The Best Part of UDHS Orchestra Classes--SY 2019-20

The best part of orchestra class this year was the people and the music. Being with both people in my grade and other grades was quite a change from middle school, but I really liked it. I met many new seniors, juniors, and sophomores that I never knew before, and it was nice having friendly faces through the hallways. I was also glad that most of my class consisted of freshmen, especially my friends, which was a big relief for me. Even if they weren’t in my class I still would’ve had a great time, but the fact that I always had friends to talk to before and after class was a really important part for me that helped me thoroughly enjoy the class. Everyone, in general, was so nice and had lots of talent that I could learn from. I wish many of the seniors were staying because I really enjoyed playing with them over the past couple of months. Another part of orchestra class that I also liked a lot was the music choices. The range of genres that we had and the different kinds of playing that was required really made class a lot more interesting and gave us more things to work with. Even the “catchiness” of the songs was fun because I could start singing a random part of a song and Nina could join in with her part, even if they did get stuck in our head for hours. For the first time in my playing career, I really wanted to listen online to the songs and hear how other orchestras played it and what I could do to better the orchestra. All-in-all, orchestra class was a really fun time this year because of the people and music.

The best part of orchestra classes for this year was being able to practice as a class--something that was previously taken for granted. I think that after years of having school-mandated and more importantly multiple instruments practicing, not having it emphasizes its significance.

The best part of orchestra classes for this year was the practices at night and the Enhancement days. I enjoyed getting along with new people. These night classes made it easier to know more people I play with and with whom I go to school. I liked the humor and jokes we had during our classes since I am a new person in this district and people.

For me, the best part of orchestra classes this year was the class size. I know that’s not really something that you (Mrs. Herrmann) can control, but we had at least one of each instrument part, minus the bass. We always had at least three cellos, so we knew what our part would sound like with more than one person playing it. We always had at least two violas and second violins, and I think there was only one of my classes in which there was a single first violin. It really helped to draw the larger picture of the pieces we were playing, and I liked getting to the stage knowing that the way we played the piece was the way I heard it in class.

The best part of orchestra classes this year (which hopefully is the same every year) was the environment. Everyone was really welcoming, understanding, and nice. Especially coming from middle school, 9th grade seemed like it was going to be a very difficult transition, but it was actually really smooth. I think specifically, I was really terrified for PMEA auditions, but it was actually a really good experience and less terrifying because the people in higher grades were there to help me. I think that without some of the older kids to help, it would have been so much more stressful. I also really liked the songs that we played and being together to play them. I am a little disappointed that the rest of the year was spent in quarantine, but I am grateful for the opportunities that I was able to experience.

The best part of orchestra this year was how included we all were. I especially liked how the classes were pretty small and how that allowed us to give our opinions on a lot of things. Getting to choose certain pieces was really great and specifically, in Soph Strings it was really fun to get to choose what we played during rehearsal. Even the individual playing exams were really helpful because we got to receive specific feedback on our playing. I just really enjoyed how included everyone was during class and especially since all the freshmen were involved as well.

Overall, Orchestra was a learning experience for me because I have only been a part of 5 other orchestras and have never played with a high school orchestra. Due to this, I believe that the best part of orchestra this year was performing at the concert for it was my first high school orchestra performance and it was a memorable moment this year.

The best part of orchestra class this year was performing in the lobby after the winter concert showcase because I enjoyed playing music for the school and it was fun to sight-read holiday music with everyone. I also liked how casual it was which was a new experience. For next year, I think we should try to do something that brings music from this year that we couldn't play for the spring concert into our repertoire and also do something in our winter concert that appreciates those who were impacted by COVID-19.

The best part of the orchestra in general for me were the performances. I liked how I got to play with my friends. I liked how hard we work into these performances and how it all came together. I also liked that I got to be a part of Sophisticated Strings this year. I am looking forward to another great year orchestra!

I think the best part of the orchestra class is the attention paid to completing tasks and learning in the class, as well as the reliability surrounding the nature of the class. In orchestra class, there is a detailed but not a very expansive curriculum to cover, so there is very little distraction when it comes to learning, and I think we cover a lot of material in a relatively small time frame in class. I think that the model of class is also good because orchestra students know what to expect and that improves cohesion and continuity in the group year in and year out. I would also say that Continuity of Education projects were very educational and appropriate for the COVID-19 shutdown. I think that they were an effective transition of musical education from the classroom to the home and they were not too much work considering the timeframe and work from other classes. I think that the system and the continuity from year to year are the factors that make orchestra successful and understandable for students, both freshmen and seniors alike.

