FMS Music Webpage

Foothills Middle School Music Department, Arcadia Unified School District

Mr. Karl Morton, Music Director

Foothills Middle School Music Program

171 E. Sycamore Ave.

Arcadia, CA 91006 – 626 821-8363 x6331 Music Room

Dr. Ben Acker, Principal, Ms. Christina Siriani, Assistant Principal

Welcome to the Foothills Music Site!  Thanks for visiting.  

Foothills Middle School has four instrumental music groups:  

• Band 6 (6th Grade students) 
• Orchestra 6 (6th grade string students), 
• Highlander Band (7th and 8th Graders), 
• Highlander String Orchestra (7th and 8th Graders)

So that you know what a normal year’s worth of activity looks like at Foothills MS, here is what we have done over our last several years:

Our 6th grade groups start at a beginning level but move quickly through a first year method book so that everyone gets caught up by the end of the year and is able to play exciting music.  Intermediate and more advanced 6th graders are also enrolled in Band 6 or Orchestra 6 but help the group proceed forward much more quickly.  Both B6 and O6 perform evening concerts at Foothills twice yearly and attend an SCSBOA Music Festival in March at a local high school where they receive input from adjudicators on their performance and sight reading.  They also hear other older groups perform, eat lunch together and return home.

Our Highlander Band will attend three parades, a vertical concert which is a joint concert with our sister middle schools and the high school’s groups at the AHS PAC.  Each year we also travel to their elementary school to perform for younger siblings, former teachers and principals.  We also perform evening concerts at Foothills twice yearly and a number of school day student body performances.

Our Highlander String Orchestra will perform at a Fall String Concert and a Vertical Concert at the AHS PAC.  The HSO also attends an SCSBOA Music Festival at a local high school.  Each year we also travel to their elementary school to perform for younger siblings, former teachers and principals.    We also perform evening concerts at Foothills twice yearly and a number of school day student body performances.  Some years we also attend an LA Philharmonic rehearsal at Disney Hall or similar event to learn about careers in music.