An Orchestral Evaluation

Wednesday, October 17, 2018, the Orchestra department held a concert dedicated to showcasing the work of Latin American composers. During the show, the orchestra performed work from Astor Piazzolla to Arturo Márquez. Featured in the concert were the Chamber, Sinfonia, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Overseeing this department is Dr. Dwayne Wasson who fulfilled the role as maestro. The instruments used in the concert were woodwinds, brass, percussion and string instruments.

In a profound interview with Andrew Massey, Chalia Crumby, Shaniya Sallis, Sarah McCoy, Angelina Blackwell, and the orchestra department, they all had similar things to say when asked about the orchestra and what it meant to them, they all answered “ Orchestra is a department where young musicians can express themselves through string instruments”. When asked about their favorite piece to perform at the concert, Massey said “ Danzon no. 2“ a masterpiece, where you can see everyone’s passion when we played it.” When asked about the challenges of being in Orchestra everyone but Sallis said “finding the time to practice.” When asked about the challenges of Orchestra, Sallis said: “ there aren’t any challenges, you have to have a love and passion for the art and sound.” When asked do you think you honored the musicians in the concert, Blackwell said: “ I don’t think we truly showed how amazing the music could have sounded.” When asked about preparations for the show Crumby stated: “ We play in the Performing Arts Center the day before the concert to test out the sounds, and to differ the echo from the classroom.” In the final question, the musicians were asked how do you think you as a group performed, Massey of Sinfonia said: “ we performed our best, we didn’t get cocky, and we let the instruments speak for themselves.” Blackwell of Philharmonia responded “ I don’t think we sounded too hot, but now that we’ve experienced what we sound like in the Performing Arts Center we can spend more time practicing. McCoy of Chamber said “ I think we played very well with an abundance of energy.

For their first concert of the fall, the Orchestra department played rather well. Performing songs like Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez, Aria from Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5, Tres Minutos con la Realidad by Piazzolla and Divertimento K 138 by Mozart. Thulsy Krishnan of the Philharmonia Orchestra had a featured violin solo performing.

To conclude, the Wheeler Orchestra had a stellar performance. In their first concert of the fall, they showcased their talents. With room for improvements, you can tell they tried their best. Lead by a fantastic conductor, Dr. Wasson by their next performance I have no doubt they will blow us all away.