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After approximately two months of grueling work, the students of the Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) orchestras have successfully completed the first concert of the school year: the 2022 Fall String Concert!
The Fall String Concert is a yearly concert that features the top orchestras from the three middle schools–First Avenue, Dana, and Foothills–and the four orchestras from Arcadia High School–Premier, String, Concert, and Symphony. It is a profound performance that kickstarts the school year and shows off the potential that each orchestra has to become truly exceptional in the following months. This year, the theater was packed with an ecstatic audience, beaming cheers and applause!
The three middle schools all brought their A game to the concert and blew everyone away with their fantastic performances. The middle schoolers managed to utilize an impressive level of finesse in their pieces.
One memorable performance was Dana Middle School’s interpretation of the piece Ear-igami by Richard Meyer. The performers utilized colorful pieces of paper as bows and for plucking to make unique sound effects and visuals. They kept folding their sheets as the song went on until each was a mini rectangle. The origami was then thrown up into the air amidst the sound of windchimes, a stunning end to the piece. Although the execution was splendid, there were several prominent challenges that the performers faced.
Rachel Chai, an eighth grader and violinist in Dana’s Symphonic Strings, said, “It’s weird playing the violin with paper.” She and Symphonic Strings had numerous difficulties practicing the unprecedented style. Nonetheless, it was definitely one of the most memorable highlights of the night.
Arcadia High School’s four orchestras practiced diligently, bringing their top tier performances to the concert. However, this year’s repertoires were especially challenging due to their advanced difficulty.
Fugue for String Orchestra by Paul Creston was played by Concert Orchestra. It was a complicated piece with plenty of accidentals, dynamics, and tricky rhythms scattered throughout. “I felt disappointed that I didn’t perform Fugue to the best of my ability. However, on a positive note, on the other pieces, I was satisfied with my performance, though I could hear nothing in [the piece] October,” said Emily Kaw, a violist from Concert Orchestra. Rigorous practice was needed to make the fugue come together as one cohesive song. The taxing demand caused members of Concert Orchestra to have minor worries about the final performance. Despite that, Concert Orchestra was able to persevere and performed outstandingly!
At the end of the concert, an overwhelming amount of energy filled the concert hall. The crowd clapped with immense enthusiasm as each orchestra was individually acknowledged. The concert will definitely be memorable for years to come!