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LMMS OrchestraThe orchestra program at Lost Mountain Middle School has been in existence since the opening of the school in 1992. The past orchestra directors were Erin Barnett and Jule Anderson-Cutcliff. The present orchestra director, Linda DeMerritt-Stephens has been with the program since 2000.
The orchestra program boasts over 300 members in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The program offers orchestral instruction for beginning, intermediate, and advanced performers. The course is taught on a daily basis throughout the school year. The program is also enhanced by before school programs - the violin and cello choirs, and advanced chamber ensembles. These groups meet once a week and perform for the community outreach programs. The orchestra program has received numerous awards. The eighth grade orchestra was accepted to perform at G.M.E.A convention at Savannah in 2011 and 2014. The seventh and eighth grade orchestras have received consecutive Superior ratings at the Cobb County Middle School Large Group Festival in both performance and sight-reading. They have also been accepted to perform for Walt Disney World's Magic Music Days for the past fourteen years. The seventh and eighth grade orchestras have also performed at the State Capitol with former Governor Sonny Perdue conducting! We have had numerous students received Superior ratings at Solo and Ensemble Festival, place into the Cobb County Middle School Honors Orchestra, and G.M.E.A All-State orchestra. |
Director, Linda Stephens
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Ms. Linda Stephens is in her 20th year as the director of the Lost Mountain Middle School Orchestra Program in Cobb County. The orchestra program boasts over 300 students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade levels. Under Ms. Stephens' guidance, the Lost Mountain Orchestras have received Superior ratings at Large Group Festival. The 8th Grade Chamber Orchestra was selected to perform at the 2011 and 2014 Georgia Music Educator's Conference. For the past 18 years, the eighth grade orchestras have been invited to perform at Disney World and the Georgia State Capitol.
From 1996 until 2000, Ms. Stephens was Director of Orchestras at Harrison High School in Cobb County. The Harrison Orchestras received consecutive Superior ratings at the state and regional festivals. In 1998, the Harrison Chamber Orchestra was chosen to perform at the Georgia Music Educator's Association state conference. That same year, Ms. Stephens was selected as Who's Who Among America's Teachers and was presented the Cobb County Award of Excellence. During her 24 years of teaching in Cobb County, Ms. Stephens has served as Treasurer for the Georgia Music Educator's Association District 12, High School Honors Orchestra Chairman, Middle School Honors Orchestra Chairman, Strings Jamboree Coordinator, and Middle/High School Large Group Orchestra Festival Chairman. Ms. Stephens has had the privilege to conduct and adjudicate numerous orchestra festivals and Honors programs throughout the state of Georgia. She is also on staff as conductor/violinist with the Encore Music camp and has conducted the Gwinnett and Henry county 6th grade Honors Orchestra Programs as well as the guest conductor for the Fayette County High School Honors Orchestra. Prior to teaching in Cobb County, Ms. Stephens taught with the Omaha, Nebraska and Arlington, Texas Public Schools. In Omaha, she was conductor and educational coordinator of the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras and Honors Orchestra Program. Her Texas Junior High programs consistently received Superior Ratings at the University Inter-Scholastic League Contests. In addition to her public school teaching, Ms. Stephens is a certified Suzuki Violin Specialist. She has taught Suzuki for the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras, the Youth Orchestras of Greater Fort Worth and the University of Texas at Arlington. Ms. Stephens earned her Bachelor of Music Education Degree and a Minor in Violin Performance from Tulsa University. As a violinist, she has performed with the Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Philharmonic, Denton Bach Society Fort Worth Symphony and free lance violinist throughout the Atlanta metro-plex. Ms. Stephens resides in Marietta, Georgia, with sons Paul (percussionist) and Dean (cellist). |
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Catherine Bitinas, Assistant Director
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Catherine Bitinas is serving her third year as the assistant director of the Lost Mountain Middle School Orchestra Program. In addition to her classroom teaching responsibilities, she maintains a small studio providing private instruction to violin and viola students and actively performs throughout the Atlanta area.
Mrs. Bitinas began her musical studies in Tucson, Arizona. She proceeded to study at The University of Alabama under Dr. Anne C. Witt and Dr. Dan Sweaney and the University of South Carolina under Dr. Gail Barnes. In 2016, Mrs. Bitinas completed a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education at the University of South Carolina. As a student, she was on the executive team of the USC ASTA chapter and a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women. Since then she has traveled across the country playing and teaching music. She has enjoyed performing with orchestras in Arizona, Colorado, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. |