Orchestra kicked off the musical week on Feb. 27 with their annual winter concert, featuring members of the concert, chamber and symphonic sections. Additionally, the concert included a performance by the orchestra’s cello-only section, known as the Cello Choir. 

The concert followed months of preparation in the effort of musical cohesion and unity. Under the guidance of orchestra director Ed Sandheinrich, each section worked to perfect their respective pieces. 

“We’ve been preparing [for the concert] since November, on and off, with in-class rehearsals. Symphonic [Orchestra] also had a couple of clinicians come in,” Sandheinrich said. “We got ready in class every day.” 

The process of preparing for a performance like this one is not straightforward or easy, due to the complexity of the music. However, despite setbacks and issues while rehearsing, the players worked to make everything sound clean and polished by performance day. 

“[In our] last concert, we didn’t do so well. There [were] a lot of intonation issues, and our playing wasn’t together. What we did to fix that was record and listen back to our playing a lot, and Mr. Sandheinrich gave us a lot of feedback,” Cello Choir member and freshman William Tanudyaya said. “[During] this concert, we were looking to show off our hard work.”

The pieces that the orchestras performed ranged from the exalted work of classic composers such as Dmitri Shostakovich and his “Waltz No. 2” to the melodies of more modern tunes like an arrangement of “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles. 

“My favorite song to play [was] “Stand by Me.” I didn’t really know the song when we started playing [it], but I grew to like it. Playing it at the concert was fun because there [were] high notes,” Tanudyaya said. “You could really make it sound beautiful.”

A piece that the orchestra performed where their hard work was apparent was the Symphonic Orchestra’s performance of “Two Elegiac Melodies” by prolific romantic-era composer Edvard Grieg. 

“I feel like we have a good interpretation of [Two Elegiac Melodies.] The kids were playing it really well: [it’s] probably the one that they played the best,” Sandheinrich said. 

The piece, divided into two distinct sections named Hjertesår and Våren, was part of a unique opportunity for students taking Creative Writing 1. Collaborating with English teachers Dan Barnes and Shannan Cremeens, Sandheinrich featured ekphrastic poems written by three different students in the concert program. Ekphrasis, the act of writing a poem in response to a piece of music or work of art, is taught in the curriculum of Creative Writing 1 around the same time as when the orchestra rehearses for the winter concert.  

“The connection between music and writing is the connection of the humanities. Art can’t help but inspire more art,” Barnes said. “Through writing, we are able to connect, empathize and value the human experience.”

Barnes, Cremeens and Sandheinrich were very satisfied with the poems that ended up on the final program and plan to continue collaborating in the future. Outside of “Two Elegiac Melodies,” the concert overall was a moment of reflection for all the players about their journeys as musicians during the year.

“The improvement of the orchestra overall was noticeable from the start of the year when we first got [the pieces] to the actual concert, so I’m happy with the improvement,” Concert Orchestra member and freshman Adam Thomas said.

Concerts like these are just one of the ways that the orchestra program allows students to form bonds with each other and forge friendships around the music that they play. 

“My favorite part of orchestra is the friendships. Because it’s a teamwork-based class, you play together, you have to work together [and] if you’re not in tune, you can ask your friends for help,” Thomas said. “[Orchestra] also made me look at other people’s perspectives, making friendships [that] really changed my outlook on a lot of things. I’m grateful for [it] and all the things [it] taught me.” 

Overall, the winter concert served as the culmination of months of hard work by the orchestra. 

“[Music] is such a big part of who we are, and to learn about, appreciate and connect to [it], it’s such a nice thing to do,” Sandheinrich said. “During your day, there’s a lot of subjects where you’re using your brain in the same way, [but] when you take a music class, you start using your brain differently.”   

The musical festivities continued the next evening, Feb. 28, with the band program’s winter concert. The concert, hosted at the Principia Ridgeway Auditorium, featured performances by the middle school band as well as the high school concert and symphonic bands. 

“We’d been working on the music since the middle of November. The biggest challenge [was] making sure everyone [knew] their part,” band director Brad Wallace said. “It’s like a big puzzle.”

A motley of different moods and tones that showed their talent, a lot of the music that the bands played was far from simple. 

“I really like lyrical pieces like [our second song “Variations on a Korean Folk Song”.] [It] was probably the most difficult for [symphonic band]. It was the longest [piece] with a lot of different tempos and sections; we did a good job putting it together so I’m proud of us for that,” symphonic band member and senior Alex DeLuca said.

Other highlights from the concert include the sentimental piece “With Every Sunrise” by Robert Sheldon, written in memory of Sheldon’s lifelong friend Kris Robert Sebens. Portraying a journey through grief, the piece blends together moments of emotional turmoil and poignant resolution to create a unique listening experience. 

During the concert, Wallace and fellow band director Jacob England took time to congratulate members of the Symphonic Band who qualified for All-Suburban and All-State band, titles reserved for those who excel in their knowledge of music and their respective instruments.

“I was genuinely shocked; I didn’t think I was [going to make it.] [Making All-Suburban band] is difficult. You get a packet right before school ends, and you have the summer to prepare it,” DeLuca said. “I didn’t practice it that much over the summer, but in the weeks leading up to [auditions for All-Suburban band], I practiced every single day. It’s a lot of work.”

