Sophomore Rebecca Su practices her cello at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Lake of the Ozarks.

The snow day of Dec. 6 impacted musicians of the Missouri All-State Orchestra. Sophomore Rebecca Su was one of the three students from Parkway West High School that was accepted into the program through a non-traditional process. Although musicians normally meet in Columbia for an audition through the first week of December, the snowy weather conditions forced musicians to audition by sending in recordings of their music excerpts.

The highly competitive orchestra consisted of high school musicians from around the state that auditioned to be selected as part of an orchestral ensemble that meets at the Lake of the Ozarks once a year.

“I practiced my pieces with my mom and went to lessons with my cello teacher. It was difficult because auditions were supposed to be the day after finals, but I decided to audition because I made it in last year, and I had a lot of fun. I wanted to get in again because this year will be the last opportunity to perform with my brother Anthony in All-State before he goes to college,” Su said.

Su’s two older brothers both play violin, her younger brother plays piano, and she plays cello.

“Naturally, I wish to be as accomplished as my brothers, but I still remind myself that I just have to try my best. My family doesn’t really pressure me to perform well in orchestra, but they know that performing is something I want to do well. They are willing to help me improve every day,” she said.

After passing her audition, Su attended rigorous rehearsals. The ensemble lasted for three days, eight hours a day, with a concert on the last day.

“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s definitely very tiring. There are days when we wake up at six in the morning and don’t finish our last rehearsal until 12 at night. But since the people are so nice, it turns into a great experience. It really isn’t scary at all,” she said.

There were around 60 young musicians in All-State Orchestra from all over Missouri, including seniors Anthony Su and Ann Ryu.

“It’s cool to be surrounded by these people who are just as crazy about music as I am; we have a lot in common.  The best part about playing with other kids who love music is the pieces we play become so much more alive. It’s hard to describe, but we develop a really strong bond with the other players. Everyone gets a little competitive, but that’s all just part of the fun. Outside of rehearsals, we listen to motivational speakers, and some kids even go bowling. But most of the time, we are free to just do homework, hang out with our friends or, of course, practice some more,” Su said.