What would you like to do and/or want to be part of our mode of operation for orchestra class NEXT YEAR?

For orchestra class next year, I would want to do more listening to the pieces in class before we play them so we all get a feel of what the piece sounds like and the final tempo. I also think it would be interesting to do sight reading in class because I think it would help our skills and be a fun kind of warm up exercise.

Since I will not be in orchestra class next year there isn’t anything that I wouldn’t change besides still feeling apart. Whether I am in an orchestra or not I’ll always love and cherish it. Even though the class I will still be doing the concerts as you know. Personally I liked orchestra this year aside from the online part, because I liked us all being in class together and working that way, but there are only some things we can control. I wish my last year of in class orchestra could have been spent with the people I love, but orchestra will always have a special place in my heart. If I do have to think about something that I would for next year is just to be able to drop in on class and watch if I have a free period or still being involved in events we host such as PMEA auditions and festivals.

Next year I think we should redo the music from the planned spring concert. I really liked the repertoire of the spring concert this year, and I think we should execute it in the fall (if we can). I don’t want all our work on the songs to go to waste, and if we do go back a little later than planned, we will still know the music better than we would if we started new music. I also want to put in a request for more advent calendars next year. The more calendars, the better. Plus, I don’t think we ever opened the rest of the days after winter break. I generally like the way we practice and go through music because it feels very productive. Otherwise, I don’t think anything should be changed or added to next year unless someone else has an idea.

Next year, I will be a sophomore and since I know a few eighth graders, who will be freshmen and are in orchestra, I want to be there for them. I know the terrifying feeling and how stressful it could be, so I want to help. I feel like since there were people to help me, I should help the freshmen too. I am really excited to meet new people and play new songs.

I really like orchestra the way it is and enjoyed how this year went, but if I had to add something else for next year, we could possibly do more in school performances. Not a performance like the spring concert, but something like when we played the holiday songs in the lobby. That was a really fun performance and it was a great way to play for the rest of the students. However, I really enjoyed our year this year and there is not much I would like to change for next year.

For next year, I would like for everything to hopefully go back to normal. I hope to have orchestra class five days a week. I hope that I will improve my violin playing in the orchestra next year. I hope to be in the pit orchestra and attend most orchestra performances next year.

Being completely honest, I can’t really think of much that could be changed. I think the one thing that I personally would like to see is more Symphony rehearsals in school. I don’t know how many other people feel about Symphony, but I really love it, and I’ve also observed that because we sometimes integrate those pieces in our daily classes, and the band students don’t, it leaves them feeling incredibly stressed by the week of the concert. So, I know that it sometimes doesn’t work with both yours and Mr. Horn’s schedules, but just a few more rehearsals here and there would be really beneficial.

I think it depends if we’re allowed to return to normal classes or if this is the new normal. If we can return, I’d hope everything would go back to normal, but if not, I think it would be interesting to incorporate more surrounding playing chosen selections, or maybe having some of the sophisticated strings music accessible to play.

In my opinion, I don’t think that there’s anything to add to the mode of operations for orchestra next year. When we have class, we start as soon as possible and we work on what we need to work on--we play as much music as possible.

I would like to continue to participate in the soph strings and keep playing in the class in spite of the changes in the number of classes and maybe try to help the new members.

These last few weeks of Orchestra, I have actually liked getting to do these projects we’ve been assigned to do. I think that while I’d prefer this class to remain the way it is, every once in a while having a class where these projects could make a return would be fun and refreshing--if we had the time for it, that is. Outside of that, as said previously, I don’t believe much is needed to be changed; as the saying goes, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

Next year I want to have the same year in the orchestra. Making the trips and playing these kinds of pieces that are historic. Moreover, enjoying playing music with other people who love classical music.

I would like to see some Lord of the Rings songs like the shire theme at the beginning of the first movie. Maybe some more movie songs like with the John Williams trilogy. Otherwise I usually like the selections you chose for us every year. Maybe we could have like a post COVID-19 concert for the songs we prepped this year but didn't get to play.

I think for next year, assuming we have a normal school year, we should focus on a lot of new music, but also try to revisit some of the music that we did not get to perform this year, though not as much. However, this might pose a challenge for incoming freshmen, since they do not know this music, so maybe that could be a thing for just the sophomores, juniors, and seniors, while the freshmen could work on something of their own to improve their skills.

Hopefully, Orchestra Class can be in person next year, and we can continue preparing for concerts in person like normal. However, if our year can not resume, and we continue orchestra class online for part of the school year next year, then I do have a suggestion. I would love to continue doing the types of projects we did this year, the following year. I think they encouraged us as musicians to analyze music through a unique lens, that as students we normally don’t get to do. However, I think virtual orchestra could be enhanced next year, if more playing was required. Assigning us shorter songs to play, and try to perfect on our own to record, I think would be really fun. Additionally, using sight singing factory, for weekly assignments could also keep us sharp on our scales, and playing skills.

I think the projects we have been doing at the end of this year have been very interesting, and it would be interesting if they were implemented next year, although I’m not sure how comfortable most people would be with them.

All I hope for next year is to be a contributing and strong member of the ensemble, as well as a strong personality in the group. I hope to help the orchestra feel like and come together as a family. I do not enjoy leadership roles, and am much more content to be led, so I would like to continue doing my best for the orchestra as a member rather than a leader. I do plan to take part in events such as PMEA.

I don’t really think that there is much that can be changed about the class. I definitely prefer in person than online so I don’t think implementing online stuff into the normal year would be good. I think what we have now is good.

I hope to be a part of even more orchestra events and I really want to go to Pittsburgh again like we did last year. It was such a great experience and very enjoyable and motivated me to work extra hard on practicing the pieces. I hope to be a bigger help and more interactive as an upperclassmen next year not just in orchestra classes but within sophisticated strings as well. It was my first year in the club and I enjoyed attending the different events like playing for people at pasta night or at the retirement home. Along with being more interactive I hope to improve my violin techniques to become a more developed violinist.

I would say that I would want to keep with the theme of changing the orientation of the room every once and awhile next year. All jokes aside, it was refreshing when the room’s orientation was flipped every so often. I also think it was fun on those days where we would clean up the room, sort the folders, and do general clean up stuff. I personally really enjoyed those days.

Something that I would like to be a part of our orchestra next year would be to have more group bonding events to be able for everyone to feel more united.