The sound of strings playing in the background. The musicians sway to the beat of the music. The stage that acts like an island that would hold the musicians and their instruments. The overwhelming audience that surrounds them like the ocean. The sounds and the music that echoes through the enormous stage. Now this is what the Chamber Orchestra of Bob Miller does. 

Behind the performances in the Chamber Orchestra several preparations are made - music gets selected, students practice, and learn pieces.

To start off, how can the musicians or conductors ever decide what musical piece or what kind of tempo they should use when playing for concerts?

“I choose the music based on the students' playing level and music preference. So usually you would choose one hard piece, a fast piece, and an expressive piece,” said Mrs. Sanders, conductor of the Chamber Orchestra.

The repertoire that the conductor chooses depends entirely on what type of performance it is supposed to be.  In the Chamber Orchestra the conductor tries to choose the music by picking the musical pieces that are all different so the audience can have a more diverse repertoire and enjoy the music.

Rehearsing and preparing for concerts is a major key to a great performance on stage. For musicians, practicing is the most important part of the process that enables musicians to play well on stage. A cellist in the Chamber Orchestra demonstrated how he practices musical pieces:

 “I would start to practice the measure very slowly. I would make sure the notes are in tune and then later on I start to make the tempo faster,” said Camden Torrez, 8th grade.

Musicians usually do not view practicing as a chore or something they need to finish by the end of the day. It is just part of their everyday routine and they genuinely enjoy hearing the sound that string instruments make and the feeling of accomplishment after learning a piece . The Chamber Orchestra in Bob Miller helps students to follow their passion  and that is why they were put into the highest performing orchestra group.

The diversity and contrast in Chamber orchestra is what makes it the top performing group for a reason. The Chamber group is the efficacious orchestra of Bob Miller. An article from abc.netau talks about chamber orchestras and mentions that there are usually less musicians  than a traditional type of orchestra. A smaller group of musicians can perform a stronger and cleaner sound. 

Photo by: Lola-Marie Gogsadze

8th grade student, Annabell Fugazzi playing the violin.

Photo provided by : Raagavi Mohan Kumar

Have you found yourself playing chess? Well you’re not alone, many students here at Bob Miller have been playing chess online. But have you wondered why chess, in general, is suddenly so popular?

Starting from the creation, the earliest version of chess was invented in 760 A.D. and included a chariot and an elephant instead of the rook and bishop pieces. But there are many different versions of chess, each with different creation dates.

An early version of chess was created by Grand Vizier Sissa Ben Dahir who created the “modern” game of chess. 

With the internet, chess has become easily accessible across the globe. There are also Youtubers and Twitch streamers playing chess, which makes their viewers want to play as well. Additionally, many people find it fun, and a way to spend time. ”I play chess because it is fun, it’s like why you play sports…and you get to beat someone,” said Sarah Chen, 8th grade. 

But, why should you play chess? What will come of it? According to whitbyschool.org, kids who play chess learn problem solving, abstract thinking, creative thinking, pattern recognition, and strategic thinking. Connor Sullivan, 8th grade, started playing when he was five. ”I found an interest while playing against the (Coronado) high school team,” said Sullivan.

Chess teaches you many life skills, and it is a very old game. But would you start playing chess, or do you already play chess?