Check out our info on the PAHS website too!
We are making some changes! Princess Anne High School Orchestras will have 4 Levels
starting fall 2012. To align with the new Virginia Beach Schools Curriculum, based on the State
Standards of Learning (SOLs), we will have the following orchestras at PAHS:
Chamber Orchestra (Artistic Level)
By audition only. Students must demonstrate advanced technique. They must take private lessons and practice daily. There is more time commitment involved with this ensemble, due to the level of literature being performed, the commitment to excellence and the possibility of more scheduled performances. Students in Chamber Orchestra are required to audition for VMEA Senior Regional Orchestra in September (fee $10). Students in Chamber Orchestra may be required to rehearse weekly after school. Chamber Orchestra must be “balanced” – the number of players in each section will be determined by an overall balance of sections in the group. Students in Chamber Orchestra will perform advanced literature (grade 6 as stated in the VMEA manual).
String Ensemble (Advanced)
By audition only. Students must demonstrate that they possess advanced technique. They are required to practice at least 30 minutes every day. It is recommended, but not required, that students in String Ensemble take private lessons. Students in String Ensemble are required to audition for VMEA Senior Regional Orchestra in September (fee $10). Students in String Ensemble may be required to rehearse weekly after school. Students must be willing to make a big-time commitment to orchestra. PAHS's String Ensemble performs advanced-intermediate literature (challenging grade 5 or grade 6 as stated in the VMEA manual).
Concert Orchestra (Intermediate)
Students must demonstrate intermediate technique. They are required to practice at least 30 minutes every day. It is recommended, but not required, that students in Concert Orchestra take private lessons. Students in Concert Orchestra are encouraged, but not required, to audition for VMEA Senior Regional Orchestra in September (fee $10). Students in Concert Orchestra may be required to rehearse after school. Concert Orchestra performs intermediate/advanced literature (grade 5 as stated in the VMEA manual).
Amati Strings (Beginning)
- Beginning string players
- Students who have not played their instrument for very many years
- Students who are interested in learning a second stringed instrument
Mary Ann Hughes is the Orchestra Director and IB Music teacher at Princess Anne High School (PAHS), an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. During Mrs. Hughes’ tenure at Princess Anne, the orchestra program has grown from less than 20 students in one orchestra to nearly 80 students in 3 orchestras; the students range from beginning to professional level players. Mrs. Hughes is the founder and director of MultiCelli, an ensemble of cellists in grades 6-12 from all over Virginia Beach. She is also founder and director of Strings on Fire!, an alternative string group at Princess Anne High School.
Mary Hughes is invested in the advancement of the practice
of Music Education; she is a member of a committee of music teachers who are
designing the new secondary music curriculum for Virginia Beach Schools. Princess Anne High School Orchestras are
piloting the new curriculum, designed to promote a higher level of music
understanding, improving student musicianship.
Mrs. Hughes has also written the IB Music curriculum for Princess Anne
High School. The IB Music class
curriculum encompasses music history, world music, music theory, sight-singing
& dictation, composition and performance.
The orchestra classes at PAHS are IB Middle Years Programme classes; the
skills and concepts PAHS orchestra students are taught prepare them for a
successful IB Music experience.
Mary Hughes holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and
a Master’s degree in String Pedagogy from The Ohio State University, where she
studied under Dr. Robert Gillespie, renowned string pedagogue and
clinician. She has served as adjunct
cello professor at Otterbein and Kenyon colleges in Ohio. She teaches private cello lessons in Virginia
Beach. Mrs. Hughes is a professional
cellist, currently principal cellist for Symphonicity,
the symphony orchestra of Virginia Beach.
She also serves as cellist for various groups throughout the Tidewater
area, including The Galliard Trio, the
St. James String Quartet and the Encore
String Quartet.
Mary Hughes has been hailed as a master teacher, a Career
Teacher for Virginia Beach, Distinguished Educator for Princess Anne High School
(2007 and 2008), and received National Board Teacher Certification in 2011. She is a national workshop leader for The
International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme in Music, and has led other
cello and teaching workshops throughout the United States. She is a member of Music Educator’s National
Conference (MENC) and American String Teacher’s Association (ASTA). Mrs. Hughes is available for clinics,
workshops and guest conducting.
