On October 17 at 6:30 p.m., orchestra students will play their pieces in front of an audience in the Reedy High School Auditorium.

Since the first day of school, the students have been working hard to prepare their music pieces for their concert. In order to prepare, orchestra members are encouraged to individually practice every day to improve their skills and prepare for rehearsals, which has been difficult at times for students to stay on top of.

“When I am playing the violin, it is hard making sure to practice everyday and trying not to get distracted frequently,” sophomore Elizabeth Ee said.

Even with daily practice, students say they still encounter obstacles while playing music. Whether it’s on the stage or just practicing in the classroom, students learn to overcome challenges every day. 

“The challenges that I have encountered before were messing up on rhythms which are hard to play,” junior violin student Sridhanya Tirumala said. “To improve, I am going to revise my music and practice so I don’t make any mistakes.”

Every year, students learn to adapt and work with the orchestra community to play their pieces to the best of their abilities.

“The [hardest part] is that everyone in orchestra has different skill levels so we all try to help each other get the notes right,” sophomore violin student Githika Jakkoju said.

While preparing the music takes time, effort and practice, most agree the progress and results at the end are worth it. 

“I would say [the best part is] watching the growth from our students,” director Aryc Lane said. “When we first sight read, it’s like ‘I don’t know what this sounds like,’ to ‘this sounds amazing and it’s getting so much better,’ to the concert where we all are super proud of what we’re going to play in front of an audience.”