FOTO Friends of the George Washington Middle School Orchestra

Music transforms lives!

Orchestra is more than an elective that students select in middle school; music opens the mind, lifts the heart, and provides experiences beyond the everyday.  Friends of the George Washington Orchestra (FOTO) is dedicated to raising money to support these experiences. 

Under the steadfast direction of Jonathan Jones, The GW Middle School Orchestra has been the recipient of many awards and accolades over the past decade.  They regularly receive superior ratings at orchestra competitions.  Most recently they won “Best Overall String Orchestra” at the 2015 Music in the Parks Festival.

Our goals are modest. Our hope is to give each orchestra student the chance, at least once during their middle school years, to experience the cultural life of a new city. 

Three years ago, we were able to take 50 orchestra students to New York City where they attended a workshop with a member of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra; shared a music exchange evening with a middle school in New Jersey; and attended a performance at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.  Last year, we traveled to Boston, and with your help, we would like to travel to Philadelphia in 2018.  Please support the orchestra.  Thank you.

Orchestra is more than an elective at GWMS. Music opens the mind, lifts the heart, and provides experiences beyond the everyday.  Friends of the George Washington Orchestra (FOTO) is dedicated to raising money to support these experiences. 

This year, we are dedicating all of the Spring2ACTion funds raised to send our student musicians to annual regional competitions! Our goal is to make it possible for ALL children to attend competitions, without the barrier of an entry or transportation fee.

Under the steadfast direction of Jonathan Jones, The GW Middle School Orchestra has been the recipient of many awards and accolades over the past decade.  They regularly receive superior ratings at the District X Assessment and local, statewide, and national festivals.

Thanks to your annual generosity, our students have traveled to New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta—attending workshops with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. With community support, FOTO provided scholarships to students in need so that every student who wanted to travel with their orchestra was able to do so.

With your help, we can continue to support all student musicians and the needs of our large, vibrant middle school orchestra. The many parent volunteers of FOTO and the student musicians thank you for your financial support.

Please support these wonderful students! Thank you for your consideration.