra for sophomore, junior, and senior students. The Symphonic Orchestra also provides a full orchestra experience by combining with the Symphonic Winds and Percussion class. Encore Strings is an audition-only chamber ensemble for students seeking to enhance their orchestra experience. Students in the high school orchestra program will perform between 6-12 concerts a year including: MSBOA Festivals, Collage, Senior Solo, Baccalaureate, Pit Orchestra, and other community performances.
The Encore Strings were selected to perform at the Michigan Music Conference in 2014 and 2019. They have also had the opportunity to perform with CDZA and NS Designs artist, and Time for Three violinist Charles Yang; MSU Professor Walter Verdehr; Michigan jazz greats Terry Lower and Edye Evans Hyde; and The Piano Guys.
Recently the entire orchestra program has had the opportunity to perform with US National Scottish Fiddle Champion, Meredith Hopkins and an Electrify Your Strings concert with Mark Wood! Furthermore, students in the program have the opportunity to travel with the orchestra. Recent trip destinations include; Washington D.C., Florida, Chicago, New York, Cleveland, and Toronto.
Teachers
Mr. David Rosin - 7th-12th grade orchestras
Mrs. Mikaela Vanator - 6th-7th grade orchestras
CONCERT INFORMATION
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David Rosin is very active as a music educator. He is in his fifteenth year as the high school and middle school orchestra teacher in the East Lansing Public Schools. Prior to his job at East Lansing, David spent three years teaching 7th-12th grade orchestra in the Waverly Community Schools, and seven years teaching orchestra in the Lansing Public Schools. David served as co-conductor of the Mid Michigan Youth Symphony for 13 years, and he was a co-founder of the group. He has served as vice-president of the College of Music Alumni Association for Michigan State University. David holds both a BA and a MA in Music Education from Michigan State University.
David also works across Michigan as a guest clinician and MSBOA adjudicator. In 2015, David was selected as the MSBOA orchestra teacher of the year. He has performed and taught as a faculty member at SUNY Oswego State University in New York and served as a conductor at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camps and the MASTA String Camps.
When he is not teaching, David performs as a freelance double bassist in many diverse settings. He has performed across the midwest, including clubs and festivals throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. In 1997, he completed a tour across Australia with the Andrew Speight Quartet. While there, the quartet recorded a CD for the Australian Broadcasting Company. The recording was released in 1998, and won the Australian Recording Industry Award (ARIA) for Best Jazz Album.
Throughout his performance career, David has been fortunate to hold the bass chair in groups led by Andrew Speight, Gary Schunk, Larry Nozero, and Donald Waldon. Currently, David is a full time member of the Fred Knapp Trio, The String Doctors, and Ray Kamalay's Red Hot Peppers
David currently resides in East Lansing with his wife Melanie and son Zachary.
Mikaela Vanator currently teaches orchestra and band at MacDonald Middle School in East Lansing Public Schools. She holds a Bachelors of Music Education and a Bachelors of Music in Viola Performance from Central Michigan University, where she studied under David Holland and Alicia Valoti. An avid performer and educator, Mrs. Vanator received a fellowship for the Bay View Music Festival in Petoskey, MI in 2016 and a year later was the recipient of the Veha Chamichian String Competition Scholarship. Committed to excellence, Mrs. Vanator strives to help her students reach their highest level of academic and musical success possible.
In addition to teaching at MMS, Mrs. Vanator is the co-conductor of the Mid-Michigan Youth Symphony. She also founded the New Horizons Orchestra at the Michigan State University Community Music School, a beginning-intermediate adult community orchestra.
Outside of classical music, Mrs. Vanator has a passion for teaching and performing alternative styles of music such as celtic, rock, jazz, and bluegrass. Since 2013, she has been on staff at the ABC “Anything But Classical” Orchestra Summer Retreat and joined the Knollcrest Music Camp staff in Grand Rapids, MI in 2018. In 2013, she had the privilege to tour Ireland with ABC Orchestra performing across the country through Dublin, Galway, and Limerick. In 2018, she created a before school alternative string ensemble at MacDonald Middle School, called Ovation Strings. The 7th & 8th grade ensemble was formed to learn and perform styles of music ranging from fiddle to rock to jazz.
Mrs. Vanator is a member of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association and the American String Teachers Association. She currently resides in Springport, Michigan with her husband, Joey and baby boy, Cooper. She enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family.
about
the 50 state
string orchestra project
2022-2024
The 50 State String Orchestra Project is a large-scale consortium commission that is bringing new music to classrooms and concert halls all over the US in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons, with educational and community orchestras in all 50 states commissioning a new piece for string orchestra, similar in difficulty level and scope to Stephanie’s 2011 work for string orchestra Beyond the Gate. Her consortium commissions for chamber music have already brought new string-centered music all across the world, from her 50 State Sonata Project for violin + piano, inspired by the work of her teacher John Kendall, and her World Sonata Project, which was commissioned by violinists from 35 countries in 2016.