Sudden wind gusts may have sent their sheet music flying, but the members of South Orangetown Middle School’s eighth-grade orchestra diligently clipped the unruly pages back in place and set to tuning their instruments in preparation for a limited-capacity concert in the SOMS courtyard last evening. “Professional instrumentalists deal with this all the time. You are indomitable,” encouraged orchestra teacher Elizabeth Krause.
The event featured performances of Ravel’s “Pavane (Pour une infante défunte)” and Vivaldi’s “Spring” (from “The Four Seasons”), awards (including “Challenge Seeking Musician,” “Creative Musician” and “Dedicated Musician”) and student reflections on their orchestra experience.
As musicians readied for the arrival of their audience, Myla V. paused to share her thoughts. “I’ve been playing cello since third grade and I really love collaborating and making music with other people. It’s made me love cello. Sometimes, it’s hard to work on your mistakes when you’re alone. It’s fun being with other musicians and it helps me focus less on my mistakes and more on how I can become better.”
Bravo, 8th Grade Orchestra!
