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Middle school orchestras perform
By SARAH FOOR
Although the students who performed the fifth- and sixth-grade orchestra concert have only been playing in an orchestra setting for one to two years, respectively, their talent showed through during the selection of blues, rock, and classical songs at the concert.
The orchestra has a long tradition in Boardman, beginning in the early 1940s under the leadership of Richard Bame, who wanted the students to focus especially on learning string instruments.
Since those early days of the orchestra, the program has grown into 400 orchestra students in grades five through 12. The Boardman Orchestra spring concert on May 11 featured the combined fifth- and sixth-grade orchestras from Glenwood and Center Middle Schools, who played string arrangements of waltzes, blues, rock, and few familiar radio tunes.
“Our selections are chosen so the students can learn different rhythms, keys and styles. It keeps the concert interesting for the listeners, but also lets the directors teach some of the performance practices necessary to play different types of music,” Bill Amendol explained.
The concert had the fifth-grade violin and viola players rearranging themselves for each song.
“Our fifth-graders are moving frequently because they are now playing two different parts of the same song. They are playing true harmony, which is a wonderful improvement from even our winter concert,” Amendol noted during the performance.
The concert served as entertainment for guests, but also a celebration of the musical growth of the middle school orchestra.
“I’m sure these instruments didn’t sound great when your child first started playing them,” Amendol shared, addressing orchestra parents. “How much they’ve improved in the last year is testament to parent involvement and each student’s focus, so we thank you.”