Although we didn’t have a full year of orchestra, the best part of orchestra was the Winter concert because we got to see the whole orchestra come together and play the pieces we were working on all year. Whenever we perform in concert, I feel that we all understand we have to be at our best, and the music always comes together for the concerts. I think that the Spring concert would have been even better if we had it, I especially liked the Romanian folk dances and I think we would have had a great performance of them.

The best part of orchestra for me this year would have to be meeting new people. This year when I was able to meet new people it was really fun. I loved it even more when it came to the seniors. The reason for that is because they were mentors in a sense. The graduating class have been in orchestra at the high school for four years and it was so amazing to get to know and learn from them. I feel like they have helped me in all ways not just in orchestra, but in school in general. It was very great to have them around and they also motivated me to push myself. Especially this one senior in the viola section. She has helped me so much in this school year and I am so grateful for her and everything she has done. Not only was she just helpful, but she also made class fun along with everyone else there. Though we did play music there was never a dull moment in class, rehearsal, etc. That is something that will always stick with me. Even though most of us met because of orchestra it is like we’re one large family outside of orchestra and even school in general.

Apart from playing with others, I thought the best part was actually when we didn’t play and Mrs. Herrmann talked to us. We learned about life as well as music. Because Orchestra is so free-form compared to other classes, there was room for you to talk to us about stories both silly and serious. Although it’s not the Music Theory class, there was room for that too: sonata form, composer history, the meaning of dynamics, and so on...the music theory lessons definitely have a place in my opinion. Maybe a couple days every month or so could be dedicated to music discussions, perhaps with a focus on one of the pieces for the upcoming concert. This would especially make sense for five-day Orchestra students, since I recall that we were often ahead in class — we often ended up having such discussions anyway, so I thought it would be a good idea to formalize them a little. The only problem I can foresee is that the usual question-answering phobia may kick in, but once students are used to such lessons, I expect that that would diminish over time, especially after several years of them.

Comments about the Music we play: The music that we play in the UDHS Orchestra is, above all, diverse. The selections that we play are selected across all different time periods focusing on different musical concepts, technical skills, instruments, and ideas. Some music that we play there is a greater emphasis on mastering technically challenging segments, while other selections are easy to learn but hard to master as they focus on musicality and level of expression. During my time in the orchestra, I have played songs from the Baroque period to contemporary period, as well as holiday music and music from shows and movies. The music selection itself has expanded my own musical knowledge and understanding of different musical skills and composition styles. Over the course of the school year, we prepare about 12 selections for performances in winter and spring concerts, in addition to SOFA and Music in Our Schools month. Another way that we are able to perform other selections include using the large Sophisticated Strings folders to practice selected pieces from among hundreds of compositions when we are not preparing for a concert. As we prepare to play the pieces for whatever concert we are preparing for, we also learn about the song, with a theme of when and why it was written influencing the musical concepts and ideas within the piece.

When I was a freshman, one piece of music that was a particular challenge and that was satisfying to learn was the Concerto Grosso by Ernest Bloch. On the cello, this piece was rather challenging and involved rapid scales and patterns that involved shifting and other challenging techniques. One song that we played last year that emphasized the level of expression was Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky. This song is from the Romantic period, and emotional music with great dynamic changes and expression are hallmark traits of music from that time. While the song did not have incredibly complex tonal or rhythmic patterns, you have to embrace the musicality of the piece. One song that we did not have a chance to play in concert this year but was very technically challenging was An American In Paris. This piece of music has very complex rhythmic and tonal patterns, and it had taken the orchestra several weeks to prepare it for SOFA and the Spring Concert. While it is distinctly different from Bloch’s Concerto Grosso, each piece was originally written around the same time period, and very small sections of each piece seem to be incorporating similar ideas.

For me, I just really enjoyed the music that we played this year. From Sarabande to Swamp Thang to Romanian Folk Dances I just enjoyed the music that we played. The music that we played was fun to play, and it wasn’t as difficult for me as other years have been.

The best part of the orchestra this year for me is my change of attitude toward orchestra classes throughout the whole year. At the beginning of the year I used to have less enthusiasm and dedication to the class and even on my instrument. I used to think music is boring, practicing is hard, and thus I only spent a little amount of time on it. I remember the turning point was then I realized how bad I am in the sophisticated strings club, there's no way I am going to play through a sheet of music unless there's time spent on practicing.

