As the swirling sounds of saxophones, trumpets, human vocals and almost every concert instrument imaginable swagger down Legacy’s hallways, a particular voice fails to stitch its way into this tapestry of music. The bravado of a string section, an orchestra, has remained the stuff of dreams for some students.
But soon that dream will come to life.
In the Fall of 2016, MISD implemented the beginning stages of the district’s first orchestra program. The program was created as part of MISD’s $8,072,570 extracurricular budget released in June 2016. For the 2016-17 school year, the program consists of a fifth-grade introductory course with plans in place to expand to both fifth and sixth grade in fall 2017. But there are even greater ambitions to expand into high school, and the sound of that idea excites Amara Jackson, the Donna Shepard Intermediate School orchestra director.
“We will have the opportunity to have a full orchestra where band, choir and orchestra could perform together,” Ms. Jackson said. “That would be wonderful.”
Above all else, Ms. Jackson believes the orchestra program’s primary goal will be to serve a greater purpose in the lives of students.
“I believe that like everything in education we should take the direction of preparing our students for their futures,” Ms. Jackson said. “Having orchestra added to the options MISD already has will create more opportunities for students to explore what their path in life might be.”
Legacy Band Director Adam Hoffmann holds a similarly zealous attitude toward the idea of an orchestra in high school. Mr. Hoffmann himself spent a short time in Ireland conducting a small string chamber group and can attest to the positive experiences that are possible by being in an orchestra.
“From a musical standpoint, I think it’s great,” Mr. Hoffmann said. “It provides a different way to get involved with music.”
Like Ms. Jackson, Mr. Hoffmann also thinks that orchestra has the possibility to deeply affect the lives of MISD students. Mr. Hoffman believes the unique nature of orchestra programs provide yet another option for students to discover new things about themselves.
“It’s a completely different animal,” Mr. Hoffmann said. “It gives students an opportunity to find what speaks to them.”
For Ms. Jackson, the list of benefits of an orchestra doesn’t seem to stop. To her, the program has been designed to use music as a way to expand the creative knowledge of students. She firmly believes that orchestral experience will reap rewards in the form of values like teamwork and self-discipline.
“Orchestra is a class that fosters creativity and an appreciation for art in all its forms,” Ms. Jackson said. “It is most important to us that students experience the expressive beauty of music through firsthand participation in its creation.”
