A Sonata to Strings

Big instruments, floods of uninterpreted symbols, papers flying, and amidst all that chaos, music. It’s a tornado, a whirlwind of sounds, that sweeps the stage clean yet comes out organized. The conductor manifests and controls the flowing notes that are playing in perfect harmony across sections, flawlessly in time and a beauty to the ears. That’s the vision, and reality, of the performing arts class orchestra. We’ve all heard of orchestra class and string instruments. In fact, orchestra was deemed to be the best fit for the age of 5th grade with similar learning approaches across instruments and less physical exertion than band. The performing arts committee reasoned that orchestra was better for teaching a group of beginners all together. But what really makes orchestra such a great class?

First, the sounds produced by an orchestra touch the heart and communicate with the soul, setting off an explosion of feelings within a listener. The string orchestra is said to sound very human-like, especially the cello with its strong sound and wide range of notes. The instruments each represent different voices, like in a choir, and the range of octaves matches the balance of different human ranges. This similarity is a primary reason why an orchestra produces such moving and emotional music. Orchestras also harness the power of dynamics, harmonies, and articulation to convey a story and emotionally move the audience, causing bursts of dopamine and connecting to memories. In fact, American composer and guitarist Glenn Branca explained, “When I hear a great rock band it can make me feel alive, but when I hear a great orchestra it can make me feel human.” The ability to produce such wonderful music is something the string orchestra does best.

Second, playing a string orchestral instrument is hard like how hot sauce is hot: no shortcuts and plenty of frustration. There are no buttons to push, no hints as to where you place your fingers to produce the right note. Participating in orchestra develops strong motor skills and practices a significant amount of focus, which translates into other classes like PE, math, or English. One also learns to be more patient and perseverant as they learn their instrument. Furthermore, being a part of an orchestra means being on a team. Students listen purposefully to each other, which builds skills for social interactions and active listening and fuels each student with a sense of community. As Gustavo Dudamel, a Venezuelan conductor, said, “With an orchestra you are building citizens, better citizens for the community.” Orchestra members also develop stronger emotional skills and empathy as they connect emotionally to the music. Finally, orchestra is so cognitively demanding that participants engage their brains more and develop strong thinking skills that help them with problem-solving in other areas.

Third, research has shown that playing in string orchestra has positive effects on your overall academic performance. For example, orchestra students receive higher average SAT/ACT scores and overall grades than other students in school. Studies involving students in music classes in general have also found that instrumental music classes have a bigger impact on exam scores in other classes than vocal music classes. This is caused by the challenge of reading music, eye-hand-mind coordination, listening skills, and a practice mindset. Almost all of your brain is engaged when you play an instrument, and this is true even more so when you play in orchestra class. Participating in orchestra gets your brain running around in circles, firing up neurons and scrambling to keep up. It especially engages the right side of your noggin and improves your memory.

Orchestra is truly unique and provides many benefits to students involved. Whether it's producing emotionally stimulating music, building muscle memory, strengthening your cooperation skills, or creating lasting impacts on your academics, being part of an orchestra really matters — and counts. Now, when you’re asked why orchestra’s as good as some say, how will you answer?