ALTON - Alton Community Unit School District #11 fourth and fifth graders can learn more about the district’s orchestra program and decide how they’d like to get involved.
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On Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, at Alton High School, the district’s orchestra teachers will host an “instrument petting zoo” where students can try out the orchestra instruments and families will learn more about the program. Families can come at 6 p.m. or 6:45 p.m. Laura Plummer, who oversees the orchestra at East Elementary School and Alton High School, emphasized the benefits of joining an orchestra at a young age.
“It just gets their creative juices going,” she said. “There are all kinds of studies out there about music and how it makes you smarter. But again, it’s just getting that creativity going, and hopefully that carries back into their classrooms.”
Plummer collaborates with Abbi Knoche, who works at North Elementary School and Alton Middle School, and Sally Pierce, who works at West Elementary School and Alton Middle School. Together, the trio has built up the orchestra program within the school district.
On Aug. 25, all three teachers will be present with information about the orchestra at the elementary school level. Students will also have the opportunity to try playing the violin, viola, cello and bass. This, Plummer hopes, will help them decide which instrument they’d like to learn.
There will also be several high school students present who can answer questions and show off their skills.
Students who join the orchestra in fourth and fifth grades will enjoy a 30-minute lesson every week. These students are encouraged to work hard so they can maintain their grades in other classes while still practicing their instruments in their free time. This balance has been proven to teach discipline and promote academic success.
The Aug. 25 informational meeting will also allow caregivers to learn more about instrument rental and low-cost options. Plummer and her colleagues understand that money is tight for many, so the district and its partners work hard to ensure students can access instruments without breaking the bank.
The majority of students rent an instrument from a partner like Halpin Music. The district also offers fee waivers and low-cost rental options. More information will be available during the meeting on Aug. 25.
Plummer expressed her appreciation for the community and the school district. She noted that Alton’s robust orchestra program would not be possible without the support of district administrators, the Alton Band and Orchestra Builders, and other community members.
“The program is very strong in this community, and the community support has always been just amazing,” she added. “It’s great that the district supports the arts like that, and music especially, because a lot of districts don’t. Most districts in the state and around the country have band and choir, but not many have orchestra. And just to have that other outlet for these students [is great].”
For more information about the orchestra program at Alton Community Unit School District #11, or to learn more about the informational night on Aug. 25, contact Plummer at lplummer@altonschools.org.
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