Strings Students Serenade to Start off Semester

Jennifer Jia, Arts Staffer • 12 Views

February 22, 2017

Strings freshmen Hannah Xie (left) and Abigail McNutt perform in the String Orchestra concert held on Feb. 17 in the Brandt Black Box Theater.

Melancholy melodies filled the Brandt Black Box Theater on Feb. 17, as the the strings department held their first orchestra concert of the semester, featuring violinists, violists, bassists, and cello players galore. Conducted by strings teacher Wendell Simmons, the concert featured four pieces: Little Suite, Op. 1 from “Praeludium Intermezzo,” Elegy from “A Download Suite,” Intermezzo Sinfonico from “Cavalleria Rusticana,” and Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 11 from “Marcia.”

Photo by Ruby Rosenthal
Strings freshman Jean-Luc Rabideau performs in the String Orchestra concert held on Feb. 17 in the Brandt Black Box Theater.

“One thing that was different [about this concert] was the music [that was played],” strings freshman Annabel Schreiber said. “We learned some new pieces but also got another chance to play things that we had already performed. Also, this concert was in the Black Box [Theater], while our previous concert was in Meyer Hall, which made it tight space-wise- [something] we weren’t that used to.”

Beginning in the first semester, strings students practiced many of the symphonies heard at the concert in their individual classes. On the day of the concert itself, however, students usually stay after school for 45 minutes to rehearse more difficult pieces one last time before the concert begins.

“We’ve been practicing some of the repertoire since last semester, and some we just learned at the beginning of this year,” strings junior Emily Maio said. “Every class period we either start to learn a new piece or rehearse an old one to prepare for our next concert, and each piece takes several class periods and a couple after-school rehearsals to have it all come together.”

After closing the fourth and final piece, students stood from their chairs and bowed, signaling the end of the concert. Parents flooded the halls of Building 7, congratulating their children on a job well done.

“Some of the repertoire had challenging parts for certain instruments, but the people in those sections worked hard and once we put it together it sounded very nice,” strings freshman Hannah Xie said. “It was rewarding because we could perform it for our friends and family.”

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Jennifer Jia, Editor-in-Chief

Communications senior Jennifer Jia is a third-year staffer and the Editor-in-Chief of The Muse. She is also a member of the Speech and Debate Team, the social media manager of her local nature center, and a member of her school’s honor societies. When she is not obsessively researching about college or attempting to study 12 hours straight for her AP classes, she enjoys writing, drawing, and taking nature hikes—yes, even in Florida’s melting heat. Her goal as the Editor-in-Chief is to provide quality journalism that the newsmagazine’s audience can enjoy, whether that would be articles, videos, social media posts, or layout designs. Undoubtedly, her time in the publication has given her a voice, a passion for journalism that she hopes to continue, and most importantly, The Muse family who she considers to have created lifelong friendships. While the publication can be stressful at times, she embraces a positive attitude and can thoroughly say that The Muse has been the highlight of her high school experience. If you would like to contact this staffer, you may reach them at [email protected].