Notes soared like dragons in the auditorium on April 28 as students in the full orchestra performed an arrangement of “How to Train Your Dragon” at the spring orchestra concert. The rehearsals started mid-April and included a mix of band and orchestra students under the direction of Orchestra Director Sandra Mour. Throughout rehearsals, the players made the piece come to life in the time leading up to the concert and focused on a very important but simple concept: knowing the music.

“[It’s] the most important part in full orchestra,” flutist Bella Kong, 12, said. “We did not have a lot of rehearsals with all instruments present, so it was crucial that we knew our part so we could focus on matching, balancing or anything that can only be done with every performer there.”

Beyond just individual playing, a new sound can be created by combining both orchestra and band.

“Participating in a full orchestra is so much more exhilarating than a traditional orchestra because of all the different timbres and techniques…as well as the added loudness and the power of the brass,” violinist Saiadithyaa Satheshkumar, 12, said. “Usually, as normal orchestra students, we get used to what we hear in our environments, but there’s so much variance that the band can add.”

However, a full orchestra presents new challenges to students who are used to an ensemble of only wind or string instruments.  

“[The hardest part is] definitely trying to get the string parts and winds aligned,” Kong said. “[From] a performer’s perspective, it is sometimes hard to find the string instrument that’s playing the same part as me, because I haven’t had that much experience with orchestra to differentiate between all the string instruments.”

Regardless of setbacks, there were also enjoyable moments for players, especially when playing music from a childhood movie.

“The most enjoyable part has been all the styles and genres of music, from traditional classical to very aggressive techniques to Celtic techniques,” Satheshkumar said. “I especially enjoyed getting to see and bring to life the music that inspired me and that I loved so dearly as a child.”

The full orchestra’s performance was a wonderful display of the collaboration and skills of both the orchestra and band students. While it may have marked the end of this year’s full orchestra performances, make sure to support students in the future and give them a listen this coming school year!