Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
Rockville, Maryland, is home to Thomas S. Wootton High School, one of twenty-eight high schools in the Montgomery County Public School System (MCPS). The school system is the largest in Maryland and 15th in the United States. Wootton Feeder Schools are Cabin John Middle School and Robert Frost Middle School. These schools all serve a vast geographical area, spanning portions of Rockville, Potomac, and North Potomac, MD. Thomas S. Wootton High School has 1,911 students in grades 9–12 with a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1. According to the Best High Schools USNews Rankings, Wootton is ranked #196 with an overall score of 98.89 and fourth in Maryland. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Thomas S. Wootton High School is 85%. The total minority enrollment is 63%, and 13% of students are economically disadvantaged.
With 280 students enrolled in its bands and orchestras, Wootton has a rich tradition of providing an exceptional music education. The school has historically had the most students represented in the district honors groups and the Maryland Junior and Senior All State Bands and Orchestras. During Mrs. Herman’s tenure, her ensembles have earned top ratings at district, state, and national adjudications, and they have performed for music educators conferences at both the district and state levels, as well as three All-Eastern Conferences. The top ensemble, the Chamber Orchestra, performed at the Midwest Clinic in 2006, under Mrs. Herman’s direction. The Marching Band consistently earns top-three finishes on the USBands and Maryland Marching Band Association circuits in the 3A, 4A, and, most recently, Open Class. In 2018, the marching band was the USBands Group 3A National Champions and the Maryland State Champions. At the Maryland Marching Band State Championships in 2024, the marching band placed 2nd. The Indoor Guard and Percussion program participates in the KIDA circuit, and in 2024, the guard placed 3rd, and the percussion placed 1st in the KIDA championships. The groups have also been showcased at regional events, like the MCPS New Educators Orientation and Learning Forward Conference in Washington, DC.
Wootton’s band and orchestra program consists of seven different performing classes. The curricular classes offered are three orchestras, three bands, and a jazz band. AP Music Theory is also offered on an annual basis. The extracurricular ensembles offered are marching band, indoor guard, indoor percussion, orchestra pit for theater productions, and The Express, a student-led ensemble active in community outreach. The orchestra classes are offered in three levels: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Each course is provided daily for 42 minutes, and the advanced groups meet in sectionals. Mrs. Herman conducts all the orchestra classes and co-teaches the Symphonic Winds, as well as AP Music Theory.
The primary focus of the Patriot Strings is sound production and a solid foundation. Shifting and vibrato are started for every student, and rhythm skills expanded. The Symphonic Strings extend the skills introduced in the Patriot Strings and begin focusing on technical studies working on music typically in the grade 4-5 difficulty. The Chamber Orchestra builds upon the skills established in Patriot Strings and Symphonic Strings and strives for greater refinement, musicality, and artistry by performing more challenging and varied works within grades 5-6. The repertoire is balanced to include a comprehensive curriculum of lyric works, classic and contemporary concert and festival compositions, and some full orchestra repertoire, along with relevant and educational popular selections.
Being close to Washington, D.C., students have access to a wealth of highly qualified studio teachers, including the region’s top freelance and chamber musicians, members of the premier military orchestras and professional orchestras, such as the National and Baltimore Symphonies, and faculty at the University of Maryland, Peabody Conservatory, and Catholic University.
Many of Wootton’s musicians participate in either summer music programs or camps such as the National Philharmonic, University of Maryland, or Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras during the summer. Numerous students travel out of state to participate in Interlochen and Tanglewood, and several have been selected for the National Youth Orchestra (NYO or NYO2) at Carnegie Hall. Countless students have continued their study of music in college, many of whom are now music educators, performers, or conductors.
The recording submitted for consideration is a testament to the dedication of Wootton’s students and director. Minimal outside coaching was utilized, and while sectionals were held, they were led primarily by students or Mrs. Herman due to scheduling constraints. This performance reflects the ensemble’s hard work, discipline, and commitment to musical excellence.
Thomas S. Wootton High School Chamber Orchestra
Conductor's Bio
Carolyn Herman has been one of the Instrumental music teachers at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Montgomery County Public Schools for the last 21 years, and she has taught her entire 31 year career in MCPS. Under Mrs. Herman’s leadership and instruction, Wootton’s Orchestra program has grown from one orchestra of 25 students to three different string orchestra classes organized by ability and music difficulty, including 115 string students. Mrs. Herman’s top orchestra has performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2006, three different NAfME All-Eastern Conferences, as well as many Maryland Music Educator conferences in the past 21 years. All three orchestra classes as well as Wootton’s band classes regularly attend the MCPS Assessments and earn Superior ratings. Carolyn also enjoys volunteering to promote music education by working as the Manager of the MMEA All State Senior Orchestra and as a member of the Montgomery County Music Educators Association. Carolyn Herman was selected as the Maryland Music Educator of the year by the Maryland Music Educators Association in February 2024. Carolyn has a M.A. in Conducting from George Mason University and a B.M.E. in Music Education from the Ohio State University. Carolyn is married to retired music teacher, Scott Herman, with whom she has one daughter who is currently majoring in French horn performance at Arizona State University.
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