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Dr. Sobieski to Conduct Central Jersey Intermediate Orchestra

Ranney School faculty member and All-School Orchestra Director Dr. Dorothy Sobieski was selected to conduct the Central Jersey Music Educators Association (CJMEA) Intermediate Orchestra for 2014.The CJMEA, a sector of the New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA), provides in-service and enrichment opportunities for practicing and retired teachers and prospective music educators, as well as sponsoring various festivals and all-state performing groups for K-12 students.

“I am very honored by this selection and to represent the growing Ranney Orchestra program,” said Dr. Sobieski. “It is not common that an instructor from a private school gets this opportunity and I am excited to work with students that represent the highest level of performance and skill in our area. It is a very rigorous process for them, and I look forward to hearing them combine as a group.”

Dr. Sobieski was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland. She began her music education at the age of 7 studying the violin and later the viola at the Karol Szymanowski School of Music. She went on to receive her Master’s of Music degree with Honors in viola performance at the Fryderyk Chopin Music University, the largest and oldest music institution in Poland. Dr. Sobieski earned a second Master’s of Music degree, also with Honors, from Louisiana State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

Dr. Sobieski joined Ranney School in 2008 and has been working on the continued development and expansion of the Ranney School String and Orchestra programs ever since. She not only brings her many years of musical and higher education experience with her, but also an evident passion for teaching and music. On top of developing a highly regarded, multi-divisional program, Dr. Sobieski also balances teaching courses with organizing concert and events, such as last year’s trip to Carnegie Hall, participating in community service initiatives and mentoring her students. Dr. Sobieski also works with students in third-eighth grade in Ranney’s Summer Programs as part of the school’s Summer Music Conservatory.

In 2012, Dr. Sobieski was honored with the Faculty Panther Prize Award, which recognizes faculty members that have made a lasting and meaningful impact on students’ personal and character development through sustained and significant commitment in extracurricular activities. The recipient also demonstrates the school’s values of Knowledge, Vision and Honor and reflects Ranney’s commitment to the development of the “whole child” by working toward the fulfillment of the school's mission-promise: every child is known and valued.

“In 2012, six Lower School students were selected to participate in the CJMEA Elementary Honors Orchestra and last year, 12 students were selected,” explained Dr. Sobieski. “The students strive to be recognized and I am certain that this will help me with working with my Ranney students and in developing ideas for our program. Everything that I learn and experience, I am able to bring back with me. All in all, it is beneficial for both my students and me—we all learn and grow together.”

On January 25, the CJMEA held auditions for the Intermediate Orchestra and once the selection process is complete, the musicians will begin practicing Dr. Sobieski’s repertoire, which will allow the participating students to explore a variety of musical styles and genres. Her selections include: “Three Pieces in Old Style” by Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki, “Hoedown form Rodeo” by Aaron Copland, “Sing Sing Sing” by Louis Prima, and “Variations on Paganini” by Robert McCashin. Dr. Sobieski will work with students in rehearsals and will conduct the final performance on March 9, 2014 at Ridge High School.
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.