Amberlyn Sacchetti String Methods I Method Book Evaluation Orchestra Expression Book II

I evaluated the second volume of the Orchestra Expressions series. I had both book one and book two to look at. I found that the general instructions, use of bowings, and musical terms are all explained really well throughout both books. At the beginning of each unit, there is an instructional framework. It basically outlines the whole lesson plan and tells you what national standards you will be achieving. From there, it goes through the lesson plan one step at a time. It explains everything really well. In the lesson plan outlines, there are also some vocabulary words defined. These musical terms are used throughout any kind of music and it is crucial that students know what they mean. This is great because as the student progresses on, they will be able to see the words and already know what they mean. I really liked the warm-ups that are shown in the units. I strongly believe it is important to warmup before you play any instrument. All in all, I really liked these books. I feel as though the pace for a student was perfect, and that they would be able to follow along without any problems. The quality of the music was great as well. Some of my favorite piece, such as, Canon in D, were in here. The corresponding worksheets are also a great plus to help students learn their string instrument better. As a non-string player, I would be more than comfortable to teach from these books.