I believe that the highlight of my orchestra experience this year was actually the field trips we went on through Sophisticated Strings to perform ourselves, or to musical performances such as the trip to the Kimmel Center. While normal everyday practice like we did throughout the year had no negatives to it, the Soph Strings trips and the Kimmel Center provided something special--something different from the usual routine of practicing pieces. Additionally, through our Soph Strings performances, we essentially held miniature concerts while also being able to travel around to places where I normally wouldn’t go, since my consistent routine of school, gymnastics practice, and repeat never contained many different places for me to go to. Considering the lack of performances we had through normal concerts as both SOFA and our Spring Concert were cancelled, it was a pleasant feeling that we didn’t miss everything per say, and we still had our chance to perform. In particular, I really enjoyed the trip to the Kimmel Center, as it was somewhere I had never been before, and while I didn’t understand exactly everything with the music going on, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This year sadly there wasn't much to be the best part of the year. Because COVID-19 cut off the part of the year where we get to perform I feel that we missed one of the best parts of Orchestra. In previous years my favorite part besides the Concerts is always the trips. Especially the trip to Pittsburgh. I guess this year I believe we had at least one rehearsal that was fun. I think that was the best part this year.

I think that the best part of orchestra this year was getting to play with my friends. I enjoyed that in both orchestra class and sophisticated strings, I got to play with my friends, and even made new friends through the process.

The best part of orchestra classes this year was hosting PMEA auditions. I loved spending time with friends and people in the orchestra. It was lovely meeting new people and enjoying time with other people and feeling like a part of a community.

The best part about orchestra this year was all the friends I have or made in it. I made some new friends, I get to see my friends I normally don't see that often on a normal school day, and it's just a fun experience. I know I’m not great, but I enjoy the class so much. Orchestra has been so fun for all 8 years I've been in it so far.

For me, every year, my favorite part of orchestra comes in the winter. Since freshman year, the day before winter break has always been my favorite day of the year. Most students love this day because teachers aren’t truly teaching, and the anticipation till winter break is thrilling. However, it is my favorite day of the year for different reasons. My holiday cheer is always ushered in by the school winter concert, and the performing in the lobby with the Upper Dublin Orchestra. Since I normally am only a 2 or 3 day student, besides the concerts I don’t get much time to play with the Orchestra as a group. Playing these holiday anthems, not just are exciting and familiar pieces to play, but also give me an opportunity to join the orchestra in order to play as a whole group. One of the reasons I am a musician and a performer is because I love to share my interests and talent with the world. This day every year gives the orchestra that I spend so much time with and enjoy being a part of so much time to shine. Specifically, I also enjoyed our online unit. While I do think nothing beats playing together in person every week, I think that the music department did an amazing job incorporating musical learning throughout quarantine. I was able to reflect on music in a very unique way, and I appreciated the opportunity to do that.

I think my favorite part of orchestra class was probably playing as a group in class. It was something I could look forward to, as I would go from academic classes where I would have to think and analyze to orchestra. I was usually able to unwind and relax while playing, where I could just think about how I was playing and making good music.

Although I suppose this is my favorite thing every year, I really enjoyed the large rehearsals and events, not only because it was fun to play all together and hear how we came together as a complete ensemble, but also because it brought together a bunch of my friends and resulted in many good times and laughs that I will cherish. I'm not quite sure what else there is to elaborate on, but overall it feels rewarding to be part of a large group and accomplish something together.

I thought that the best part of the orchestra classes were the big rehearsals. After a club, classes, lesson, or sports practice it was nice to come together and play music. Music, most of the time, makes me feel relaxed and these rehearsals allowed me to unwind after or in between the stress of the day.

I think the best part of orchestra this year was probably the selection of music. I think I enjoyed listening to most of the songs which was nice because I think being able to enjoy listening to the music you play helps a lot. For example, songs like Swamp Thang just sound really good and gets me more into playing.

The best part of orchestra class this year was that I was a part of a class that had many more students compared to the previous year. I enjoyed playing with multiple violas and even a bass and it felt more coherent than having a class with just a few violins and a cello. I think that this year the selections were catchy but also very lengthy at the same time. I felt that this class was a break within my day between accounting and math to relax and play music that I wouldn’t even realize that time was passing. It was a class that wasn’t a burden yet I still had to maintain constant practicing to keep up with the performances. I especially enjoyed the holiday performance out in the hall and I think that we had yet another successful year of hosting the district auditions.

This year has been very enjoyable for the most part when it comes to orchestra. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have fun in class. I definitely preferred the music from the beginning of the year over the music for the end of the year, but overall, every piece was unique in its own way, but flowed together in a strange way. I would say my favorite part of orchestra class would be those moments where we all just have a nice time talking to each other along with the events that took place that the student body could participate in. Though some of those events got boring at times, they were still an enjoyable experience overall.

The best part of orchestra class this year is just the ability to meet with each other and have fun, and there were many instances of that.