Symphonic Band member and sophomore Cara Purdy also scored status as an all-suburban band member. Purdy was also one of even fewer people to qualify for All-State band, which she headed to Columbia, Mo. to audition for.  

“I had two auditions [the day of competition], and my first audition went terribly, but I guess [the judges] saw something in me and gave me a callback. [After the second audition], we were on our way home, and I [got] a message from one of my band directors. Then I [looked] at the list and [saw] that I made it and screamed,” Purdy said. 

While each band played their setlists without any problem on the day of the performance, their cohesive sound was actually the result of multiple months of meticulous practicing and tweaking.

“[‘Crowns of Glory’ by Jack Wilds] was the majority of our time during class. There was a lot of blending between instruments. It took a lot of time,” Concert Band member and sophomore Ella Bruner said. 

Nevertheless, the Winter Concert was a night to remember for everyone involved, filled to the brim with ringing melodies and emotive cadences. The accomplishments of the band as a whole were a great example of the strength of the community and the passion of the band members. 

“[Being in band] means the whole world to me,” Purdy said. “We’re dedicated people [and] it’s an amazing community to be a part of.”

Overall, band and music classes offer a unique learning experience for students who participate in them, existing in a separate sphere from the coursework of everyday classes.

“There’s no other class like [band] in the building,” Wallace said. “It’s a class where we all work together towards a common goal.”

Ending the week on a high note, the orchestra performed yet again on Feb. 29 and March 1, this time traveling to Lindbergh High School for evaluation through the MSHSAA Large Group Ensemble Music Festival. The concert and chamber sections combined for their performance while symphonic followed suit for their separate evaluation the next day. 

The Large Group Ensemble Festival event follows a process of performing a series of songs in front of judges, who evaluate qualities of musical cohesion, technique and emotion. Afterward, the group moves to a separate room, tasked with sight-reading an unfamiliar piece of music and judged on their ability to perform it cohesively on-command. 

“There’s something different about performing for a judge that makes people really focus and prepare, so having that angle has helped us focus a lot in class to get things done,” Symphonic Orchestra player and senior Cora Tiemeier said. 

The orchestra is then evaluated based on a five-scale rating, ranking highest to lowest from Exemplary to Ineffective. Through the feedback of the rating, the students were able to visualize the techniques to improve upon based on judge commentary. 

“It’s important to get feedback from another person’s perspective because if it’s just your peers and your teacher telling you, you’ve already heard the same thing over and over, and it blows over your mind,” Concert Orchestra member and freshman Sara Ashok said. “We know we weren’t the best, as some of our intonation was definitely off, [but] to learn about what we’re doing wrong with our music and spots that we could fix was a good experience.”

Despite the constructive criticism, the judges’ feedback also praised the orchestra on their impressive technicality and cohesion, providing the students with not only a boost of self-confidence but also an understanding of where the orchestra’s quality of sound lies. 

“[The feedback] was accurate. We’ve been working on these songs for a couple [of] months because we did them for the concert, Large Group and for All-Districts next week and the ratings reflected [that work],” Symphonic Orchestra member and sophomore Victoria Gold said.  “I also like being able to perform in front of a judge [because] we know what we can do to improve individually and as a group to play better and increase our sound quality.” 

The orchestra worked to perfect their pieces from the winter concert for the Large Group Ensemble Festival, practicing with an emphasis on tone, intonation and unity. Beginning with Kirt N. Mosier’s “Danse Estrangé,” a percussive melody that developed the cultural sounds of traditional South American music, the Concert and Chamber Orchestras delivered a striking introduction to their lineup of songs. 

“We played “Danse Estrangé” the best because the intonation was all together. We worked hard on it for a solid three months before [Large Group] so the rating was well-deserved,” Ashok said. 

Consequently, the connection between the members of all groups of the orchestra increased as they worked extensively under the common goal of producing a well-executed performance. 

“Orchestra class is a group activity. You have to be willing to work with people and know that you don’t always know right. You just have to keep improving; how much you do will impact the class,” Tiemeier said.

Additionally, the Large Group Ensemble Festival offers a unique experience in that after performing, the orchestra can watch orchestras from other schools play for evaluation. With this opportunity, the students receive a firsthand connection with other performing orchestras while being able to study their musical techniques. 

“It’s fun to listen to different groups because every group is going to have their own way of playing things and their own artistic interpretation of music. It’s cool to listen to how their group works together,” Tiemeier said. 

Overall, the environment of performing for a professional judge and receiving an evaluation serves as a space for musicality to grow. Through the Large Group Ensemble Festival, members of the orchestra gained a sense of unity and resilience under their efforts for the performance, coming out of the field trip with not only high technical ratings but a community experience to learn from as well. 

“[Large Group] gives you the ability of determination to persevere through hard things. It teaches you how to be versatile. You’re not always going to love everything you play, but the outcome teaches you to work hard,” Tiemeier said. “When we get our scores, it helps us see where we are, but it also gives us a boost to see that all that work we put in wasn’t for nothing. It’s good to hear, and it’s good to learn how we can make our future pieces even better.”